SEAT SA president James Muir has said that SEAT plans to launch four new models in 2012 in its biggest-ever product offensive.
In an interview with online news agency headlineauto, Muir said that these new models will help to address what he described as “inconsistency” in SEAT’s products: “Where do Leon and Altea sit in their segments? In the past we have sometimes invented segments, but all our new products will be firmly anchored in established areas of the market.”
Muir said that SEAT needs to make the new Leon – one of the four new models for next year – as successful as the Ibiza, which accounts for more than 50 per cent of the Brand’s sales. Part of the sales strategy will be to make the Leon available in three-door, five-door and ST versions.
The Exeo, launched in 2009, is now the third best-selling SEAT in the UK behind Ibiza and Leon. “Now we’re in that segment with the Exeo, we’re going to stay there,” said Muir.
Muir said that the IBX concept, which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, was not a “flight of fancy… I believe an SUV is something the Brand needs and we need to get away from having concepts that are just flights of fancy because that gives us credibility issues.”
Muir also said that he has been addressing some of SEAT’s pressing issues with a new management team, as well as sorting out the “sometimes inconsistent” sales network. Even the UK, which is “in better shape than most countries”, has its challenges, he said. He’s challenged the UK team to reach a three per cent market share, taking sales from around 35,000 last year to nearly 60,000.
Under-utilisation of manufacturing in Barcelona is also an important issue. The Martorell factory, which build all SEAT models s apart from the Alhambra was at around two-thirds capacity in 2010; that will increase this year with the addition of other SEAT models and Audi Q3 to the plant, “and we will grow to 100 per cent soon” said Muir.
Another of Muir’s priorities is to expand sales outside Europe: “Ninety per cent of our sales are in Europe and we have to be a global brand to make full use of Martorell”.
