Britain’s new car buyers are flocking to Barcelona-based brand SEAT, with the manufacturer posting an outstanding 33% rise in UK sales in June alone.
With the overall market suffering a decline of 4% in June and a significant year to date drop of 6%, SEAT’s performance firmly establishes it as the fast-growing volume car brand. Its market share for the year to date is 2.77%, with half-year sales up by a stunning 22%, breaking the highest-ever first half sales result achieved last year.
Over 5,700 people have purchased the SEAT Arona since the start of the year, but it’s not just the new models that are interesting the British buying public. The award-winning Leon family continues to out-perform the market, with an extra 2,700 registrations year on year – a boost of 26% – while the all-new Ibiza grew by 28%.
Richard Harrison, Managing Director of SEAT UK, said: “Despite the declining new car market, SEAT UK has recorded a sales record in every single month so far in 2018, firmly establishing us as the fastest growing volume car brand in the UK – a truly outstanding result by the UK team and our Dealer Network partners. And with the recent heatwave bringing the Barcelona sunshine to the UK, our award winning range is looking even more desirable than ever!”
Worldwide sales reach record levels
Globally, SEAT concluded the first half of the year with the brand’s highest-ever sales result. In the first six months of 2018, the carmaker’s global deliveries went up by 17.6% to reach a total volume of 289,900 vehicles (2017: 246,500). This figure represents an increase of more than 43,000 cars compared to the same period in 2017 and breaks the record set in 2000 (278,500).
In June, SEAT again sold more than 50,000 vehicles worldwide in one month (51,400), which is 13.7% more than in the same period in 2017 (45,200). This figure is also indicative of the best month of June in the history of SEAT and exceeds the number posted in 2000 (48,900 units).
According to SEAT Vice-president for Marketing and Sales Wayne Griffiths: “In the first six months of 2018 we experienced a surge in growth beyond our initial expectations. After growing nearly 15% in 2017, this year we are exceeding this figure thanks to the boost given by the new Arona. We are also confident for the second half of the year, when we plan to launch the CUPRA Ateca and the SEAT Tarraco, which will expand the range and enable us to reach new customers. However, we are also going to have to deal with the possible effects of the new WLTP type approval standard, just like every other car manufacturer.”
From January to June, SEAT sales went up thanks to the excellent results obtained in the major European countries, which all posted double-digit growth. Spain spearheads SEAT deliveries with 62,200 cars (+14.9%), and the brand heads the list of registrations and top-selling models, with the Leon and the Ibiza. Sales in Germany increased even more and it is the second market by volume with 57,200 vehicles sold (+17.7%), while the UK’s 22% rise made it the third highest-selling country. France (15,800; +18.7%) and Italy (12,800; +21.6%), where SEAT posted the best first half result since 2011 and 2009 respectively, complete the brand’s top five list of markets with very healthy sales growth.
SEAT is also making progress in the remaining European countries including most prominently Austria (11,700; +23.0%), where SEAT is the third best-selling brand and concluded its best ever first half of the year; Belgium (6,200; +43.9%), Portugal (5,700; +18.1%) and the Netherlands (5,100; +27.6%). Other countries outside Europe that also posted significant growth include Algeria, where SEAT sales went up 11 times in the first half of the year (11,400 cars; 1,000 in the first six months of 2017) thanks to the new Ibiza being assembled in the country’s Relizane plant.
