Impressive 32.2 per cent surge in retail sales, led by Ibiza and Leon
SEAT’s inexorable rise continues, as the brand has just reported a new half-year sales record in the UK. For the third consecutive year, the Spanish brand eclipsed its previous year’s sales performance between January and June. This time, it rocketed by over 20 per cent to 27,342 units, eclipsing its 2013 performance by a considerable 4,590 units.
Led by a stellar Leon performance, and the continued success of Ibiza, SEAT outpaced the UK market’s own 10 per cent growth by a further 10 per cent. One of the most impressive statistics in the figures, recently revealed by the SMMT, was the Latin firm’s 32.2 per cent surge in retail sales, to 15,341 and a market share increase of 0.4 per cent to 2.5 per cent.
Within SEAT’s six-model line-up, the ever-popular Ibiza range spearheaded the charge, with 11,897 sales. It narrowly held off the surging Leon, at 11,481, boosted by the recent impact of the ST (1,800) and flagship Cupra. Notably, 1,577 Ibizas found homes with retail customers in June, up over 21 per cent on the same month last year.
Commenting on its latest set of impressive sales figures, SEAT UK Director Neil Williamson, said, “It’s been a great week. Only a few days ago, we collected three prestigious trophies at the Auto Express awards and now here we are celebrating our best-ever first-half sales results in the UK. It’s a tremendous result and one the team and our Dealer partners should be very proud of.
We’re on track for our most successful year ever, but with several more launches in the pipeline and a focus on both retail and fleet business in the months ahead, we won’t be resting on our laurels any time soon.”
Looking ahead, a series of new and recent introductions, are set to bolster SEAT’s performance even further. The recent introduction of I-TECH special editions across the Mii, Ibiza, Toledo, Altea and Alhambra ranges, plus the special edition Ibiza 30 years, to celebrate its latest milestone, are sure to cement the brand’s standing.
The striking new Mii by MANGO is already getting in on the act, with 50 examples having already been snapped up even before it officially launches in showrooms on 1 August. Not to be outdone, the Leon range gains a new member of the family too. In September, when ordering opens, the four-wheel-drive X-PERIENCE joins the ST fold, giving SEAT a presence in the growing compact crossover/off-roader segment.
SEAT soars internationally – best result for six years
SEAT’s impressive sales success was mirrored outside the UK too. The brand ended the first half of 2014 having delivered 200,200 vehicles, 9.9 per cent more than in the first half of 2013 (182,200). Posting its best result in the past six years, it even exceeded the figure of 200,000 units delivered for the first half of a year since the beginning of the economic crisis in 2008.
Main European markets boost sales
SEAT increased deliveries by 10.5 per cent in Western Europe for the first half of the year (158,300; 143,300 in 2013) and achieved a market share of 2.5 per cent (2013: 2.4 per cent).
Growth in production and jobs at Martorell
Martorell, the production plant where the majority of SEAT vehicles are built, closed the first six months of the year with 11.1 per cent growth compared to the same period in 2013, with a total of 239,100 units built, almost 24,000 more (2013; 215,200).
Thanks mainly to the increase in production of the Leon, this year more than 550 temporary workers have been hired by SEAT; and in March a third shift was added to the line producing the Leon.