Seat sales reach highest level in 16 years

Seat’s sales have reached their highest level in 16 years due to results from European countries.

Sales were up for the first half of 2017 with Spain leading the growth at 54,100 cars sold (+21.2%), Germany sold 48,600 (+10.2%), UK sold 29,500 (+20.5) with France at 13,300 (+18.2) and Italy at 10,500 (14.6%).

Seat’s vice-president for marketing and sales Wayne Griffiths said: “In the first half of 2017 we reached the highest sales in 16 years. We continue to make double-digit progress and have established ourselves as one of the fastest-growing brands in Europe.

“Our growth is based on solid results in most markets, which are beginning to show the initial results of the biggest product offensive we launched in 2016 with the Ateca and continued at the beginning of the year with the updated Leon. With the new Ibiza and the new Arona, we are confident we can continue this positive development”.

In the UK, Seat has posted registrations of 29,941 year-to-date - 4,857 more than the same timeframe in 2016 – including true fleet sales growth of 63%.

In June, the Barcelona-based brand delivered growth of 15% compared to the previous year.

Seat UK’s director Richard Harrison said: “Our sustainable growth plan is really starting to pay off. The effort which the entire UK team is putting in, both at head office and dealer level, is paying huge dividends, which is clearly evident by the fact that we’ve smashed sales records in five out of the last six months alone.

“We’re the fastest growing volume manufacturer, up just shy of 20% year-on-year, and on track to post the best sales results our brand has ever achieved. The icing on the cake is that this is without the added impetus of the all-new Ibiza and new Arona, which haven’t even launched in showrooms yet. Against a backdrop of other car brands slipping back, the performance of the Seat team is really impressive.”