As previously reported, SEAT is working on a SUV, which in all probability will look a lot like the IBX concept shown here, but the most recent news about it concerns where it will be built. Not in SEAT's plant at Martorell as one would expect, but Skoda's factory in Kvasiny instead. The compact off-roader is scheduled for launch in 2016 and is part of a plan by Volkswagen to improve the profitability of its Spanish division.
Chief Executive Officer for SEAT, Jurgen Stackmann, confirmed: "It's an extremely important step for us to be present in the compact SUV segment".
The Kvasiny plant currently produces the Skoda Yeti (amongst others) and the move there from Martorell is down to labour costs. According to the German association, VDA, Czech motor industry rates currently stand at €11.50 per hour. That works out as less than half the hourly rate in Spain and under a quarter of the wage cost in Germany. According to Stackmann: "There was capacity available in Kvasiny and we're glad we can use it. It's a very cost-efficient factory".
To further keep costs down the as-yet-unnamed SUV will probably use Volkswagen's MQB architecture, which is shared with the Golf, Audi A3, Skoda Octavia and SEAT Leon.
Anything else?
SEAT hasn't been profitable since 2007 and the 2013 figures reveal that the company lost €152 million - compared with €156 million in 2012. Credit for the improvement goes to an 11% increase in cars delivered, up to 355,000, driven mainly by demand from Germany and the UK.
SEAT recently added a third shift at the factory where it builds the Leon in order to keep up with demand. Stackmann commented: "It's important that our sales growth be sustainable. We're looking at both options - developing more variants of existing models and bringing out new ones - to broaden SEAT's product line further."