VW brand boss Thomas Schäfer says,“Seat’s future is Cupra”

Seat’s future in the Volkswagen Group has become a little clearer as Volkswagen brand boss (who also sits as chairman on the Seat board) Thomas Schäfer says that the investment will be directed towards the more profitable Cupra brand, spelling the end for Seat as a mass market carmaker.

“We can’t invest in both,” explained Schäfer at the Munich motor show. “Cupra makes more sense.” The performance sub-brand of Seat has left industry onlookers scratching their heads since it was launched, but Schäfer says that Seat’s role in volume carmaking will be reduced in favour of the upstart badge.

Seat hasn’t revealed any significant new models for a long time, but recent dabblings in e-scooters and ‘urban mobility solutions’ have hinted at the possible future direction for the brand. There’s also the possibility that Seat could sell a range of smaller cars on the Volkswagen Group shared platforms, insiders say.

“The company will remain as it is,” Schäfer was keen to emphasise, however, explaining that there are no plans to ditch the name entirely.

The 2025 Volkswagen ID.2 will see other branded versions on sale from Cupra and Skoda built at the firm’s plant in Martorell, Spain.

STORY Sam Burnett