Seat will launch one new car every six months until 2020. The first two vehicles will be the Seat Tarraco and the Cupra Ateca, which are going on sale at the end of 2018.
In 2020, Seat will launch the OEM’s first fully electric vehicle, built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform and featuring a 500km range. The electric model will, for the first time, add a CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) to the SEAT model line-up.
The announcement was made at Seat’s annual results presentation to the media held in Madrid, Spain, and forms part of the auto maker’s focus on boosting electric mobility, which will also include the hybrid version of the new generation Leon in 2020. The brand will also remain committed to vehicles powered with compressed natural gas (CNG) as well as internal combustion engines.
During the presentation of the company’s future plans, Seat president Luca de Meo indicated that the OEM’s growth will be based on four pillars: “more brands, more markets, more cars and more energies.”
Seat launched Cupra in the first quarter of the year as, according to de Meo, “a brand that generates more income; attracts new customers; remains committed to motorsport; seamlessly integrates technologies such as electrification, hybridization, connectivity and driver assistants; and enhances the image, credibility and reputation of the entire organization.”
“Seat is going to launch one new car every six months until 2020,” de Meo added. “2020 will be Seat’s year of electrification with the launch of a plug-in hybrid version of the new Leon, to be built in the Martorell factory and featuring a range of at least 50km, as well as the brand’s first fully electric vehicle, manufactured on the MEB platform.”
Seat’s first EV will feature a range of up to 500km and come equipped with advanced connectivity and infotainment systems. It will also include a minimum of Level 2 autonomous driving capability.
De Meo also reaffirmed the company’s commitment to vehicles fueled with CNG: “We are leading the CNG vehicle technical development project within the Volkswagen Group. With the Arona TGI we are launching this year we will have the only SUV in the world powered with natural gas.”
