SEAT sales grow 10.9% in 2019 and set the best year ever

A new year of records. Following on the success of 2018, SEAT’s sales again reached the highest volume in its history. In 2019, the company’s deliveries grew by 10.9% to a total of 574,100 vehicles. With this result, SEAT surpasses the record set in 2018 (517,600 cars) and achieves its third consecutive year with double-digit growth.

In December, SEAT’s sales advanced 23.4% over the same month in 2018, to a total of 31,300 vehicles delivered (2018: 25,300).

The introduction of SUV models has been key to growth in the last three years. In 2019, 44.4% of the vehicles sold by SEAT were either an Arona, Ateca or Tarraco, ten percentage points more than in 2018. The Arona led SEAT’s SUV sales, with 123,700 cars delivered, which is 25% more than in 2018. Moreover, SEAT sold 98,500 units of the Ateca, 25.9% more than last year and the best result since its launch in 2016, and 32,600 units of the Tarraco, a model that hit the market in 2019.

The Leon, a key model for SEAT’s sales growth since 2012 and with a new generation soon to be released, is still the company’s best-selling car, with 151,900 vehicles delivered (-4.1%). The Ibiza remains SEAT’s second best-selling car, with 125,300 vehicles marketed (-8%), while the Alhambra and the Mii posted higher figures: 6.3% for the MPV (23,700 cars sold) and 0.7% for SEAT’s city car (13,200), now on sale in a 100% electric version.

In its second year since the launch of the brand, CUPRA* sales shot up by 71.4% thanks to the boost from the CUPRA Ateca. In 2019, CUPRA delivered 24,700 cars (2018: 14,400); 14,300 units of the Leon CUPRA (2018: 13,300; + 7.9%) and 10,400 of the CUPRA Ateca (2018: 1,100). 

SEAT Vice-president for Sales and Marketing and CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths underscored that “this new sales record highlights the success of the strategy we launched in 2016 with the SUV offensive. For the third consecutive year, our deliveries have advanced by double digits and we are one of the fastest growing brands in Europe. In addition, the growth of SUV sales has enabled us to increase the profitability of the company and the dealer network.”

Griffiths also said that “we have obtained our best ever result in five of SEAT’s ten main markets, we have consolidated our leadership in Spain, gained a market share of 3.8% in Germany and are the third highest-selling brand in Austria. In France and Italy we have achieved our best result in more than a decade. Furthermore, CUPRA has taken a solid step forward with almost 25,000 cars sold. All of us at SEAT and CUPRA should be proud of these results.”

Speaking about 2020, SEAT’s Sales and Marketing Vice-president and CUPRA’s CEO pointed out that “in 2019 we closed a record three-year period and now our challenge is to consolidate this volume in a context of moderate growth or market downturns. We are confident that the new generation Leon and the electric models we are going to launch this year will help us achieve our goals.”

Historic results in the main markets

The sales record has been based on strong growth in most of the company’s most relevant markets. SEAT has achieved its highest sales volume ever in Germany, the United Kingdom, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Israel, Sweden and Denmark, among others. In Germany, the company set a new record for the third year running with 132,500 vehicles sold (+16.1%). In the United Kingdom, it grew by 9.5% to a total of 68,800 vehicles sold. SEAT also posted its best ever result in Austria (19,900; +7.9%), where it is the third most widely sold brand, Switzerland (12,800; +19.6%), Poland (12,700; +6.6%), Israel (9,200; +2.6%), Sweden (9,100; +30.4%) and Denmark (7,100; +47.2%).

In Spain, SEAT repeated and expanded its market leadership (108,000; +0.2%) and has once again positioned the Leon as the best-selling vehicle. In France and Italy, the company’s fourth and fifth largest markets respectively, growth was stronger. In France, sales rose by 19% to 37,800 units, the highest volume since 2001, and in Italy growth was even better, 30.8%, with 26,200 cars sold, the best result since 2008.

The company’s global record was also underpinned by markets such as Portugal (11,300; +17.7%), the Netherlands (11,000; +22.6%), Belgium (10,600; +11.2%) and Ireland (4,100; +11.3%). In Mexico, SEAT’s largest market outside Europe, sales grew by 5.4% to a total of 24,300 cars.

2020, the year of the new Leon, the electrification of SEAT and CUPRA and new urban mobility solutions

On January 28th, SEAT will unveil the fourth generation of the SEAT Leon, the company’s top-selling car that will be manufactured at the Martorell plant. The new Leon will reach the market for the first time with a plug-in hybrid electric version. It will be the first novelty in the range that, until early 2021, will also see the launch of the plug-in hybrid version of the Tarraco and the SEAT el-Born, the brand’s first electric vehicle manufactured on the MEB platform.

Furthermore, CUPRA will feature two debuts in 2020: the Formentor, the first model developed specifically for the brand, which will feature with combustion engines and a plug-in hybrid electric version, and will also be manufactured in Martorell, as well as the new CUPRA Leon.

In 2020, SEAT will also launch an e-Scooter, a 100% electric motorcycle and the first in the brand’s history, as well as a new e-Kickscooter, which will join the EXS, of which 11,000 units were sold in 2019. SEAT is leading the micromobility strategy for Volkswagen Group and with both launches will boost urban mobility.