Record year for Seat

Although the company is "navigating through a sea of uncertainty", as Seat and Cupra CEO Wayne Griffith said at the presentation of the annual figures, the company achieved the best result in its 73-year history last year. The Spanish VW subsidiary owes its success not only to the sporty Cupra design brand. Seat itself has also grown strongly after years of crisis - and has apparently reached the shore of salvation. Griffith: "Seat is more alive than ever and looks forward to a bright future."

Last year, it was not only Cupra that grew strongly, selling 230,739 cars, 50.9 percent more than in 2022. Seat itself also grew by 24 percent to 288,437 vehicles. Together, the two brands generated a turnover of 14.169 billion euros with the sale of 519,176 vehicles, 35 percent more than in the previous year. According to Spanish accounting standards, the bottom line was an operating profit of 505 million euros, 619 million euros more than in the previous year, when the company was in the red. This was the highest profit in the company's history in 2023. Even if special effects such as the end of the semiconductor crisis cannot be repeated this year, Seat/Cupra intends to improve again.

New models should contribute to this. The Cupra models Leon and Formentor will be renewed in the second half of the year. The electric Cupra Born will be given a sports version called VZ. This will be followed by the Cupra Tavascan, a fully electric SUV coupe, and the Terramar, a larger SUV that will be available as a mild and plug-in hybrid. The all-electric Cupra Raval small car, the Spanish version of the planned VW ID 2, will then be launched at the end of 2025. Both models will be developed and built at the Seat plant in Martorell. (aum)