SEAT announces worldwide increases to better 2012 by 10.6%

• Following stunning result for SEAT UK, SEAT S.A. announces 10.6% global sales increase for 2013
• 355,000 vehicles delivered is SEAT’s highest for five years
• SEAT is one of the fastest growing brands in Europe
• Double digit increases for Leon (44%) and Mii (43%)

SEAT sales jumped up by 10.6% in 2013, as the Spanish brand delivered 355,000 vehicles worldwide – its highest number for five years, and 34,000 more than 2012’s figure.

In its main area of Western Europe, SEAT’s 9.4% increase puts it among the fastest growing brands in Europe, despite operating in a sector that’s contracted overall. SEAT sold 273,200 vehicles in Western Europe in 2013, 23,500 more than in 2012.

SEAT Chairman Jürgen Stackmann underscores that “the company is having sales momentum, particularly in Europe, where SEAT is growing faster than the competition in a contracting market.”

European success

In its biggest market, Germany, SEAT delivered 76,600 vehicles, a 20.3% increase over the previous year. SEAT was the fastest-growing brand in Germany, and has placed itself amongst the top ten selling brands. In Spain, SEAT returned to positive performance figures and increased sales by 6.0% (58,900 cars), above the market average. In the United Kingdom, its third-largest market, the Spanish brand enjoyed its fifth successive year of growth (16.8%), with more than 45,300 sales the highest that SEAT UK has ever achieved in a year.

SEAT also closed 2013 with record sales in other markets like Switzerland (8,300 units; up 5.2%) and Denmark (6,300; up 37.6%), alongside other European markets.

The key to SEAT’s positive performance in Europe is the Leon, of which more than 102,000 units have been sold worldwide, a 44.4% increase. The new five-door Leon is the best-selling SEAT model in many countries (Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy, and Turkey, among others). SEAT Sales and Marketing Vice President Dr. Andreas Offermann asserts that “full availability of the Leon family should sustain growth in 2014.”

Growth in North Africa, Middle East and Mexico

SEAT also seized opportunities outside Europe; thanks to 13.0% growth, almost one of every five vehicles SEAT built in 2013 was sold outside of Europe (64,600 units). So, for the first time, SEAT has three non-European countries amongst its top ten: Mexico (5th), Algeria (6th) and Turkey (8th).

In Algeria, where SEAT already quadrupled its sales in 2012, it continued to grow last year, by 26.9%, and concluded 2013 with 20,500 units sold. The big novelty for 2013 was Turkey, where sales almost doubled (90.4%) with the brand marketing 11,100 units. SEAT ended 2013 with the highest sales figures in its history for both these countries. In Mexico SEAT grew for the fourth successive year (0.4%), sales totalling 21,200 units.

“In 2014, in spite of the still-persisting difficulties in the economic environment, we intend to continue working hard to make constant progress. We have a fantastic product range which will continue to grow around the Leon family, the heart of the SEAT brand,”declares Chairman Jürgen Stackmann.

Deliveries to customers in 2013 (by models, in units and percentage annual growth)

SEAT Mii (28,900; +43.2%)
SEAT Ibiza (154,100; -7.7%)
SEAT Toledo (19,000; launched in November 2012)
SEAT Leon (102,800; +44.4%)
SEAT Altea (23,700; -19.7%)
SEAT Alhambra (20,000; +4.0%)
SEAT Exeo (6,500; production discontinued in July 2013)