And they don’t stop growing
In 2012, the market share held by the fledgling SUVs was just 19 percent. Today, a decade later, it already exceeds 50%, they have eaten sedans along the way and threaten to do the same with compact cars. Seat saw it clearly in 2015 and started up the machinery to have an SUV in every important category of the market today.
The forerunners of everything were three prototypes: the Salsa Emoción, the IBX and the 20v20. In them was the seed to generate the Spanish SUV range, especially based on the last two. The IBx was the basis for the Ateca and the 20v20 for the Tarraco. Two models that, together with the Arona, already represent 53% of the Spanish brand’s sales.
Seat Arona
It was the last (for now) SUV to join the SUV range, placed in category B where the cake of veins is increasing. The Kia Stonic or Ford Puma live there, but neither disputes the sales leadership of an Arona of which 430,000 units have already been sold in the world, 84,000 of them in Spain.
It is sold with a mechanical range made up of three engines, all of them gasoline since it abandoned the diesel blocks a long time ago. It starts with a 110 hp 1.0 TSI, complemented by a 150 hp 1.5 TSI, which I have been able to test associated with the automatic gearbox and is surprising for its agility both in curves and when accelerating. Here the low weight is noticeable, and much.
It also has a gas variant, the 1.0 CNG with 90 horsepower and its prices are more contained thanks to the fact that several versions do not have to pay registration tax due to their low emissions. Prices start at 16,200 euros.
Seat Ateca
Its sales figures are very similar to those of Arona, although it has been on the market longer. 400,000 units have been registered in the world, 85,000 of them in Spain. Its range consists of five options, three gasoline and two diesel.
The first group is made up of an entry model 1.0 TSI with 115 hp, followed by another TSI with 150 hp. At the top is the 2.0 TSI with 190 hp, while diesel sales are defended by the 2.0 TDI with 115 and 150 hp. All engines can be associated with manual or automatic transmission and Ateca prices start at 20,700 euros
Seat Tarraco
Seat’s large SUV, with space for up to seven seats, has already managed to place 80,000 units on the market, 9,800 of them in Spain. Its mechanical offer is made up of six blocks, three gasoline (1.5 150 CV, 2.0 TSI 190 CV and 2.0 TSI 245 CV) and two TDI of 150 and 190 CV. All these engines can be combined with manual and automatic transmission.
In addition, the Tarraco differs from its smaller SUV brothers because it has versions with 4Drive all-wheel drive and, above all, because it is the only Seat SUV with a plug-in hybrid version. It is a 1.4 TSI that, together with the electric block, produces 245 CV and benefits from the Zero Label, thanks to its 49 kilometers of electric autonomy. Tarraco prices start at 27,990 euros.
