SEAT confirms production of manufacturers first SUV to launch in 2016.

• Much-anticipated SEAT SUV will come to market in 2016
• Forthcoming car already in development at SEAT’s Martorell facility

SEAT today confirms that it will produce a new compact SUV model, which will come to market in 2016. The Spanish company has been working on the design and development of the new model at its Martorell facility for almost two years.

“This is an excellent piece of news, since it takes SEAT into a new territory, in one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the world,” declared SEAT Chairman Jürgen Stackmann today in the Annual Results Press Presentation. “The SUV is an important pillar in the future corporate strategy and is a major step forward on the road to reaching sustainable profitability for the company,” he added.

Confirmation of the production of a SEAT SUV is a clear sign of the Volkswagen Group’s commitment to the Spanish brand. The new model will achieve a foothold in a growing segment that represents close to one million cars per year in Europe alone – a segment that has increased more than 40% over the past five years, and will continue to grow in the future.

The new SUV will further broaden SEAT’s product range, enabling the brand to maintain its current growth momentum following the successful launch of the Leon family, which is receiving numerous accolades and awards across Europe.

Development of the SUV will continue at the SEAT Technical Centre in Martorell, a unique hub of excellence in southern Europe with more than 900 engineers dedicated to innovation.

SEAT is the only company in its sector with the full-range capacity to design, develop, manufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting more than 80% of its vehicles, and is present in more than 75 countries. In 2012 SEAT had a total turnover exceeding six billion euros, with overall deliveries amounting to 321,000 units.

SEAT Group employs 14,000 professionals at its three production centres in Barcelona − Zona Franca, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon, amongst other models. Additionally, the company produces the Alhambra in Palmela (Portugal), the Mii in Bratislava (Slovakia) and the Toledo in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) at Volkswagen Group plants. 

The Spanish multinational also has a Technical Center, a ‘knowledge hub’, bringing together close to 1,000 engineers whose goal is to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in R&D in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environmental protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its core activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, as well as recycling and re-use of resources.

SEAT UK enjoyed a tremendous year in 2013, selling 45,312 cars and achieving a 2.0% market share – both company records.