SEAT breaks records and posts profits as the range of new cars takes hold, with more to come.

Decisive step towards consolidating profitability

• The company achieves an operating profit of 143 million euros and a profit after tax before extraordinary effects of +232 million euros
• Revenues reach a record volume of 8,597 million euros, 3.2% higher
• SEAT allocates 862 million euros (+47%) to total investments and R&D expenses
• The company generates an EBITDA of nearly 500 million euros, up by 25% 

SEAT obtained the best financial results in its history in 2016. The company made progress towards sustainable profitability and concluded the year with an operating profit of 143* million euros (2015: -7 million euros), and profit after tax before extraordinary effects totalling 232 million euros (2015: 6 million euros). 

SEAT closed the year in the black for both indicators for the first time since 2007, achieving as well the highest operating profit in its history. 

SEAT’s profit after tax grew to 903 million euros due to the extraordinary effect of selling the subsidiary VW Finance, S.A. to Volkswagen AG. 

This operation, which falls within the framework of the Volkswagen Group’s strategy to reorganise its financial subsidiaries under a single company, yielded SEAT a capital gain of 671 million euros. The sale enables the brand to improve its financial position after allocating 590 million euros to compensate losses from previous years. 

“Higher levels of sales, higher mix and cost optimisation lead us to profitability. We as a team are very proud of our 143 million euros operating profit”, underlined SEAT Chairman Luca de Meo today in Barcelona during the presentation of the financial results for 2016.“SEAT has become a solid company that moved clearly from recovery to a consolidation phase. And SEAT is now preparing itself for development and growth”, explained Luca de Meo. Furthermore, he added that “2017 is a very special year for SEAT. The Ibiza and the Arona will speed up this process. We are ready to move SEAT to the next level”. 

SEAT’s 2016 turnover stood at 8,597 million euros, 3.2% higher than the previous year, and again the best revenue figure in its history. The driving forces behind this figure are growing sales and a better vehicle mix, as demonstrated by the commercial success of the Ateca, the Leon and the Alhambra, three models with a higher contribution margin. 

Another positive contribution was made by the integration of the SEAT Technical Centre (CTS) into the parent company, an operation that enables a more efficient response to the technological challenges of the future, as well as the increased business obtained by SEAT Componentes, which in 2019 will manufacture the Volkswagen Group’s new MQ281 gearbox. 

In 2016, SEAT exported 82.4% of its production and established itself as Spain’s leading industrial exporting company, with 2.8% of the country’s total figure. 

The sales kick-off of the Ateca, SEAT’s first ever SUV, together with the best sales result of the Leon and the Alhambra since their launch, led SEAT to the fourth consecutive year of sales growth (408,700 vehicles; nearly 30% increase in the last four years) and the best result since 2007. 

With over 150,000 units sold in 2016, the Ibiza also contributed to boosting deliveries, as well as the evolution in Germany (+2.5%), Poland (+22.1%), Turkey (+41.5%) or Austria (+12.9%). 

The biggest product offensive in the history of SEAT, with four new models from 2016 to 2017, resulted in a record figure for total investments and expenses in R&D. 

SEAT allocated 47% more to these line items to reach 862 million euros, 276 million more than in 2015, in order to address, among other priorities, the new MQB A0 platform, which SEAT will be the first in the Volkswagen Group to use for the production of the fifth generation Ibiza. 

This figure represents 10% of the company’s turnover. Since 2012, SEAT has invested 3 billion euros in R&D, equipment and facilities. 

In 2016, SEAT also increased its capacity to generate profits through its core activity. The company improved its EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) by 25% to reach 489 million euros. 

SEAT Vice-President for Finance, IT and Organisation Holger Kintscher underscored that “the 2016 results mark a turning point and reflect the effort put in in recent years. We are back in the black, for both the operating result and profit after tax. EBIDTA and our level of investment demonstrate the company’s strength from a financial point of view. We are where we are as a result of everyone’s effort”. 

As defined in the collective agreement signed in 2016, SEAT employees will receive a total of 6 million euros as a benefit for the achieved results. This figure is included under the personnel costs heading. 

2017: a very special year

This year SEAT will complete the biggest product offensive in its history with the sale of the fifth generation Ibiza, which is going to reach dealers starting this summer, and the launch of the Arona, the brand’s new compact crossover, in the second half of 2017. 

Both models, produced in the Martorell factory, will join the Ateca, which was launched in 2016, and the Leon facelift, which has been on sale since last January. 

The expansion and renewal of the range will enable SEAT to increase its market coverage from 53% to 72% in Europe and give fresh impetus to sales, as well as lower the average age of the SEAT model line-up. 

In January and February of this year, SEAT’s worldwide deliveries saw a double-digit increase (+13.6%) to stand at a total of 64,000 vehicles. In addition, the brand is one of the fastest growing in Europe at the beginning of the year, with an increase of 20% in vehicle registrations. 

Regarding the expansion of the brand, SEAT Chairman Luca de Meo indicated that “we are working on internationalisation projects. A good and concrete example is the decision to produce in Algeria starting in the second half of the year. 

This is a Group’s project which starts with the Ibiza and the Golf, but SEAT will take the leadership role. All the Ibiza sold in Algeria will be made in Martorell and the final assembly will take place in Algeria, in the importer’s new plant”. 

One of the goals SEAT has set for itself is to become a benchmark in the industry in terms of connectivity and smart mobility. 

To achieve this, the company will inaugurate the Metropolis:Lab Barcelona in April, a 100% SEAT facility that will be integrated in the Volkswagen Group’s worldwide network of digital labs. The brand is also going to open a flagship store in the coming months in Barcelona to enhance its relation with customers and with the city. 

(*) SEAT prepares its individual financial statements according to the Spanish General Accounting Plan, without including its subsidiaries. The Volkswagen Group applies international accounting standards (IAS/IFRS) and consolidates the SEAT brand figures. 

SEAT is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures and markets cars in Spain. 

A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 81% of its vehicles, and is present in over 80 countries through a network of 1,700 dealerships. In 2016, SEAT obtained an operating profit of 143 million euros, the highest in the history of the brand, and achieved worldwide sales of nearly 410,000 vehicles. 

SEAT Group employs more than 14,500 professionals at its three production centres – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca and the Toledo in the Czech Republic, the Alhambra in Portugal and the Mii in Slovakia.  

The multinational has a Technical Centre, which operates as a knowledge hub that brings together 1,000 engineers who are focussed on developing innovation for Spain’s largest industrial investor in R&D. 

SEAT already features the latest connectivity technology in its vehicle range and is currently engaged in the company’s global digitalisation process to promote the mobility of the future. 

WHAT CAR AWARDS - Four outright wins and seven best buys for Audi, that'll be hard to beat.

Audi takes home a total of four category award wins in the What Car? Awards, the most of any car brand in contention

• Audi A4 named Executive Car of the Year
• Luxury SUV of the Year is the Audi Q7
• A3 Sportback singled out as the Best Family Car
• Audi TT takes Coupé of the Year for the third year in succession
• Seven Best Buy commendations across the model range

Few UK automotive industry endorsements carry as much weight as a What Car? Award, and at a ceremony in London earlier this evening Audi proudly accepted a total of four from the UK’s biggest car-buying brand for category wins by the A3 Sportback, A4 Saloon, TT and Q7.  

Right at the top of the What Car? New Year’s Honours list is the Audi A4. Having already claimed last year’s overall title of 2016 Car of the Year and Executive Car of the Year, the premium pacesetter has once again held onto the Best Executive Car crown. 

It was joined by the Audi TT, which retains its Coupé of the Year title for the third consecutive year in its current form, and by the Audi Q7, which has beaten the competition to be named Best Luxury SUV. Last but by no means least, the A3 Sportback merited the top position in the Best Family Car category for 2017.

Cited by the leading consumer publication as the ‘smoothest, quietest and best-finished car in its class’, the new A4 has considerably upped the ante with its exemplary levels of refinement, comfort and technology that rival the full-size class.

“Once again it is the blend of performance, impressive efficiency and a generous standard specification offered by the A4 in 3.0 TDI 218PS Sport that makes it a winner,” explained What Car? Editor Steve Huntingford, adding: “The A4’s exquisitely built interior offers the quality of a luxury car’s, and there’s a host of tech to enjoy, including Audi’s feature-laden MMI infotainment system, as well as space for four adults – five at a push – and a generous boot.”

“The A4 manages these feats only because Audi set out not to just compete, but to build the most complete executive car on the planet, and it’s certainly done so.”

More praise was heaped on the A4, and in particular the remarkably smooth V6 TDI, with a Best Buy accolade in the more than £30,000 price bracket. According to the What Car? road test team, “The performance of this bigger engine whisks you along with the minimum of effort, taking the strain out of overtaking or building speed to join motorways. What’s more, it does so while being incongruously smooth by diesel standards, which complements the A4’s sumptuous ride and excellent ability to filter out road and wind noise at speed.”

It was also another successful night for the Audi TT, which secured yet another trophy for Coupé of the Year. This third successive category victory continues a winning streak that spans all three generations - it takes the total number of awards handed down by What Car? to the iconic coupé to an unprecedented nine.

Singling out the 1.8 TFSI Sport with 180PS as both the overall category winner and the ‘less than £30,000’ Best Buy victor, the editorial team once again recommended the TT as a ‘no-brainer’ for 2017. 

Successful start to the year for the largest Audi SUV

The third overall category win for Audi went to the Q7. The leading consumer magazine chose the 3.0 TDI 272 PS as its pick of the range, having been suitably impressed by its ‘powerful and silky-smooth’ engine, its ‘fast and slick’ eight-speed tiptronic transmission and its ample space for four adults and children.

“Despite costing much less than an entry-level Range Rover, the Q7 is unquestionably a better all-rounder,” explained Steve Huntingford. “It has a very plush interior, gets loads of standard kit and is incredibly refined; wind and road noise are negligible and the optional air suspension gives a supremely cushioned ride. Ultimately, luxury SUVs don’t get any more spacious, comfy, luxurious or sophisticated.”

New Audi A3 back on winning form

The consistently popular A3 Sportback brings the total Audi awards tally to four thanks to a Best Family Car category win. Following a comprehensive update across the range, the Audi A3 is now right back at the cutting edge of Audi innovation, and includes the very latest hallmarks of Vorsprung durch Technik, from the stunning virtual cockpit to an array of assistance systems such as the predictive efficiency assistant and the game-changing traffic jam assist, introducing the first steps toward piloted driving. Behind the technological updates the fundamental qualities of the A3 continue to shine through, as the What Car? team confirms by writing: “Even executive cars costing thousands more are shamed by its classy dashboard, rock-solid build quality and wonderful attention to detail.”

The A3 Sportback also took a 'Best Buy' accolade in the £25,000-£35,000 class in 1.4 TFSI 150PS Sport form and a further three Audi Best Buy awards were received by the A3 Saloon, the A3 Cabriolet and the new A5 Coupé.

Commenting on these remarkable achievements, Director of Audi UK Cian O’Brien said: “This is a momentous start to 2017 for our brand. To have no less than four models in particularly demanding categories championed as the very best consumer choices in the hard fought new car market is hugely encouraging. These awards play an important part in underpinning the messaging behind our models and helping to make them the choice of an ever growing number of UK customers -  they are highly prized not only by our team in the UK but also by our colleagues in Germany, and are very gratefully received.”

WHAT CAR AWARDS - SEAT takes two awards this year, the Ateca and Leon are both winners.

• Ateca wins Small SUV category at first attempt
• New Leon celebrates Family Car ‘Best Buy’ victory (£18,000-£20,000)

SEAT is kicking off 2017 in style after driving off with two accolades at the What Car? Awards 2017, ‘Best Small SUV’ for Ateca, plus, a ‘Best Buy’ victory for New Leon, one month ahead of the car even launching in UK showrooms.

Ateca, SEAT’s in-demand first SUV wowed the judges across the board. Among its talents singled out for praise where its value for money, impressive driving experience and top-notch infotainment systems.

Steve Huntingford, What Car? Editor, commented, “SEAT has managed to price its Ateca keenly enough to appeal to a wide range of buyers looking for their ideal car. 

Not only does it have space and practicality in abundance, its robust interior should stand the test of time, and you get lots of kit. That you can also have a fuel-sipping petrol engine with impressive, yet quiet, performance for this money is a massive achievement.”

Its preferred version of the Barcelona-based brand’s high-selling Ateca, SE 1.4 EcoTSI 150, earned a ‘Best Buy £15,000-£25,000’ win initially, before fending off every other shortlisted SUV in its category, to secure the overall Small SUV title.

What Car? continued, “It’s extremely good fun to drive, with excellent body control and one of the best steering set-ups of the class. It’s genuinely agile, which is a rare thing for a small SUV.

“With our favoured 1.4 turbo petrol engine fitted, it has strong performance to match its sweet handling, but this is balanced with clever cylinder shut-off technology that helps deliver great fuel economy and low CO₂emissions. Inside, a family will have room to stretch out, particularly in the back, where leg room – even for adults – is generous. The large boot is easily accessible and a practical shape, too. Mid-range SE trim has all you’ll need too: 17-inch alloys, cruise and climate control, and an eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system with a DAB radio, Bluetooth, and USB port.”

Sharing the limelight on the night was the New Leon. Recently updated ahead of its UK showroom launch next month, SEAT’s best-selling model earned a ‘Best Buy’ in the Family Car for the £18,000-£20,000 category.

Outlining the reasons behind the success of their favoured SEAT Leon version, SE Technology 1.0 TSI 115 Ecomotive, the What Car? team added,“…under the bonnet there’s a new 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine...with just enough punch to let you enjoy the Leon’s agile handling. The new 1.0 TSI engine is available in only one trim level: SE Technology. Fortunately, that rounds up most of the equipment you’re likely to want, including sat-nav, a DAB radio, air-con, alloy wheels and cruise control.”

Commenting on the brand’s success at the prestigious bash at the Grosvenor Hotel on London’s Park Lane last night, SEAT UK’s Head of Marketing, Andrew Tracey, added, “After What Car?’s own five-star review of the Ateca, we were quietly confident about its chances in this year’s awards. It offers everything a compact SUV buyer could ever need, with plenty of space, style, technology, quality, not to mention engines, transmissions and four-wheel-drive, to suit every conceivable need. So, naturally, I’m delighted that its breadth of talents has been recognised. For New Leon to collect a Best Buy win too, before it even arrives in UK showrooms, is the icing on the cake and gives us a fantastic platform upon which to build early success in 2017.”

Vauxhall launches the All_new Crossland X, a new and not the last SUV for the brand.

• All-new crossover model to be launched into booming SUV segment
• Elevated seating position, spacious interior, practical and flexible
• Vauxhall OnStar standard through Crossland X range
• Comprehensive infotainment features, plus raft of driver assistance systems
• Arrives in showrooms this summer

Crisp and compact on the outside, spacious and flexible on the inside, with unique two-tone paintwork and SUV-styling, these are the first pictures of Vauxhall’s all-new Crossland X.

The newcomer adds a second vital ingredient to Vauxhall’s burgeoning SUV offering, which is due to grow still further in 2017 with the launch of the larger Grandland X later in the year. 

While the Crossland X’s recently-launched sibling, the Mokka X, has all-wheel-drive capability, is 70mm higher and has larger wheels for buyers with a taste for adventure, the Crossland X has a firm family focus, with a Tardis-like cabin providing high degrees of practicality and flexibility.

And at just 4.21 metres in length the Crossland X is more compact than the Mokka X, and a full 16cm shorter than the Astra Hatch, offering owners greater convenience while driving and manoeuvring in towns and cities. 

Adding to Crossland X’s urban appeal is an elevated seating position and an overall height, which is raised ten centimetres above the Astra’s.

The Crossland X also enters a different SUV class to the Mokka X, with rivals such as the Renault Captur and Peugeot 2008. The Mokka X’s competitors include the Nissan Juke and Skoda Yeti.

Exceptional driver and passenger comfort has been an obvious priority for a car entering this class. The Crossland X has specially designed AGR-certified adjust their seating position to increase leg room. This seating flexibility is equally valuable for luggage capacity, which is a class-leading 410 litres with the rear seats up. The flexibility of the rear seats allows the luggage capacity to be increased if additional leg room is not required.

Additional innovations in the Crossland X make driving safer and more comfortable, and include a 180-degree panoramic rear-view camera, advanced park assist, forward collision alert with pedestrian detection and autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, speed sign recognition and side blind-spot alert, among others.

The cutting-edge technology is not limited to driver assistance and safety features though, with drivers benefitting from exceptional connectivity that is becoming the norm in Vauxhall models. Vauxhall OnStar, as well as IntelliLink infotainment systems, compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, keeps drivers connected in a convenient and responsible way through an up to eight-inch colour touchscreen. An extensive petrol/diesel engine portfolio with manual and automatic transmissions also features.

“Crossland X is as multi-talented as it is stylish,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s Chairman and Managing Director. “It will appeal to buyers with families who demand agility and convenience in urban driving, but with enough comfort and performance to cover long distances at the drop of a hat. 

Our customers’ expectations are changing, so the timing is perfect for an additional model in the Vauxhall range, which caters for a new breed of buyer.”

Since 2012, the Mokka (which has recently been replaced by the new Mokka X) has found more than 120,000 buyers in the UK, its single biggest market in Europe, and this has been set against an SUV segment which have grown year-on-year. The Crossland X is set to bring still more growth when it goes on sale this summer.

Forming the first part of Vauxhall’s ‘Five-Star’ 2017, which will see five major product launches in just one year, the Crossland X will be joined by another newcomer to the ‘X’ family, the larger Grandland X which will compete in the compact SUV class (SUV C-segment) later this year.

DESIGN

As a true urban crossover, the Crossland X delivers bold design features in a compact, balanced package. The model’s length of 4,212mm, coupled with width of 1,765mm and height of 1,590mm, give it a dominant stance and balanced proportions. It is the latest model in the Vauxhall range to embrace the company’s design philosophy ‘Sculptural artistry meets technical precision’, giving it a rugged, yet sophisticated, appearance.

From the front, it is recognisably a Vauxhall, with a prominent grille featuring the iconic Griffin, as well as Vauxhall’s signature LED daytime running lights. Chrome accents coupled with AFL LED headlights give the perception of extra width and additional features taken from larger SUV models give the model a confident appearance.

The crisp side lines and ‘floating roof’, which visually separates the lower and upper section of the vehicle lengthen the Crossland X. Like the Vauxhall ADAM, customers can order a different colour for the roof. 

The prominent rear of the Crossland X makes a clear SUV statement with its visible underbody protection. The highly-mounted split rear lights also feature the ‘double-wing’ graphic and form the intersection between the boot lid and the downwards sloping roofline.

COMFORT

The interior of the Crossland X offers sculptural design and precision, with the instrument panel and centre stack horizontally aligned to the driver for added functionality. High quality finishes are provided with chrome accents around the cluster and air vents, while the centrepiece of the interior is the up to eight-inch colour touchscreen.

With either Radio R 4.0 IntelliLink or Navi 5.0 IntelliLink infotainment systems, both compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the Crossland X keeps the driver connected with the unit’s seamless integration into the centre console. 

The latest wireless inductive charging is also available for added convenience and a reduction in wires, and the inclusion of Vauxhall OnStar as standard provides a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices to keep all occupants connected while on the go.

Driver and passenger experience is not only heightened by the intelligent design and infotainment system, but with the model’s comfortable seating and spacious layout. 

Uncommon for the segment, the Crossland X features first class ergonomic seats for the driver and front passenger to make long journeys comfortable, and give generous leg room.

High levels of flexibility are also offered throughout the model, largely thanks to the sliding rear seats. 

Able to move forwards or backwards up to 150mm, the 60/40 split folding seats provide additional leg room to the rear passengers for added comfort, or alternatively can be moved to create additional luggage space up to a class-leading 520 litres. 

When the rear seats are folded down completely, luggage capacity increases to an impressive 1,255 litres, with the wide number of permutations in between making the Crossland X capable of carrying a wide range of everyday items as required.

LIGHTING AND DRIVER ASSISTANCE SYSTEMS

In a segment where safety is a key concern, the Crossland X makes journeys more relaxing and safer with the inclusion of the latest technology and driver assistance systems. These include:

• Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) with full-LED headlamps
• Head up Display
• 180-degree panoramic rear view camera
• Advanced park assist
• Forward collision alert with  pedestrian detection and autonomous emergency braking
• Lane departure warning
• Speed sign recognition
• Side blind-spot alert
• Cruise control with speed limiter
• Three-level Driver Drowsiness System.
• Heated steering wheel and heated windscreen
• Keyless open and start

USA - The Ford Focus RS has been awarded one of the Wards 10 Best Engines.

The 2.3-liter EcoBoost^® I-4 powering Ford Focus RS has earned the prestigious 2017 Ward’s 10 Best Engines award − the first time the specially engineered engine has taken home a prize.

Ford’s high-output 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine delivers 350 horsepower and 350 lb.-ft. of torque on 93-octane fuel. It features a bevy of tricks up its sleeve to offer a premium driving experience for customers of the performance hatchback.

Impressive engine output comes courtesy of an all-new, low-inertia twin-scroll turbocharger with a larger compressor wheel that delivers more airflow and power throughout the rev range – taking Focus RS from 0-62 mph in just 4.7 seconds. The hot hatch also offers four different drive modes, and pioneers innovative Ford Performance All-Wheel Drive with Dynamic Torque Vectoring for class-leading cornering speed and unsurpassed driver enjoyment.

The 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine is also available for the 2017 Ford Mustang. In that application, it churns out 310 horsepower and 320 lb.-ft. of torque.

Click here to learn more about the Ward’s 10 Best Engines award.