Volkswagen’s Spanish subsidiary, SEAT, has announced an aggressive new growth plan to double the company’s sales — from its current level of 400,000 sales annually to 800,000 — by the year 2018. In order to achieve the new growth, the company plans to expand its model lineup, as well as increase its efficiency.
SEAT CEO Erich Schmitt sat down with Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung to explain the upcoming changes. Schmitt told the German newspaper that SEAT would continue to streamline its workforce. The automaker has already cut 900 jobs and plans to reduce its workforce by another 700.
SEAT will also work to improve its manufacturing efficiency and says the next-generation Ibiza will take only 18 hours to build, down from its current level of 27 hours.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of SEAT’s growth will be the expansion of its model lineup. The company’s lineup consists of 7 models now, but Schmitt says that number will grow to 15 by 2012. Even more amazingly, Schmitt says SEAT’s lineup will feature 40 models by 2018 — about the same number of models the entire Volkswagen Group offers.
01/30, 11:43 AM
posted by:
Rotman
40 more boring models. Thank you SEAT.
01/30, 12:10 PM
posted by:
SS4LIFE
I definitely did not know that SEAT was a subsidiary of VW, and that they were a Spanish subsidiary. Hmm. Well North America doesn’t get SEATs and the SEATs that I saw when I was over in Europe didn’t really strike my attention, but good for them that they are planning on expanding.
01/30, 12:17 PM
posted by:
trooper1
I drove a Seat Ibiza once when visiting Montreal, those things are pretty cool, pretty quick.
01/30, 1:26 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
Why? What does SEAT offer that VW itself doesn’t? A Volvo/Opel/Honda is much better than that piece of crap anyway. What a waste of metal.
01/30, 8:33 PM
posted by:
meekin111
I think 40 models by 2018 is a mistake, unless they are including different engines and trim levels as models.