[UPDATE] According to the initial Autocar story, SEAT will discontinue all car production after the current generation of models reached the end of their useful lives. The page has been updated to reflect the changes as SEAT transitions into a new position and leaves the conventional auto industry. Since Cupra became a solo brand, perhaps many of you have predicted this, but the Volkswagen Group has declared SEAT would alter its operating style. The CEO of the VW Group, Thomas Schäfer, told Autocar that the Martorell-based company will play “a different role” at the 2023 IAA Mobility in Munich.
What possibly was that? “Sociedad Espaola de Automóviles de Turismo” (SEAT) stands for “Spanish Touring Automobiles Company,” however without next-generation vehicles, the company’s future is uncertain. According to Autocar, it might develop into a mobility business akin to Renault’s Mobilize. In actuality, SEAT already offers an electric scooter lineup called M. Current vehicles won’t be instantly replaced by next-generation models, at least not ones bearing the SEAT logo, although they will continue to be produced for a long.
2021 SEAT Ibiza facelift
The Leon compact hatchback and wagon’s impending makeover, according to Autocar, could spell the end for the models with the SEAT logo. In other words, although nothing is official yet, the VW Group may market the 2024 Leon facelift exclusively as a Cupra.
When asked what SEAT’s future held, Schäfer responded, “The future of SEAT is Cupra.” The VW Group would “invest strongly in Cupra… this will ramp up,” he continued. The CEO of the VW Group defended the unconventional choice by claiming that Cupra has gained popularity among consumers and is currently the fastest-growing brand in Europe.
Sadly, the 1400 was the first vehicle SEAT produced, coming off the manufacturing line in 1953, marking the start of the company’s 70-year history. The brand wasn’t transferred by the Spanish government to the Volkswagen Group until 1986.
In 2023, SEAT Cupra will not only be updating its current models, but it will also be adding the Terramar, a compact crossover that shares mechanical components with the next Audi Q3. The DarkRebel concept will join the electric lineup in 2025 along with the zero-emission Tavascan crossover as an entry-level EV beneath the Born.
