► Seat’s head of sales unveils plan for brand
► All of its models to be electrified
► Plus a new Leon launches… in 2029
Finally. We have our first new green shoots of growth at Seat after what felt like years of the Spanish brand being on life support.
After the furore that transpired after Seat S.A. board member Thomas Schäfer said ‘the future of Seat is Cupra’ – a remark that was swiftly clarified and corrected – the brand had laid largely dormant in terms of having a future product plan. Now, though, that’s changed – and CAR has been told of what’s to come next.
First up: mild updates for the Ibiza supermini and Arona crossover, with both launching in January 2026. Then, a year later, both of the brand’s small cars will receive new mild hybrid engine options – likely eTSI units seen elsewhere in the VW Group.
The current-generation Leon will soldier on until 2028, whereby it will receive a ‘full hybrid’ powertrain that’s been developed within the Group. The first car to launch with this powertrain is the new Volkswagen T-Roc.
And in 2029, the first proper ground-up new model for Seat finally arrives: a new-generation Leon. The new Leon will likely run on the Scalable Systems Platform (SSP), given how closely linked the car is to the VW Golf. The Volkswagen hatch is set to use SSP for its ninth generation that arrives in 2028, so it makes sense that a new Leon will follow. SSP allows for battery-electric and – according to the Cupra Tindaya concept – range extender powertrain versions.
‘Seat remains a cornerstone of the whole [VW Group] company,’ says Sven Schuwirth, the brand’s head of sales and marketing. ‘We’ve had many… many discussions and worked on a strategy with a clear foundation: Seat is now defined as the entry brand of the Volkswagen Group. A brand which is there to attract younger drivers, as well as the more mature generations.’
‘Seat will cover more of the entry segments,’ he adds, ‘as well as having a lower entry with regards to the transaction price.’
This is a new and interesting take, given that Seat’s sibling Skoda is largely thought of as the ‘entry’ brand in terms of price at least. But Seat’s focus on smaller cars leaves a high ceiling for Skoda to offer larger and roomier cars for families looking for value, allowing the Spanish brand to focus on city cars, superminis and family hatchbacks. Which likely means the imminent end of the ageing Ateca SUV, given there was no mention of it in the future product plan.
Also note the lack of battery-electric models in that strategy. While ideas are being worked on, new CEO Markus Haupt told CAR at the Munich Motor Show in September 2025 that ‘we don’t currently have a solution to offer a Seat on an electric platform where we can earn money on it.’
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
