Seat will not manufacture any affordable electric cars (for now)

Seat doesn't yet have any affordable electric models in its commercial portfolio, and the Volkswagen Group's roadmap doesn't foresee any, at least in the near future. It's true that Seat did have an electric version of the Mii between 2019 and 2022. It was an affordable urban vehicle with 82 hp and a range of 260 kilometers, manufactured at the Slovak plant in Bratislava, but it was a virtual copy of the Volkswagen Up! and the Skoda Citigo. It happened in history without much fanfare and with very modest sales figures.

It's been over five years since Seat last received a new model, and the historic Catalan brand currently maintains a commercial offering based on veteran models like the Ibiza, the León, the Arona, and the Ateca, and has also been losing sheets with each wash with the disappearance of models like the Tarraco and the divisions. During this same period, Cupra has introduced new models like the Terramar, Born, and Tavascan, and the differentiation and aesthetic update of the León, and is on the verge of presenting the final version of the Raval, an urban electric model that aims to be the conceptual successor to the Seat Ibiza.

The departure of Wayne Griffiths from the leadership of Seat and Cupra and the interim appointment of German Markus Haupt as CEO of the Martorell-based company have added another layer of uncertainty surrounding the future of Seat and its market positioning. In fact, Markus Haupt himself acknowledged that "at this point, it's impossible to make money with an electric car manufactured by Seat" in an interview with the newspaper The Country, and asked: "If Volkswagen was aiming to sell an electric car in 2027 for around 20,000 euros and to manufacture it in Palmela (Portugal), at what price should Seat sell it?"

The Cupra Raval and the new Volkswagen ID, in Martorell

The machines, robots, and automation systems on Line 1 of the Martorell plant are currently being prepared and adapted to produce the new Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo. These two models share the same MEB platform, and Volkswagen Group management has set a production target of around 300,000 units starting next year. The Cupra Raval and Volkswagen ID. Polo will have a base price of around €25,000 and a range of around 450 kilometers, in addition to rapid charging capability in around 25 minutes. However, Seat does not expect to have any specific model that uses this platform.

In fact, the Volkswagen Group will manufacture two other models based on the MEB platform in Landaben (Navarra) with SUV bodies, such as the new Volkswagen ID. Cross and the Skoda Epiq, leaving aside a future evolution and electric conversion of the Seat Arona, one of the brand's best-selling models in recent years. Markus Haupt himself has confirmed that new versions of the Seat Ibiza and Seat Arona will be presented next year, but without offering electric versions in its commercial range. The idea of ​​the Volkswagen Group's management is to focus on Cupra as an aspirational, sporty brand with electric models, while Seat will remain for the moment as an entry-level manufacturer that concentrates the demand for affordable vehicles with combustion engines in an attempt to reach, between both brands, a wider spectrum of the European public.

However, this strategy poses a high risk, as Seat's traditional rivals, such as Fiat, Citroën, Peugeot, Renault, Dacia, Opel, and even Skoda, already have electric models in their lineup. Seat risks remaining in a peripheral and subordinate position in the market if it does not add an electric model to its range. Once again, only time will tell if the Volkswagen Group's strategic approach is successful and if Seat can sustain itself in an increasingly competitive and technological market in which Chinese manufacturers threaten Seat's traditional customer profile by often offering cheaper models and plug-in versions.