SEAT killed but CUPRA is very much alive. The VW Group has decided to axe the spanish name when it comes to making cars, and continue with CUPRA as a brand.
The signs have been visible for a long time now and were easily seen by experts in the industry. The spanish car maker SEAT has always taken a back seat to the other brands owned and operated by the parent company VW, and the rebranding of CUPRA as it’s own entity accompanied by it’s astonishing success just made the decision to kill off SEAT easier.
VW boss Thomas Schäfer made it official at the IAA in Munich that the brand SEAT will be taking over other roles within the group, and also stated that the current vehicles being sold under the SEAT flag will be the last ones bearing the spanish name. No new vehicles will be developed or sold bearing it.
What will SEAT become?
Currently all options are on the table when it comes to the Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo (yep, SEAT is actually an acronym!) and the public can only guess what VW will do with the brand. The best guess right now is that SEAT will become a mobility service since the brand currently offers exactly this with their electric scooter “Mo”.
The current models will still be built and available for several years, but no successors will be developed or sold with a SEAT badge. It may also be possible that as of 2024 the new Leon and Leon Sportstourer will only be availabe with a CUPRA badge, however this has not yet been confirmed.
When asked about the future of SEAT, Schäfer simply replied by saying “SEATs future is CUPRA.” He also noted that the VW group will be investing heavily in the CUPRA brand with more to come in the future.
Models that CUPRA will be bringing to the market
Schäfer also defended the decision by pointing out that customers are engaging with the CUPRA brand. The once sport variant of SEAT models has now become one of the fastest growing brands in Europe.
The end of the line may have come for the SEAT brand which has been on the market since 1953, but CUPRA has updates for the current offerings and is also planning on introducing new vehicles. CUPRA plans on launching small SUV called the TERRAMAR which shares some components with the Audi Q3, and the Urban Rebel, a fully electric vehicle, will be expected to make its debut in 2025. Also in the making: the 2025 TAVASCAN which is an electric crossover.
Times may change, but CUPRA seems to be on the path of sticking around a bit longer.