26 March 2014

SEAT will add SUV in 2016

The Volkswagen Group will add a compact SUV to its SEAT division's lineup in 2016 to win new customers.

The new model marks SEAT's entry into a growing market segment that represents sales of almost 1 million cars annually in Europe and has increased by more than 40 percent over the last five years.

The SUV will be designed and engineered in Spain and is expected to be based on VW's MQB platform that underpins the LEAT Leon, along with other group models such as the VW Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia.

It may be built in Skoda's plant in Kvasiny Czech Republic alongside the next-generation Skoda Yeti SUV. Production costs there are significantly lower than those at SEAT's plant in Martorell, outside Barcelona.

SEAT's SUV is likely to be based on the IBX Concept unveiled at the 2011 Geneva auto show (shown here).