SEAT has an expiry date: find out when it will leave the market

We have been hearing rumours for some time, but it seems they have finally become official. Or at least the information has been narrowed down, and there is now a date for it. SEAT, the historic Spanish brand, could already have an expiry date. Volkswagen does not see the profitability in a brand that has been overtaken by others in the same group, and the decision to forget about it seems to have already been taken.

The disappearance of SEAT comes with the dismissal of around 100,000 employees and the closure of several plants. All of this follows a cost-reduction programme and a change in the group’s priorities, which will change its policy to prioritise the most profitable brands. It was already mentioned a few years ago that the space SEAT occupied is now covered by Skoda with greater profitability, and the Spanish brand had become a problem within Volkswagen’s internal structure.

A leaked document shows the reality

According to a German outlet that has had access to the documents Volkswagen has presented ahead of its annual meeting, held on 3 and 4 September, SEAT has been excluded from the strategic planning§h22? of the company, and its dismantling is expected within three years.

This means that by the end of 2029 SEAT will have disappeared and will stop producing models. This will put an end to 75 years of a brand that has been a benchmark in our country and part of the lives of many Spaniards through some of its most popular models.

Apparently, this document specifies that the SEAT brand will gradually, orderly and profitably wind down, until it is discontinued at the end of 2029. The warranties offered and the after-sales service will be maintained for several years to meet the obligations already undertaken and to provide adequate service to those who buy a SEAT model until the end of the brand.

What will happen to SEAT’s infrastructure?

As for the brand’s existing infrastructure, Volkswagen intends to apply everything available so that it can be used by CUPRA, the group’s high-performance brand. It should be remembered that CUPRA was born as a high-performance version of several SEAT models and later became independent.

From 2029, CUPRA will be SEAT’s heir and will take its place in the Volkswagen Group’s organisational chart. It is a pity that such an emblematic brand as SEAT disappears and ceases to be present in our market, but the market changes and transforms. At least CUPRA will remain, keeping the spirit of the brand that gave it birth, though on a different scale.