SEAT’s sales fall 25.6% in 2020, but it relies on its new electric cars and plug-in hybrids to weather 2021

While SEAT has been the best-selling brand in Spain this 2020, for the Spanish firm, as for the rest of the automobile manufacturers, the unfortunate year just ended has not been good: its sales, in conjunction with CUPRA, have decreased by 25.6% with a total of 427,000 cars marketed.

Thus, the upward trend that the company has signed since 2013 is broken, culminating with its sales record in 2019, where it reaped the highest figure in its history with 574,100 units sold.

And although look optimistically at 2021 thanks to its premieres with electrification by flag, including CUPRA suckers, in addition to the update of models like the SEAT Ibiza O the Arona SUV, the first months of the year will be difficult.

The brand foresees a difficult first trimester as a result of component supply restrictions due to the pandemic. In fact, SEAT Martorell has raised an ERTE due to the shortage of semiconductors, which could last up to six months affecting more than 500 workers at the Barcelona plant and the Free Trade Zone.

SEAT falls in its most important markets

Spain has been in 2020 the second main market for the company, where it has harvested 73.300 registrations between its two brands. This figure represents a 32.1% decrease compared to 2019, when it sold a total of 108,000 models.

Germany stands at the head, with 109,500 vehicles registered, although it also represents a lower record compared to the previous year: SEAT has sold in Germany a 17.4% less. The podium closes it UK with a drop of 33.8% and 45,600 cars marketed.

However, and although it has experienced lower figures in its main markets, it has managed to sign rising numbers in other countries such as Turkey, where it has almost doubled its registrations, selling 95.3% more than in 2019, or Israel (+13% ).

However, we are talking about volumes that lag far behind those obtained in Germany, Spain or the United Kingdom: 5,900 and 10,400 respectively.

CUPRA signs a new sales record

The friendly face is found in CUPRAAlthough it must not be forgotten that the sports firm is not a generalist brand, so its bulk of sales will always be less than that of the SEAT models. Since its birth in 2018, it has brought together a total of 65,000 cars sold.

And it is that although SEAT has signed a 27.3% drop in 2020, has delivered 399,600 vehicles, which is a much higher figure than that of the sports firm. In short, SEAT cannot be entrusted to CUPRA, even if it all adds up.

Be that as it may, CUPRA has managed to close 2020 with sales record, with 11% more than in 2019 and 27,400 cars marketed. But do not forget that it has just landed and that its first full year of commercialization was precisely 2019.

Specifically, its best-selling car has been the CUPRA Leon (13,300 units), followed by CUPRA Ateca (13,300 units), which was the first of its offspring to reach the market.

The third party he has in his portfolio, the CUPRA Formentor, what is the first 100% CUPRA model without being based on a SEAT car, it was launched in the last quarter of 2020 and has managed to reach the 3,600 units.

For its part, SEAT’s sales king keep being him Lion (111,900 units), which this 2020 has released generation. Although in the case of Spain it has lost the throne as the most marketed car after three years at the top: in 2020 it could only be second behind the Dacia Sandero.

They are followed by SEAT Arona, its B-SUV with 91,600 models sold, the utility Ibiza, with 81,600 units, and the SEAT Ateca (68.700).

The Spanish company intends to fight the storm based on electrified premieres for this 2021, with the SEAT León e-HYBRID and the Tarraco e-HYBRID, the plug-in hybrid variants of the compact and the SUV.

And as regards CUPRA, we find the aforementioned Formentor (with two PHEV versions), but also the CUPRA el-Born, which will be the first 100% electric car of the sports brand.

However, SEAT does not put all its eggs in the zero emissions basket, as this year the new delivery of two of its best-selling models is also planned: the SEAT Ibiza and the SEAT Arona.

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