9:27 am, March 23, 2021
Seat has confirmed it’ll launch a new ‘urban’ electric car and the all-electric Cupra Tavascan will go on sale in 2024.
The urban EV, due in 2025, will replace the now discontinued Mii Electric and come with a starting price of between €20,000-€25,000 (circa £17,200-£21,500), putting it up against the Honda e and Renault Zoe.
It’ll sit below the forthcoming Cupra El-Born electric hot hatchback and will have more small SUV proportions, although it’s not clear if it’ll be badged a Seat or a Cupra.
Along with the small EV news, the firm also announced the Cupra Tavascan coupe SUV will go on sale in 2024, becoming Cupra’s second electric car.
Originally launched as a concept car in 2019 with a 77kWh battery pack and a 297bhp powertrain with all-wheel-drive, it’s thought the production car will have similar credentials.
Not clear yet if new small urban EV will be a Seat or a Cupra
The news came as part of a wider commitment from Seat S.A., the parent company of the Seat and Cupra car manufacturers.
Based in Spain, it has confirmed plans to produce more than 500,000 electric cars per year at its Martorell factory near Barcelona, and become the lead for electric vehicle production in the Volkswagen Group, of which it is a part.
Seat S.A. president Wayne Griffiths said: ‘Our plan is to transform our Technical Center, the only one of its kind in southern Europe and an essential research and development asset for the region.
‘We believe that it’s part of our responsibility to electrify Spain. Seventy years ago, we put this country on wheels. Our aim, now, is to put Spain on electric wheels.
‘We’ve drawn up the plan, we have the right partners on-board and we’re generally ready to invest. This project is intended to become the driver for the transformation of the Spanish automotive industry.
‘The support of the Spanish Government and the EU Commission for this cross-sectorial and nation-wide plan is needed for the Volkswagen Group to be able to take the final decision on its execution.’
Last year, Seat reported an overall sales decrease of 25 per cent compared with 2019, selling 427,000 cars.
