Seat Powers Ahead With Sales Up By 15.5%

[ZBOYD]

• Brand's sales up last year by 15.5% in a declining market
• Leon and Ibiza finish year as joint best-sellers in the range

It's always a great achievement for any car maker to increase sales and market share - but especially so when the majority of other manufacturers' results have done just the opposite.

Read more at SEATCupra.net... (http://www.seatcupra.net/content/view/535/9/)

[Ol' Timer]

Well done SEAT.:)

From the SMMT site:

Audi up 3.63% over the year
Skoda up 2.49%
Volkswagen up 2.39%

Fiat up 64.20%
Proton up 63.50%
Ssangyong up 57.46%
Lexus up 39.28%
Aston Martin up 27.62%
Chrysler up 26.02%
Jeep up 22.60%

Apart from Fiat the last group are all very small sellers where a handful of extra cars will make a big percentage change.

[driveforward]

I would imagine that the increase for FIAT is for the new Punto alone - you see loads of them about!

[warren_cox]

I'm surprised by some of the manufacturers in that list that have seen rises in volume sales.

Fiat up 64.20% - Hmmmm, no, despite the improvementsI don't hink I'd buy one
Proton up 63.50% - Nope, even though rumours VAG are buying them I certainly wouldn't buy one
Ssangyong up 57.46% - I'd rather have a good walk and save the shame and depreciation
Lexus up 39.28% - If reliability and customer service was the law, I'd buy one
Aston Martin up 27.62% - If I wasn't such a pauper, I'd buy one
Chrysler up 26.02% - I'd rather scrape my skin and bathe in acid than buy one
Jeep up 22.60% - No, I don't have a polite comment for this one

At least if nothing else I suppose SOME of the above are cheap, and a better bet than a second hand rotbox.

Great news to hear SEAT is doing the business in the UK. I was starting to worry as our local SEAT dealer went down the pan last year (but has fortunately been replaced). I'm astonished VW has seen a rise in sales because as a general rule they're dull but I suppose the rep/company car markets provided the uplift. Maybe VW will stop busting SEAT's nuts a bit now, but the fear is in their home market the Spanish still don't take SEAT that seriously. A work colleague who joined us from Madrid last year laughed out loud when he heard I had a SEAT. Once he'd been in it he's now buying a Leon TDi 170!

[Tom B]

Proton up 63.50% - Nope, even though rumours VAG are buying them I certainly wouldn't buy one

Warren, people said the same at SEAT and Skoda a few years back! If they keep it and build new Protons with VW bits, then people will buy them.

If VAG do buy Proton, I fear its only for the Lotus name, like BMW did with Rover for the Mini name.

I currently work for Kia and our sales are up by something like 15.5%...thats only because people have just realised that the quality's there. We've got a completely new European built mid size hatchback (Leon sized) and I would expect that our 07 sales will go up a whole load more because it looks surprisingly good!

[WaveyDaveyGravy]

Is the increase that surprising given the new models that have been launched? I guess things like sales are very cyclical with new models being released.

[andyb]

I currently work for Kia and our sales are up by something like 15.5%...thats only because people have just realised that the quality's there. We've got a completely new European built mid size hatchback (Leon sized) and I would expect that our 07 sales will go up a whole load more because it looks surprisingly good!

new range of Kia's out here and they are selling really well. Easily supass GM's own products now, which are dire, and some of Fords (ha, you want a laugh, look for the new 2008 Ford Focus for US!). I've always said, give it a few years and Hyundai-Kia will be as bit as Mitsubishi etc.


Back to the overall list, didn't the likes of Chrysler start from almost zero compared to last year?

[Red Ibiza VR6]

When are SEAT gonna export back to Australia?? They stopped in 99 but I deal in parts for them and VWs and people would buy the cars. Especially with spiralling petrol costs and the sucess of VW TDis down under.