Seat plans an electric car for under £17,500

CEO Wayne Griffiths talks of plans for a Seat compact car "linked" to the Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID.2, which could arrive after 2026.

Seat envisage une voiture électrique à moins de 20 000 euros

By: Alberto Carmone

Published by: Brian Potter

May 13, 2024 at 4:54am ET

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Seat has a life and a future. This was reaffirmed once again by Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Seat and Cupra, in an interview with Autocar. The two Spanish brands will not be competing with each other, but will be targeting increasingly different audiences.

So, while much of the attention will continue to be focused on Cupra due to the greater profitability of its models, Wayne Griffiths will be looking after Seat's proposals, particularly for electric cars in the more compact segments.

The new Seat

The Cupra and Seat models*"will coexist for at least the next five years and will do so in perfect harmony, because they don't get in each other's way*", the CEO told Autocar. At the same time, Wayne Griffiths stressed that Seat's main focus was on an electric model priced at around €20,000 (approx. £17,200).

The electric Seat 'for the general public' does not yet have a name or a precise launch date, but it is likely to share the platform on which the Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID.2 will be built, while having a distinctive look and, indeed, a list price slightly lower than the €25,000-30,000 (£21,500-£25,800) expected for the latter two.

Cupra Raval concept

In this respect, Cupra is spearheading the development of all compact models on a simplified version of the MEB architecture, which will go into production at the Martorell plant from 2026. Overall, the creation of these cars is part of a €10 billion mega-investment by the Volkswagen Group in Spain, which also includes a new gigafactory in Valencia.

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Time for changes for the Ibiza and Arona

Still on the subject of Seat, the Spanish manufacturer is preparing to launch restyling of the Ibiza and Arona in the coming months.

First photos of the restyled Seat Ibiza and Arona

The two best-selling cars in the range will mainly change their appearance, adopting new LED lights at the front and rear. Equipment should be updated both in terms of driver assistance systems and infotainment software, while among the engines we should see the debut of light petrol hybrid versions.