The much-praised Alhambra continues to impress the press. The 2.0-litre TDI 140PS Ecomotive S model is one of What Car?’s top ten fuel-efficient cars.

“With drivers vowing to cut their fuel bills in 2012, we’ve compiled the 10 top cars from a range of classes that are not just fuel efficient, but are great to own, too” said What Car? “The Alhambra combines a reasonably priced and frugal diesel engine with all the kit most buyers will need.”

Read the full story on the What Car? web site

Electrician Daniel Davies says it’s ‘the best Christmas present ever’…a new, customised SEAT Ibiza fitted with a state-of-the-art audio-visual system worth thousands of pounds.

ICE-cool Daniel became the envy of all his friends after scooping the unique supermini – specially produced to celebrate the second season of the acclaimed Channel 4 music show, On Track with SEAT. It was just in time too; his own car is permanently out of action.

Daniel’s new car is based on the stylish SEAT Ibiza SC 1.4 85 PS Sportrider, but has been fitted out by Kenwood Electronics with an awesome 2,800 watt sound system and a 22-inch TV screen in the boot.

And after collecting the keys from Liverpool SEAT’s Pall Mall showroom, the 25-year-old from Clubmoore joked: “All my mates are desperate to see it. I’ve got more stops to make on my way home than Santa!”

Daniel’s win came courtesy of a competition run throughout the eight-week second series of On Track with SEAT. While watching the Kaiser Chiefs episode, he correctly answered a question online and thought no more about it. But just weeks later he was told his name had been drawn from the tens of thousands of entrants.

A delighted Daniel, who had been without a car since his broke down a year ago, said: ‘My girlfriend Kelly’s over the moon, too, because she knows she’ll get to drive it.’

The car comes with  17-inch alloy wheels, climate control, a combined USB/Aux-in port, Bluetooth connectivity, rear parking sensors and automatic lights and windscreen wipers. But SEAT and Kenwood Electronics fitted leather seats embossed with the On Track with SEAT logo and then went to work on the In-Car Entertainment (ICE).

The system is headed-up by Kenwood’s feature-packed DNX5260BT DVD/USB Receiver running through a 6.1-inch full colour touch screen on the dash. This delivers full iPod connectivity allowing access to an entire MP3 music library on the move at the touch of a button.

There’s integrated Parrot Bluetooth for hands-free mobile phone calls and a Garmin sat-nav. The Kenwood multimedia system controls two amplifiers that pump out 2,800 Watts of power, the front door cards and boot redesigned to house two pairs of Kenwood’s finest speakers and a 12-inch subwoofer. Finally, there’s a 22-inch remote controlled HD TV in the boot.

The Press Association’s Iain Dooley is full of praise for his new long-term test car, a SEAT Leon SE Copa 1.2 TSI.

“Far from being a superficial effort, the Spanish car maker has opted to throw the kitchen sink at its Leon in the form of ‘Copa’ and ‘SE Copa’ variants,” he wrote for Yahoo! Cars.

“As a value proposition, it’s hard to ignore: take one Leon, empty the toy box and what you’ve got is a car that’s easily head and shoulders above similarly priced rivals.

“It’s convenience items like DAB (digital radio) – along with Bluetooth, sat-nav, MP3 player connections, heated mirrors and privacy glass – that helps to add value to a particular journey.

“The Leon is a paragon of refinement,” said Dooley. “Sure, if you give it some stick the exhaust emits a vaguely fruity rasp but otherwise it hums along nicely and you never have to raise your voice on motorway journeys. Stick to the speed limit and the engine settles to just under 2,500 rpm in sixth gear, although it’ll happily do more without shattering the cabin’s relaxed ambience.

“Low 40s mpg is possible without really trying, while there’s enough poke under the bonnet to encourage a brisk pace on quiet B-roads. The car will corner flat and the front seats offer sufficient support through the bends, plus the Leon’s ride is a good blend of firm for when you’re having fun and compliant in the city.”

The motoring media has heaped more praise on the Mii, with glowing reviews from The Sun, Car magazine, Fifth Gear, Top Gear online, Parker’s, MSN Cars and Yahoo! Cars.

The Sun’s Ken Gibson looks forward to the new Toledo and SEAT’s first SUV in the centre spread of the newspaper’s motors section on Friday 9 December. But his main focus is on Mii.

“SEAT’s new city car has a chic styling that goes perfectly with a car from Spain… A fun car, a lot like a Spanish holiday that won’t cost you a fortune to enjoy.”

“The colour-coded dash in a smart metallic grey gives the Mii a surprisingly upmarket feel. The cabin makes you feel you are sitting in the motoring version of the iPhone.

“The interior has ample space for four adults, defying its compact exterior look, and on the road it drives with the same degree of fun as its direct rivals – the Škoda Citigo and VW up!.

“Having spent a day behind the wheel of the Mii on a sunny day in Spain, the car puts a smile on your face and with a starting price of £7,500 it makes a lot of sense.”

“The Mii is set to appeal to loyal SEAT customers and a younger crowd than its cousins,” said Car Enthusiast’s Graeme Lambert, who gave the Mii four stars out of five. “Continuing on from where the cheeky Arosa left off, it injects a real sense of quality and flair into the sector and offers a frugal but fun ownership experience.”

“The light steering, eager three-cylinder engine, large glazing and compact dimensions make it ideal for taking advantage of any gaps that appear in the traffic.

“Still, it’s a pleasure to make use of the light gear-shift and eager throttle response in a bid to get the most from the 60PS triple [cylinder engine]. Explore the rev range, and once past 3,000rpm the engine’s characterful warble encourages you to make the most of the rev-happy power delivery.”

“If I had to single out one aspect of the Mii’s dynamics that I thought worked best it would be the ride,” said Car magazine’s Tim Pollard. “Our car rode on 15-inch alloys (the largest diameter available) and although I kept aiming deliberately at Barcelona’s worst potholes, I just couldn’t deflect the Mii’s composure. It rides like a much bigger car should. Its pliancy and control felt like something wearing a Blue Oval.

“SEAT is gunning for a three per cent share of the UK city car market, which means it could end up flogging 6,000 Miis a year. Buyers who do will be on to a good thing.”

“It’s amazing how refined the Mii is”
Top Gear online

“It’s amazing how refined the Mii is,” said Top Gear online’s review. “There’s a big car feel going on here, and both wind and road noise are far more muted than you’d expect.

“The Mii’s build quality is good – it’s not a soft-touch dash, but it looks OK and doesn’t feel tinny. And there’s loads of room, both in the front and the back. For a small city car, the packaging on this thing is brilliant because four adults will easily fit.”

MSN Cars has given the Mii a glowing five-star review, saying the new city car is “eager to please on the road and spacious inside.”

“It rides like a much bigger car should”
Car magazine

“With an engaging three-pot thrum that’s more bassy than tinny, and a tidy five-speed manual gearbox, the 75PS Mii makes such confident progress you rarely feel vulnerable mixing it among much larger vehicles.

“The steering is light for easy manoeuvring without totally erasing the feedback that makes punting this kind of car in and out of traffic such fun; the Mii is direct, keen to engage and happy to whip round slower-moving souls in a blink.

“It quickly convinces you that it will go where you point it with faithful determination, leaning through turns in a consistent motion that builds your confidence, and clinging on with everything it’s got, making fast direction changes a breeze.

“Obviously, it’s no sports car; but with limited width and perky enthusiasm it nips around town with the kind of abandon bigger cars can only dream of.”

“A cracking little car”
Fifth Gear

“The Mii is a cracking little car,” said Fifth Gear, which gave the Mii four gearsticks out of five.

“The interior is pretty roomy, there’s easily more space in the front footwells than a Ford Focus. In the back there’s plenty of space if your driver isn’t 9ft tall and the seats are pretty comfy as well.

“The room is complimented by incredible visibility – the side windows are huge and the rear window seems bigger than most bigger hatches.”

“Cheeky, cheerful fun within its modest limits”
MSN Cars

“The 76PS three-cylinder 1.0 litre engine is an excellent engine. It’s no V8 powerhouse but the benchmark sprint is competitive for this size of car. You will get from zero to 62mph in 13.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 107mph, more than enough for nipping around city streets.

“The Mii should attract lots of attention from company car drivers who need small cars to zoom around town in,” said Parker’s review.

“With an expected P11D value of £7,500, company car tax is likely to cost you around £12.50 per month on the 20 per cent pay scale. That, we think you’ll agree, is absolutely incredible value for a well-engineered supermini. The Mii should attract lots of attention from company car drivers who need small cars to zoom around town in,” said Parker’s review.

“The Mii delivers a refined and easy to drive experience in a sharp-looking wrapper for buyers seeking affordable urban transport,” said Yahoo! Cars.

“In 60PS guise the car is no slouch in stop-start traffic and it’s surprising how little effort is required to maintain even a brisk pace. Engine refinement is top notch, with this clean-sheet design only vocal when you really push on – motorway slip roads and sprinting for that rapidly shrinking gap spring to mind. Even then it’s only a throaty, three-pot rasp that enters the cabin, which complements rather than spoils the overall experience.

“Factor in a remarkably supple and polished ride and it’s difficult not to be impressed by the Mii when in its natural habitat.

“A lot of car for not a lot of money”
Yahoo! Cars

“For a small car, SEAT’s Mii makes a big impression. Performance-wise it demonstrates a level of refinement and ability that’s way above its price point, while you sacrifice nothing in terms of creature comforts. It’s a lot of car for not a lot of money.”

“The Mii is a truly entertaining little car, though it’s pretty much identical to Volkswagen’s Up! and Škoda’s Citigo,” said The Gas Station’s Alex Goy. Listen to his full verdict online in this podisode.

The press are positively impressed by the new Mii after test driving the car in Spain last week (21-25 November): What Car? awarded it a perfect five stars; Autocar and Auto Express both gave it glowing reviews.

“This is a car that oozes first-rate qualities,” said Autocar. “The 999cc engine is amazingly capable, both in its natural town habitat and on the motorway… “Steering is light and agile… it makes nipping in and out of traffic, manoeuvring and parking simple. All this is delivered in a cabin that is notable for being functional, fuss-free and, in places, characterful.” Read the full report on the Autocar web site

“In the metal it’s surprisingly sporty,” said Auto Express,” especially on the optional 15-inch alloys of the top-spec Sport… Inside, the rock-solid build quality and reassuringly simple dash layout means drivers will quickly feel comfortable. … the cabin feels surprisingly airy from behind the wheel, a feeling that’s enhanced by how far back the windscreen is set.”

“Thanks to its impressive 2.4m wheelbase, space in the back is surprisingly good too… the Mii offers the kind of room that city car drivers a decade ago could only dream of. In fact, the Mii’s boot is nearly double the size of the old Arosa’s, at 251 litres, despite the two cars sharing similar exterior dimensions.

“The steering, clutch and gear change are all incredibly light, so it’s a very easy car to drive, but direct enough to inspire confidence, and the tiny footprint makes it a doddle to park too. … a remarkably composed ride, with lumps and bumps in the road well isolated from the cabin. Read the full review on the AutoExpress web site

“A sweet thing indeed,” said What Car? “Even the three-cylinder engine is extremely smooth, and it has just about enough torque at low revs to scoot around inner-city traffic with ease. The gearshift is slick, and once you’ve coaxed the 59bhp variant up to motorway speeds… It’s surprisingly refined at 70mph.

“The steering is light but accurate – just what you’d want in a city car – and the chassis settings are firm but well damped. Inside it’s extremely smart and functional. So, expect hard-finish plastics, but nicely textured ones that lift the car beyond the look of Hyundai’s i10 and the latest Kia Picanto. Visibility is good and the seating position is fine…” Read the full review on the What Car? web site

Earlier this month journalists were given the chance to test SEAT’s first fully electric car – the Altea XL Electric Ecomotive – and the plug-in hybrid Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive.

Altea XL Electric Ecomotive: a “near-production prototype”

“That this car is a less than ideal carrier of an electric powertrain is confirmed by a modest 84mph top speed and its sauntering 12 second advance to 62mph. But never mind all that. The aim here is for SEAT to gain real-world experience of developing, building and operating EVs, and to refine their functionality,” said Autocar’s Richard Bremner.

“And it’s here that the Altea is at its most interesting, because of its many drive modes. Besides normal there’s eco, which limits its top speed to 78mph and runs the air conditioner’s compressor more leanly, and there’s also a range mode, designed to extract the last metre of motion from the battery. It cuts the compressor altogether, confines you to 71mph and prunes the SEAT’s accelerative thrust between 22mph and 47mph.

“You can also select ‘S’ to increase the strength of regenerative braking – handy in cities or on twisty roads – or use the paddle shift buttons on the wheel to call up finer gradations of deceleration.

“In plain driving terms the Altea feels much like other EVs [electric vehicles], if not as brisk, but this prototype mostly ensures that SEAT is ready for the rise of amp, volt and ohm-powered personal transportation.”

“Transmission is by a single-speed reduction set-up, with a selectable ‘S’ mode giving extra engine-braking to augment energy capture under deceleration,” wrote Farah Alkhalisi from thechargingpoint.com. “This feels somewhat disconcerting at first – the car slows very abruptly when you ease off the throttle – but is an effective way of boosting range.

“A central screen displays data and a graphic diagram depicts energy flow around the powertrain – when the battery is being charged from regenerative braking, for example. Drivers can monitor their cars’ state of charge remotely via a phone app: this also allows them to pre-cool the interior or time their car to start recharging at night on a favourable electricity tariff.

“At this point, the Altea XL Electric promises perfectly usable performance and a pleasant driving experience, and it feels a complete and near-production prototype.”

Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive: a “versatile solution”

“Think of the VW Group’s TwinDrive powertrain – found in this Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive test car – as three low-emission propulsion systems in one: a pure EV, a series hybrid and a parallel hybrid. And with a plug-in capability besides,” said Autocar’s Bremner.

“Sound complicated? It is, and costly to make too, but it’s a system that allows this experimental Leon to turn in a spectacular 166 official mpg while emitting a mere 39g/km of CO2. It can also travel 32 miles on electric power alone, and has a potential range of over 550 miles.

“[But] driving the TwinDrive Leon is easy. There’s the momentarily disconcerting EV experience of twisting the ignition key to hear silence, the Leon advancing on amperes, but the automatic transmission lever is entirely conventional.

“Driven gently, the SEAT is much like any other electric car, advancing in eerily brisk and restful silence. Accelerate hard and you can hear the petrol motor kicking in, though in the same slightly disconcerting style as an engine harnessed to a CVT transmission, the revolutions of its crankshaft bearing little relation to those of the driven wheels.”

“The [Leon TwinDrive’s] engine kicks in and drops out almost imperceptibly in action – the loudest noise from this car is its tyre roar – and low-speed progress is smooth and linear,” said Alkhalisi from thechargingpoint.com. “If the car is charged fully, an urban owner could do most of their daily driving in all-electric mode; a selectable e-mode remaps the throttle for heightened energy-efficiency, or alternatively, a ‘sport’ mode (selected via the gearshift lever) sharpens up the acceleration and brakes.

“It’s a versatile – if complex – solution which could suit a variety of owner needs or tastes without going short on range or performance.”

SEAT will open 15 Dealerships in China next year to establish its Dealer network in one of the world’s fastest-growing car markets. The Dealer network will cover China’s main cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu and Guangzhou.

SEAT’s plans for expansion were announced yesterday (21 November) by James Muir, Chairman of SEAT’s Executive Committee, at the Brand’s first appearance at the Guangzhou motor show.

“Expansion in China from 2012 onwards is an exciting chapter in the history of our brand,” said Muir. “We are working to create a Dealership network which will accompany us on the road to success.

“Our overarching aim is to be present in the country’s most important cities; at a later stage we want to expand the network until we cover all the most important urban areas of the country.”

“SEAT’s arrival is an important step for the strategy of the Volkswagen Group in China, since it completes the Group’s brand line-up there,” said Weiming Soh, member of the Executive Committee and Executive Vice-President of the Volkswagen Group in China. “SEAT will bring its Chinese customers a unique and innovative driving experience.”

SEAT Chairman James Muir at the Guangzhou motor show

SEAT’s plans for expansion were announced yesterday (21 November) by James Muir, Chairman of SEAT’s Executive Committee, at the Brand’s first appearance at the Guangzhou motor show.

“Expansion in China from 2012 onwards is an exciting chapter in the history of our brand,” said Muir. “We are working to create a Dealership network which will accompany us on the road to success.

“Our overarching aim is to be present in the country’s most important cities; at a later stage we want to expand the network until we cover all the most important urban areas of the country.”

“SEAT’s arrival is an important step for the strategy of the Volkswagen Group in China, since it completes the Group’s brand line-up there,” said Weiming Soh, member of the Executive Committee and Executive Vice-president of the Volkswagen Group in China. “SEAT will bring its Chinese customers a unique and innovative driving experience.”

SEAT is showcasing the Leon and Ibiza at the Guangzhou motor show, which will go on sale in China in spring next year and the second half of 2012 respectively.

Also on display are the Alhambra, and, for the first time ever, the Brand’s three newest concept cars: the IBL saloon, the IBX SUV and the IBE sport coupé.

SEAT has also laid the foundation stone of its first Dealership in Guangzhou. “The symbolic meaning of this act is our arrival in China,” said Paul Sevin, SEAT Vice-President for Sales and Marketing.

“SEAT aspires to be among the most prominent imported brands in the Chinese market. China, together with other countries such as Russia and Mexico, will contribute to increasing exports and the growth of our sales over the next few years.”

SEAT is currently preparing to launch the rest of its sales and marketing network, and is hiring and training staff to get the 15 Dealerships up and running by spring 2012.

The Brand has also opened its Chinese headquarters in Beijing’s financial district, which is currently manned by a staff of 20.

Representatives from SEAT and the Guangzhou Dealership lay the building’s foundation stone.

SEAT’s stand at the Guangzhou motor show.

SEAT has unveiled prototypes of its first electric cars: the Altea XL Electric Ecomotive, a totally electrically-driven zero-emissions car, and the Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive, a plug-in hybrid.

The cars, which were designed, developed and built in Spain, will join the vehicle fleets of government institutions in Catalonia and Madrid. Their performance will be assessed by SEAT as part of its plans to introduce its first electric plug-in hybrid production vehicles by 2015 and all-electric production vehicles by 2016.

Leon TwinDrive

The Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive is a ground-breaking concept in the field of plug-in hybrids, combining the advantage of emission-free driving with the range of a traditional internal combustion engine.

In full electric mode, the TwinDrive has a range of 32 miles (52 kilometres), with a top speed of 75 mph (120 kph). In combined mode (electrical plus combustion), consumption is just 1.7 litres of fuel and 18.5 kWh per 62 miles (100 kms), the equivalent of a rock-bottom 39 g/km of CO2, with a top speed of 106 mph (170 kph).

Altea XL Electric Ecomotive

The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive blazes the trail for electromobility in Spain. Its engine produces 115 PS (85 kW) and 270 Nm of torque with a top speed of 84 mph (135 kph). With its spacious interior and generous boot, the electric Altea XL is equally suitable for family or business use.

The batteries are neatly tucked out of the way under the rear seats and boot. There is no intrusion into the passenger compartment. A sophisticated regeneration system with adjustable braking torque optimises energy use. And when the electric Altea XL is parked in the sun, rooftop photovoltaic cells recirculate fresh air inside the passenger compartment, keeping the interior cool and reducing the energy needed by the climate control system.

Strategy

SEAT’s strategy is to commit to a wide range of alternative technologies. SEAT President James Muir said: ‘Customers demand a more sustainable form of mobility, but their needs are diverse. Therefore, we believe that a parallel strategy of developing two different technologies will put SEAT in the best position to meet their needs.’

The announcement of the launch of the first electric vehicles coincides with the start of the biggest new product offensive SEAT has known. The company will launch four new models over the next 12 months, the first being SEAT’s smart new urban vehicle – the Mii.

Electromobility, a team effort

The future of electromobility in Spain depends not only on vehicles but also components such as batteries and a recharging infrastructure. For this reason SEAT is heading the CENIT VERDE project, a public-private-partnership between manufacturers, universities, research centres and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, with the goal of making electric vehicles a reality in Spain.

The Ecomotive family, low-emission mobility

The Altea XL Electric Ecomotive and Leon TwinDrive Ecomotive are not SEAT’s first venture into the field of sustainable mobility and commitment to environmental protection. The Spanish brand has a long track record in the manufacture of low-emission vehicles. More than 60 per cent of vehicles marketed by SEAT in Spain and almost half (47 per cent) of all SEATs sold in the UK this year have emission levels below 130 g/km of CO2.

New technology is helping SEAT to dramatically reduce carbon emissions and use energy more efficiently at its Martorell factory in Spain.

The installation of EuroEnergest, an energy consumption monitoring system, is helping the spanish car maker save more than 3,900 tonnes of CO2 a year. But perhaps the manufacturer’s most impressive project is ’SEAT in the sun’: the largest rooftop photovoltaic facility in Spain and the biggest of its kind in the European automotive industry.

The roof of the Martorell factory is gradually being covered by panels of photovoltaic cells, which provide an emissions-free power supply by converting the sun’s energy into electricity. Completion of the latest phase of the project – the installation of cells on the roof of the factory’s temporary holding areas for vehicle protection – has helped double capacity from four to eight megawatts of power.

When completed next year, SEAT in the sun will generate up to 10.6 megawatts of power and reduce CO2 emissions by 6,200 tonnes a year.

From Martorell to the world, by train

SEAT is also a pioneer in the use of the railway for the transport of vehicles and components. In 2008 the company opened Autometro, a rail link between Martorell and the Port of Barcelona for the transport of finished cars.

SEAT exports more than 40 per cent of its production by sea, and 95 per cent of those vehicles reach the Port of Barcelona via rail. In 2009 the company set up Cargometro, linking SEAT’s Martorell production plant with the Zona Franca facility. Taken together, the two rail links take some 57,000 heavy lorry trips off the roads each year – a reduction of 2,600 tonnes in CO2 emissions over 12 months.

In the future, SEAT plans to strengthen its rail strategy even more by increasing its current level of export by train from the current 11 per cent to 30 per cent.

SEAT’s strategic approach to environmental protection has earned it several plaudits, including the first-ever awarding of the ISO 50.001 standard in energy efficiency to a Spanish company.

Evo pitted the Leon Cupra R against the Lotus Elise Club Racer in its November track battle feature, to see how a regular hot hatch fared against a lightweight sports car.

“I’m expecting good things from the SEAT because I’ve driven it here [on the West Circuit at Bedford Autodrome] before on an Evo track evening, where it felt impressively quick and exploitable,” wrote Roger Green. “The lap time of 1.28.7 is a very good one – only 0.9 seconds off the track-focused [Renault Megané].”

“The [143PS] Club Racer is faster through the quick corners, but it isn’t quite quick enough all-round to overcome the power-to-weight advantage of the Cupra, completing the lap half a second behind,” said Green. “Tighter ratios alone may have been enough to swing the balance, though there is no doubt this hot hatch was a very worthy adversary and makes a very entertaining trackday machine.”