SEAT
-
Seat has toughened up its Altea XL by giving it a more rugged look and packing it with extra features first previewed by the Freetrack prototype of the recent Geneva Auto Show. This latest variant, called the Altea Freetrack, will arrive in showrooms in September with a range of new diesel and gasoline engines mated to a Haldex AWD system. The multidisc clutch Haldex system sends drive to the front wheels during most driving conditions but can send torque to the rears if it senses the loss of traction. Ground clearance has also been increased by 40mm and the designers have replaced the...
-
JE Design boosts the Seat Leon CupraThe Seat Leon Cupra is already a top contender for the car with the most bang for your buck, but to tuning house JE Design, the standard car’s 240hp (177kw) just didn’t cut it. Following from its previous Leon FR hatch, the developers turned to the Cupra to get that extra power fix...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Several new Seat models in the works
The once cash-strapped Seat brand is on the verge of developing a range of new models, starting with a mid-sized sports sedan positioned above its Leon hatch. Parent company Volkswagen wants to expand Seat’s product lines to help the Spanish carmaker increase its sales. Thanks to an injection...
James Martinez -
SEAT’s new Altea Freetrack concept
The new Altea Freetrack is design study that highlights the direction that Seat will be taking for a new crossover vehicle based on the Altea XL. The 4WD Freetrack concept picks up an electronically controlled multidisc system from Haldex and rides on a new suspension system that sits 310mm above...
Alex Kaufmann -
JE DESIGN’s take on the new SEAT Leon
JE DESIGN is a German tuning house that specializes in customizing cars from Spanish brand SEAT. Their latest project is the new SEAT Leon 1 P "FR," which takes the regular hatch to new heights in both style and power. The core of the modifications is the power boost to the 2.0 TDI engine. Instead...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
VW denies plans to sell SEAT
Claims that VW’s Spanish subsuidary Seat may go under the hammer are “absolute nonsense” said a spokesman for the Audi brand group. German newspaper Automobilwoche had based the statement on inside sources and used the recent decision by VW not to build the new A1 in Spain as...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Seat will release its Leon FR and Altea FR with the option of parent company Volkswagen’s Direct Shift Gearbox (DSG), which will be exclusive to these two models. The cost of the transmission will add about $1,700 to the price tag of each car and for the extra cash you get a shaving of just 0.1 seconds for the 0-62mph dash. Top speed and fuel economy remains much the same. New paddle-shifters mounted to the steering wheel allow for manual gear changes, and this latest addition joins other new features such as the standard 18″ alloy wheels, red brake calipers and a single oval...
-
Badge engineering gone wrong?
Volkswagen has an odd situation on its hands thanks to its subsidiary Seat, who has priced its new Leon Cupra hot hatch below that of the Golf GTI on which it shares the same platform. Seat has tweaked its Leon hatch using knowledge it gained from participating in World Touring Car Championships...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
New Audi A2 could be based on next-gen SEAT Ibiza
Audi wants to make good on its previous failed attempt at delivering a small car positioned below its A3 hatch. Audi sold the original A2 supermini up until 2005, and managed only average sales results. Total production numbers are estimated at only 175,000 units, which pales in comparison with its...
Ralph Hanson -
VW CEO Doubts He Could Find A Buyer For SEAT
Volkswagen won’t be dropping its SEAT unit anytime soon, despite the poor financial results from the Spanish car maker. Part of the reason is the difficult VW would endure in acquiring an actual buyer. CEO of VW, Bernd Pischetsrieder, was even quoted as stating that he doesn't believe that...
Ralph Hanson -
SEAT Displaying Intelligent Leon At Tech Show
SEAT is displaying a prototype vehicle at the Intelligent Transportation Systems show that’s currently running in London. The vehicle, which is based on the SEAT León, will showcase the latest breakthroughs in driver and vehicle interaction. In development for over two years in...
Siddarth Raja -
SEAT Considers Building Tango Small Car
Seat is considering developing a production version of the Tango concept that it unveiled five years ago, but will only commit to the project if it proves commercially viable. UK’s Autocar is reporting that Seat in an effort to save costs and fast-track a new vehicle, will utilize components...
Kenneth Hall -
Seat showed off the Leon Cupra with 240 HP for the first time the public. It’s the highest performance car produced by the Spanish company and comes with a 177 kW/240 HP 2.0 TFSI engine, which gives it a max speed of 247 km/h and a 0-100km/h time of just 6.4s. In terms of the bodykit, the Cupra differs from its siblings by a front bumper with larger air intakes, black metallic paint, 18” light alloy wheels, and an oval exhaust pipe. The sporting ambiance is also inside the hot hatch, with sports seats, an exclusive Cupra steering wheel and shift levers, as well as an all-black...
