Seat to Launch in China in 2012, will be at the Shanghai Auto Show

As part of the VW Group’s strategy to expand its brands into new markets, the German automaker will bring Seat to the Shanghai Auto Show (April 21-28, 2011) offering Chinese buyers their first taste of the Spanish firm’s cars before sales begin with the Leon and Ibiza models in 2012. Read more »

Report: Seat to Launch Four New Models in 2012 including a Four-Door Sedan

VW's Spanish subsidiary is expecting a 10 percent rise in sales this year and aims further growth in 2012, when it will launch four new models. According to CEO James Muir, new products such as the Ibiza ST and the Alhambra will boost Seat sales in 2011.

"We want to increase our 340,000 unit sales from last year – by 8 to 10 percent – thanks to existing models. We aim to sell 45,000 units of the Ibiza ST (station wagon) this year. And the Alhambra already is well above plan so we expect a full-year volume of 20,000 units. This proves that our brand is gaining strength," Muir was quoted as saying by Autonews Europe.

For 2012, the company has even bigger plans, fueled by the launch of four new models. "We will launch four new cars: the new Leon, a totally new entry-level model, a four-door sedan and a major Ibiza facelift," said Muir, who was appointed head of Seat in 2009.

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VIDEO: Driver Tries and Fails Spectacularly to Park

For years the debate has raged over unintended acceleration. Is it the result of a design defect or is it simply driver error? Well, this video put forward for the case of the latter as one driver's attempt to park goes horribly, hilariously wrong. Watch the white car entering from the top right at approximately 6 seconds in. Everything seems normal up until 23 seconds, when suddenly...

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Seat IBE Coupe Concept 2 in the Flesh from the Paris Motor Show

Following on from our preview of Seat's latest IBE Concept model, we now have live pictures of the compact sports coupe from the 2010 Paris Motor Show. Improvements over the first IBE Concept, which was shown in Geneva earlier this year, include refinements to the design and technology, while the Paris Show car now also sports an interior.

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Paris Preshow: Seat IBE Sports Coupe Concept No2

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, which opens on 30 September, Seat will present a second iteration of its IBE small sports car concept. The first version of the coupe-ish hatchback with the low bonnet and long roofline was introduced at the Geneva Salon this past March (see here).

Since then, the car has gained an interior while its exterior design has been tweaked with a restyled lower fascia and new LED headlamps and tail lights. Furthermore, the car is now finished in a more eye-catching cherry-red color.

The super-compact sports coupe concept with the 2+2 seat layout is around 200 mm shorter than the Ibiza measuring just 3,830 mm in length. However, it is also unusually wide at 1,770 mm with a height of just 1,230 mm.

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