SEAT to Add Second SUV Model in 2017

Volkswagen AG’s SEAT brand confirms it will add a second SUV/crossover vehicle to its lineup in summer 2017. The subcompact model will be made at the Spanish carmaker’s main factory in Martorell.

SEAT’s sketch of the unnamed new crossover reveals a profile very similar to that of the midsize Ateca SUV, which will launch this summer. The tech-filled Ateca will ride on the same modular MQB platform being used to carry the VW Tiguan crossover and a variety of Audi and VW car models.

SEAT presented the Ateca in pre-production form earlier this month at the Geneva auto show. The vehicle will be produced by VW’s Skoda affiliate in the Czech Republic.

The two SUVs will establish SEAT in Europe’s booming SUV/crossover market, where demand for subcompact crossovers alone jumped 36% to 1 million units last year, according to JATO Dynamics. The market research firm says subcompact SUVs now account for 38% of total segment sales in Europe.