Seat to stop producing cars at the end of the life cycle of current-generation models

Volkswagen Group has confirmed that the Spanish brand will cease car production once the current models complete their life cycle. In an interview with Autocar at the 2023 IAA Mobility event in Munich, the company's CEO, Thomas Schäfer, revealed that a "new direction" is in the works for the Martorell-based brand.

What's next for Seat, an acronym for "Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo" (Spanish Touring Car Company)? With car manufacturing off the table, the brand's future remains uncertain. It might evolve into a mobility solutions provider, similar to Renault’s Mobilize initiative. Notably, SEAT has already ventured into the world of electric scooters with its MÓ series. Existing cars will continue to be manufactured for a few more years.

Autocar speculates that the forthcoming refresh of the Leon compact hatchback and estate might signal the end for versions carrying the Seat nameplate. In simpler terms, Volkswagen Group may exclusively market the 2024 Leon as a Cupra model, although this is not confirmed.

In discussing Seat's future, Schäfer stated, "Seat future is Cupra," and noted that the Volkswagen Group is committed to "invest strongly in Cupra… this will ramp up." Justifying the shift, the CEO said that consumer interest in the Cupra brand has been strong, marking it as the quickest expanding brand in Europe.

Interestingly, Seat began its car manufacturing journey 70 years ago, with the first 1400 model coming off the assembly line in 1953. The brand came under Volkswagen Group's ownership in 1986, when it was acquired from the Spanish government.