SEAT Changes Brand Positioning
Published: 11th June 2004
SEAT Altea
He said, "Since the repositioning of the SEAT brand under the Audi Brand Group, the Altea was the first product to come out of the new Group’s sport design technology ideals concept.
In future we will have an extrovert image with cars of a sporting design. Up to 18 months ago we were known as the affordable brand. Now we are moving to producing products with sporting design and greater performance but we don’t want to lose what we are already known for".
McKenna added." We started selling SEAT cars in the UK in 1985 and by 1995 our annual sales had climbed steadily to 11,000 vehicles but from then until 2003 they climbed rapidly to 34,000 units. We do not plan to oversupply vehicles and damage residual values - ours are better than most of the main volume manufacturers and we don’t want to lose that. We are not a volume brand, we are not up-market and we want customers to come to us out of choice"
The Altea is not a mini MPV nor is it a hatchback as we know it today, it is a little of both. The Altea creates a new sector in the market aimed at the family buyer around 25 years of age and with one to two children. Currently the average age of our customers is around 45 years old".
"We see Altea giving us incremental growth with 2,500 sales this year and 5,000 next and sixty per cent of Altea sales will be for the variants costing under £14,000" said McKenna.
McKenna also revealed that 95 per cent of enquiries for their products came to them by the web.
Currently SEAT has 130 UK dealers and this will increase to 135 once open points in London and Manchester are filled.
The Altea goes on sale in the UK from 10 July. A £3 million marketing campaign, including television advertising, will be used to launch the new face of SEAT in the form of Altea to UK customers.
Altea prices start at £12,850 and rise through the eight-model range to £17,600. There is the option of 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol and 1.9 and 2.0-litre diesel engines.
For more information about the SEAT model range [ click here ]
Seat Altea
Our Seat Altea Guide lists the full specification of the current UK Altea range, including car prices, fuel consumption, dimensions and other vital data.
Price Range: £12,845 - £18,295
Body Style:
Fuel:
/ 
Models in the range: 10
We have road tested the Seat Altea, to read our in-depth car reviews:
Seat Altea Review - Feb 2005
Seat Altea Review - Jun 2004
Seat Altea Review - Apr 2007
Our Car Buyer’s Guide covers all of the UK’s major new cars and includes CO2 ratings and car insurance groups. Data updated on the 28th Nov 2008
