Seat brand enters Last Chance Saloon with new 5yr Plan

2010 Seat Leon Cupra R

Last attempt at survival

Seat, Volkswagen's beleaguered Spanish brand, has unveiled a five-year plan which will attempt to return the brand to profitability.

While details are limited, the plan calls for better utilization of the Martorell factory, near Barcelona, which is currently running at 60% capacity (according to Seat's projections, the plant needs to run at 90% capacity to be profitable). To remedy this situation, the plant will likely build the 2011 Audi Q3 crossover.

Seat's CEO, James Muir, stated the five-year plan "...is the last attempt for the brand. It wouldn't make sense to think anything else." He added, "I cannot solely rely on cost reduction to make Seat profitable. It'll be an uphill battle, but I believe it is possible."

Source: autocar

Seat to launch four new models starting in 2012
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joelynn

didnt know it was in trouble

May 13, 2010 4:40 pm

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ivanadrive

I guess that's what happens when you try to market yourself as a sporty brand with latin passion but produce awkward or dull looking MPVs and underpowered city cars. Aside from the Cupra models, Seat has nothing exciting to offer.

May 13, 2010 4:51 pm

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sub39h

i think it's more that somehow they managed to take the VW bits and bolt them together SO badly that nobody would consider it over the equivalent VW. the Leon is essentially a Mk 5 Golf, but have you seen the build quality? i didn't think it was possible to mess up a Golf interior so badly. get their build quality right and continue with being VW's sporty little brother and it should be fine.

May 13, 2010 6:07 pm

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DrPlacebo

I think you hit the nail on the head. I'm a fan of VW/Audi, but their intra brand competition is insane. VW group is large, but I fear it competes itself out of the market.

May 13, 2010 6:43 pm

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9TNine

Agreed... plus SEAT has always been my least preferred VW brand

May 14, 2010 2:00 am

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Artist

true

May 14, 2010 5:05 am

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autoficianado

VW is now the old GM.

May 13, 2010 9:38 pm

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Michael

Not yet. They have to become no. 1 first :) Seat had difficulties being profitable since the very beginning (when they were taken over by VW).

May 13, 2010 10:32 pm

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Kid_Voltron

I think selling Seat would be a more workable idea, Seat only lasted 3 years in South Africa after VW positioned it as a niche brand and thus making it more expensive than the VW counterparts...

May 14, 2010 1:57 am

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tom43

This is the result of rebadging old Audi A4 models, terrible interiors and non-sporty exteriors...

May 14, 2010 4:58 am

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afterace2

Well the problem is not that Seat wants to build a lower interior quality cars but is forced by VW to do so, in order not to compete so directly with its own cars. I can bet that they could do much better cars but are not allowed to. I would love to see Seat to streach the wings as it have so much potential, as they are not obligued to have a boring vwish design. Well, good luck, I had a Seat myself and I considered it a fine car.

May 14, 2010 11:37 am

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