SEAT’s worldwide sales went up by 4.9% in the first nine months of 2015. Until September, the company sold 308,400 vehicles, which is 14,400 more than in the same period last year (294,000). The company’s sales continue to follow the positive trend begun in 2013, and are being boosted by the Leon and the Ibiza, as well as the Alhambra. Furthermore, sales of the Toledo, Mii and Altea are also going up. Between January and September this year, SEAT sales have risen by 29.5% compared to the same period in 2012 (238,200).
The Leon is currently spearheading deliveries of the brand. Sales of the company’s wildly popular compact model went up by 5.8% to reach 122,400 units, 6,800 more than in the first nine months of 2014. The family estate version of the Leon (ST) is consolidating its success with a 34.6% increase (total: 44,100). The Ibiza is also making progress, and with a 3.3% rise deliveries reached 119,100 units until September.
The Alhambra posted the highest growth in percentage, 13.7%, and is the third best-selling model in the range, with 19,400 units sold until September. Jürgen Stackmann, Chairman of SEAT’s Executive Committee, expressed his satisfaction with the way sales are progressing: “We have been growing steadily since 2013 thanks to the positive evolution of all our models and a broader range. This year we have updated models such as the Ibiza, Alhambra and Toledo, and we have launched the new CONNECT range, which equips our models with the best features in terms of connectivity”. Stackmann pointed out that “we will continue to expand our lineup, starting with the company’s first SUV in 2016”.
Solid growth in main markets
So far this year, SEAT has increased deliveries in Western Europe by 5.8% (243,100; 2014: 229,700). Germany is the largest market, with 66,700 vehicles sold, or 4.8% more (2014: 63,700). SEAT is listed among the ten best-selling brands in the German market, with a 3% share. In Spain, SEAT grew by 17.8% and added 9,300 more units (61,500; 2014: 52,200), spurred on by the recovery of the car industry. Italy is the third Western European country posting the highest growth, with sales figures reaching 11,900 vehicles, or 24.7% more (2014: 9,500). Central and Eastern Europe is clearly posting better than average performance. The region grew by 9.2% (20,200; 2014: 18,500), largely due to markets such as the Czech Republic, where sales went up by 15.5%, for a total of 6,300 vehicles delivered (2014: 5,400), and Poland, even better at 31.7% more (6,000; 2014: 4,500). Mexico (+11.0%; 17,400), Turkey (+50.8%; 11,000) and Israel (+40.7%; 6,500) were also among best-performing markets between January and September, and are positioned in the top ten selling countries of SEAT vehicles.
Martorell manufactures close to 33,000 more vehicles
Production in the Martorell plant went up by 10.0% in the first nine months of the year compared to the same period in 2014, reaching 360,300 vehicles, or 32,700 more (2014: 327,600). The positive development of the Leon, Ibiza and the Audi Q3 has made 2015 the year with the highest production figures in Martorell since 2002. In addition, it remains the highest-volume car production plant in Spain. SEAT’s manufacturing figures in Palmela (Portugal), Bratislava (Slovakia) and Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) went up by 10.5% until September, totalling 54,400 vehicles in the three facilities (2014: 49,200).
SEAT is the only company with the full-range capacity to design, develop, manufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting more than 80% of its vehicles, and is present in 75 countries. In 2014 SEAT’s invoicing totalled almost 7.5 billion euros, the highest figure in its history, with worldwide sales of 390,500 units. SEAT Group employs more than 14,000 professionals at its three production centres – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon. Additionally, the company produces the Alhambra in Portugal, the Mii in Slovakia and the Toledo in the Czech Republic. The multinational has a Technical Centre, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2015. This ‘knowledge hub’, bringing together close to 1,000 engineers, aims to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in RD in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environmental protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions and energy efficiency.