Nother CarGuy

Volkswagen might have played it safe with the 2020 Golf Mk8, but Seat is here to spice things up with the all-new Leon. Looking even better than its predecessor, the redesigned Leon has a bold front fascia with an upright grille that is flanked by slender LED headlights featuring distinctive daytime running lights. Further below, there are sporty air intakes and horizontal fog lights. The dynamic styling continues further back as the Leon has a sculpted hood and flowing bodywork. The latter features pronounced fenders and strong character lines. Elsewhere, the Leon has a rakish windscreen and a gently sloping roof which meets a tailgate-mounted spoiler. The model also has a dynamic greenhouse and a sporty rear end with slender taillights that are connected by a thin illuminated strip. Overall, the hatchback measures 172 inches (4,368 mm) long, 70.9 inches (1,800 mm) wide and 57.3 inches (1,456 mm) tall with a wheelbase that spans 105.7 inches (2,686 mm). This means the...

Seat has officially revealed the el-Born, an MEB-based electric car that’s set to hit the market by 2020. The el-Born is the second EV based on VW’s MEB platform, following the VW ID Hatch. Compared to its German cousin, the el-Born is designed to look sportier and more emotional, honoring Seat’s philosophy. The automaker claims that the production version will be able to deliver up to 260 miles (420km) of driving range on the WLTP cycle from its 62kWh battery pack, as well as a 0-62mph (0-100km/h) in 7.5 seconds when combined with the range-topping 201hp (204PS) electric motor. The battery-electric hatch is also compatible with up to 100kW DC fast-charging, so it’ll be able to charge its battery from 0 to 80 percent in as little as 47 minutes. The concept is riding on 20-inch turbine-design wheels that improve its aerodynamic efficiency, which plays a huge role for an electric vehicle. Seat says they incorporated an “air curtain” into the el-Born’s design in order to ...

Seat is using the VW Group’s new MEB electric car platform for an, as yet-unnamed concept that will debut next week in Geneva. Teased for the first time, the compact hatchback has a unique lighting signature at the rear, with the angled taillights joined by a light strip. It also appears to have an aggressive overall design, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and what appears to be a large rear diffuser. “This concept car is a project of passion for Seat”, said President Luca de Meo. “It shows what can be achieved through the synergy of design, technology and pushing the boundaries to meet the demands of future mobility.” Technical details of Seat’s new concept will be announced on March 4, at the Volkswagen Group Night before next morning’s opening of the Swiss auto show. If it’s indeed previewing Seat’s version of VW’s ID Hatch and uses the same powertrain, this means it has a rear-mounted 170 PS (168 hp / 125 kW) electric motor that drives the rear wheels. In its top form, equipp...

Seat unveiled the tiny electric Minimo at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, showcasing the brand’s vision “of the future of urban mobility”. While it’s badged a concept, the Spanish firm has confirmed that a production version will follow in 2021. The idea behind the electric quadricycle is to combine the smaller dimensions of a motorcycle with the safety and comfort of a car, which sounds similar to Renault’s own Twizy. Measuring just 2.5 meters and with a width of 1.24 meters, the new Seat Minimo can transport two people while taking just 3.1 square meters of space on the road, which is over 50 percent smaller than the footprint of a regular city car. Unlike the Renault Twizy, Seat’s Minimo comes with a fully enclosed cabin that features a 1+1 seating setup. The two doors are asymmetrical and are designed to open in the tightest of spaces, with the left one being the smaller of the two. The electric powertrain comes with a battery that can be easily swapped “in...

On February 22, 2018, the Cupra brand was born with the unveiling of the sporty Ateca. This year, they will celebrate their first anniversary by presenting a new SUV concept. The teaser image that accompanies the announcement shows the rear lighting signature of the Tarraco. However, the rear end is wider and the roofline appears to be slightly lowered. So, is this a concept previewing the rumored coupe-SUV that will allegedly be named the Terramar? It’s possible, given that it’s described as “the very first vehicle developed specifically for the Cupra brand” by the automaker, whereas CEO Wayne Griffiths calls is “a special and unique car with striking and sculptural design”. Given that it will represent what the brand stands for, it is expected to use a powerful powertrain, with the Cupra Ateca’s 300 PS (296 HP) 2.0-liter turbo-four being a likely candidate. Another option is the Skoda Kodiaq RS’ 2.0-liter twin-turbo diesel that in the Czech model puts out 240 PS (237 hp / ...

The wait is over for Seat’s third and largest SUV to date, the Tarraco. Sharing the MQB architecture with the Skoda Kodiaq and many other VW Group models, the Tarraco looks very familiar. The front carries Seat’s styling cues, but the side reminds a lot of the VW Tiguan Allspace and the rear has a Skoda Kodiaq vibe to it. Interestingly, Seat says the Tarraco shows the brand’s new design direction for the coming years but we suspect that has to do mostly with the new grille and full-LED lights all-around. Named after the Mediterranean city of Tarragona, the Tarraco slots above the Arona and Ateca in Seat’s range and follows a tried and proven recipe. As with the VW Tiguan Allspace and Skoda Kodiaq, it’s underpinned by the MQB-A long-wheelbase architecture which provides the base for “huge interior space.” No practicality numbers are available yet, but we do know the SUV is 4,735-mm long and 1,658-mm high. The engine lineup is familiar as well and includes two gasoline and...

SEAT has almost completed the development of the Tarraco mid-size SUV, which will celebrate its global premiere on September 18. Before showing its new SUV to the world, Seat invited ten fans to their Martorell facility to give them a sneak peek. Coming from different countries, including Spain, Germany, France, Italy and UK, the fans described the new Tarraco as having “an elegant silhouette“, being “a lot bigger than they expected”, and capable of “suiting their everyday needs”. Subsequent to its premiere in less than two months, the Seat Tarraco will go on sale in different countries across Europe before the end of the year. The new MQB-based SUV will be available with up to seven seats and is bigger than the subcompact Arona and compact Ateca. Needless to say that it’s approximately the same size as the Skoda Kodiaq. Poised to battle it out with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Renault Koleos and Nissan X-Trail, among others, the new Tarraco will be instantly recognizable as a Se...

SEAT’s recently launched Cupra performance brand has its eyes on the future of motorsport with this concept car, simply called e-Racer. Set to debut at the Geneva Motor Show, its name basically speaks for itself: it’s a fully electric racer, with 408PS (402hp) continuous power, and a peak of up to 680PS (670hp). Presented by SEAT’s head honcho Luca de Meo in a video conference, the new Cupra e-Racer is described as “a true motorsport car” and “the first 100 percent electric racing touring car in the world”. The zero-emission racer appears to build upon the Leon Cupra TCR, to which it adds massive front and rear bumpers, new hood and grille, wide fenders, and a gigantic rear wing. The whole concept is finished in white, features several carbon fiber parts, and sits on new wheels. And since it’s aimed at motorsport, zooming in on the two images released by SEAT reveals a roll cage inside, likely joined by a stripped out interior and a bucket seat on the driver’s side, to ke...

Announced earlier this week, the Tarraco is a seven-seat crossover that is heavily influenced by the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace. Despite the styling similarities between the two models, the Tarraco has a unique front fascia with a mesh grille featuring a prominent SEAT logo. The crossover also has LED-infused headlights and a sculpted hood. The sides are virtually identical to the Tiguan Allspace and they have plastic body cladding and strong character lines. This particular model has also been equipped with unique five-spoke alloy wheels. The rear of the crossover is exclusive to SEAT as designers installed angular taillights which are connected by a thin strip. Further below, we can see a plastic bumper, a dual exhaust system and a metallic insert. SEAT hasn’t said much about the model but Autobild says the Tarraco will cost approximately €30,000. The report also says we can expect engines options to be sourced from the Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq. As a result, the model could b...

SEAT has revealed its upcoming crossover will be called the Tarraco. Named after the modern day city of Tarragona, Tarraco is the oldest Roman settlement on the Iberian Peninsula and SEAT says it was “one of the major metropolises of Hispania during the Roman Empire.” The company went on to say the Tarraco name is an ideal fit for the brand as the city has a “legacy of culture, youthfulness, history and architecture.” The name was selected as part of the #SEATseekingName campaign which asked fans to determine what the model should be called. 146,124 people voted in the competition and nearly 36 percent selected Tarraco. It beat out other choices such as Avila (28.74%), Aranda (26.91%) and Alboran (8.83%). In the initial stages of the campaign, SEAT received 133,332 proposals from people in 106 countries. The choices were then whittled down by experts who wanted to ensure the names matched the company’s values and “conveyed the essence of the new model.” The remaining names wer...

Seat is the latest automaker to have launched its own performance sub-brand, called simply Cupra. The first models under the now standalone sub-brand will be introduced at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, in March, and will wear the new Cupra logo. Prior to that, the Spanish automaker will host a special international media event on February 22, to mark the debut of the brand, during which we’ll probably get to see the new models for the first time. “Cupra has always been the sportiest expression of Seat. Now the time has come for it to gain its own soul, its own DNA, its own identity, by becoming a new entity”, the company said. The only Cupra-branded car at the time is the Leon, a compact hot hatch based on the Golf, which shares its engine with the ‘R’. This means a 2.0-liter TSI four-cylinder unit, rated at 300PS (296hp). The limited edition Leon Cupra R, on the other hand, has 10PS (10hp) more. In the near future the Cupra brand is expected to welcome the Atec...

If you were still unsure as to what the new baby SUV from Seat was going to look like, this recent teaser reveals a familiar shape. Set to take its rightful place in the Spanish automaker's lineup right underneath the Ateca, the new Arona does appear to have one or two features in common with its larger sibling, although on a smaller, Ibiza-shaped scale. This teaser showed up over the weekend on Seat Ireland's Twitter feed, where the description also states that the car will "hit Irish soil in November". While at first glance there isn't much to recognize except for the fact that it's shaped like a crossover, increasing the brightness does reveal certain interesting styling features, such as how the headlight graphics and grille seem identical to those on the 2017 Ibiza supermini. The shoulder line appears to mirror what we see on the Ateca more than the Ibiza (due to that design line looking continuous and not split in two) - though we can't ex...

Seat have expanded the Ateca range with the addition of the new and sporty FR. Set to debut at the Barcelona Motor Show, in Spain, from May 11 to 21, the new FR joins the Reference, Style and XCellence specs, while sitting on the same level as the latter. The new Seat Ateca FR differentiates itself from the XCellence spec thanks to the addition of special logos front and rear, a glossy black grille, black roof rails and window frames, body-colored lower bumpers, exclusive treatment for the LED fog lamps, a roof-mounted spoiler, and 19-inch rims, wrapped in 245/40 tires. Sports seats upholstered in Alcantara come as standard inside, as do the aluminum pedals, red stitching and glossy black inserts on the steering wheel, roof and door mouldings, and the FR logos. Seat's new Ateca FR can be had with a new 2.0-liter TSI engine that produces 190 PS (187 HP), joining the already available petrol and diesel lineup that ranges between 150 PS (148 HP) and 190 PS (187 HP). Dependi...

Seat have followed in the footsteps of mother-brand Volkswagen by introducing an all-electric version of the Mii. Dubbed the eMii and based on its German cousin, the e-Up!, the zero-emission city car is being referred to as a prototype by the company's officials, who pulled the covers off it at the Mobile World Congress, in Barcelona, Spain. "What we see on the stand is the car that will allow us to test the operation of electrical technology in shared use vehicles. This does not mean that this is going to be our first electric car, but it is the ideal vehicle for carrying out these tests in Barcelona", said the brand's President, Luca de Meo. Powering the new Seat eMii is an electric motor that generates 81 horsepower and 210 Nm (155 lb-ft) of torque, according to Autocar, quoting the automaker. This allows it to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 11.3 seconds - more than a second faster than the e-Up!, and up to a top speed of 80 mph (129 km/h). ...

The brand new Seat Ibiza  is finally official , entering its fifth generation with a new platform and more on-board technology than ever. For this generation, Seat is ditching the three-door  and wagon bodystyles , offering the new Ibiza only as a five-door model. The adoption of the new MWB A0 platform is making also its debut in the new Seat Ibiza and is expected to also underpin the next VW Polo and Skoda Fabia superminis. Compared to its predecessor, the new Ibiza features a 95mm longer wheelbase while being 87mm wider, 2mm shorter and 1mm lower from it.  The increased dimensions give  the new Ibiza  a more spacious cabin and a bigger by 63lt luggage space, which scores 355lt in total capacity. The engine range will remain the same more or less, with a new 147hp 1.5-litre TSI engine making its debut next to a three-cylinder 1.0-litre TSI with either 93 or 113hp.  A five-speed manual will equip the lesser-powered models, with a six-speed manual offere...