A MAJOR car brand has confirmed its triumphant return with a £17,000 EV just months after it was seemingly discontinued.
The marque looked set to be absorbed into a sister company but is now set to live on for years to come.
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Seat, which is owned by VW Group, was feared dead back in September when bosses announced a major restructuring.
The Spanish brand, loved for its Ibiza and Leon models, was planned to be overtaken by Cupra, which was formerly its high-performance division.
The plan was for Seat cars to be phased out or rebadged in the next few years.
At the time, group boss Thomas Schafer said: “The future of Seat is Cupra.”
Now, though, Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths has eased concerns over its future by all but confirming the development of a new model.
The motor is set to target the budget EV market as manufacturers around the world race to the bottom below the £20,000 mark.
Mr Griffiths told Autocar: “The £17,000 (€20,000) question is when Seat needs to be on the table and as part of the answer.”
“There is room for both [brands] and one doesn’t exclude the other.
“But sometimes you have to make priorities, saving your company, saving your workers and saving the future.”
On that note, though, he did seek to quell any anticipation for a new Seat release in the near future.
The executive confirmed that Cupra would remain the focus of the company going forward and that there is no immediate appetite for the cheap Seat as it would likely not turn a profit.
Nonetheless, the two name badges will “both live together for at least the next five years and live in perfect harmony as they don’t get in each other’s way”, he added.
It comes after another major model for the VW group was given a stay of execution for “at least five years” as EV demand weakens.
In contrast, though, rivals Ford axed one of its most popular models after 27 years to focus on an all-electric lineup.
