Seat Ibiza, Altea XL, Exeo ST and Alhambra reviews (15/08/2012)
The Spanish outfit, which is owned by VW, is overhauling its operations and customer offerings in Ireland so as to grow its market share to 3.5% by 2017.
Armed with a 20m investment by its parent company, Seat SA, and with a new management team led by Adam Chamberlain, former head of sales and marketing of Volkswagen Ireland, Seat Ireland wants to step from the shadows of its bigger sibling brands within Volkswagen Group.
Over the last six months, Seat Ireland has withdrawn 45% of its portfolio to refine its model range. There will be a series of model launches by the end of 2012, cars such as the Ibiza, Mii, Toledo and Leon. It is anticipated that 90% of sales in 2013 will be from these new models.
A new, competitive price structure, representing an investment of 4m, came into effect from Aug 1 and will be a boost to Seat’s 18 dealerships around Ireland — a number Seat wants to increase to 28 by 2015.
Seat say this will increase the value offer of many models by between 5% and 15% through price reductions and increased specification. New Seat customers will benefit from three years’ warranty and roadside assistance, as standard, from August.
Finance offers based on extremely competitive interest rates will enable prospective customers to buy new cars.
To grow its market share, Seat will undertake an ambitious dealership recruitment process, to have 28 networks by 2015. Urban areas will be targeted, with four new dealerships in Limerick, Galway, Westmeath and Dublin in the coming weeks.
Chamberlain says this is an exciting time for Seat Ireland. “Historically, the brand has always remained somewhat below the radar, but now, thanks to this ambitious development programme and a fantastic new range of cars, I believe that Irish motorists are going to become a lot more interested in what Seat has to offer.”
On the evidence I’ve seen in recent weeks, the brand is in a very good place.
First up of my drives was the new Ibiza, which is the first Seat by Luc Donckerwolke, the former Lamborghini designer, and he has had a big influence on the styling of the car, which is the sharpest-looking Ibiza yet.
In a segment crammed with good cars, the Ibiza struggled: it was not as dynamic to drive as its rivals. Seat has addressed this and the new car’s driving experience, interiors and the levels of standard spec are much-improved. Priced from 13,800, it’s decent value, too.
Next up was the Altea XL and I really liked it. An extended version of the standard Altea, the XL is a top contender in the growing compact MPV segment.
Although only a five-seater, the additional room creates class-leading boot space and makes the car a decent prospect for families and business clients.
Priced from 20,840 (although we tried the 1.6 TDi CR Style version, which is 25,170), the Altea — and the XL — is a proper Seat and not a rehashed VW. It is still fresh-looking, ten years on from when we first saw it, and it drives well enough to be considered by even the most demanding driver.
The XL is a spacious machine, and, as a cross between a hatchback and an MPV, its design has enough about it to appeal to a good cross-section of users.
The Exeo ST is — unlike the Altea — a hand-me-down, but the benefactor was Audi rather than VW. This is a retread of the last A4 Avant and not a bad thing for that.
We tried the two-litre TDi with 120 bhp and 290 Nm of torque, and while it might not appear to have much grunt, if you work it properly it will not disappoint. The top speed of 196 kph, the 0-100 kph time of 10.9 seconds, and the consumption figure of 5.0 l/100 km (56 mpg) illustrate the point.
This is a car which Seat has improved, compared with the old A4, in terms of ride and handling, and while elements of the interior décor might look dated, the overall quality of what’s on offer is not to be sneezed at.
It is an excellent specification package and its looks have withstood the test of time and that makes the Exeo ST a very worthy buying option. It is priced from 30,625 and the version we tried, with bi-zenon front and rear lights, 17” alloys, tinted windows and metallic paint, brought the cost up to 33,443.
Finally, we tried the giant Alhambra, the full-size, seven-seat MPV that began life as a co-production with the Ford Galaxy and the VW Sharan. It has moved on since, but, I have to say, the current one engaged me more than any previous incarnation of the vehicle.
It might seem surprising to say, but this thing is as sharp as a tack to drive and as engaging as, say, a VW Golf, which might seem like a surprising conclusion to arrive at — but it’s true. Priced from 40,305 through to 46,050, it is not bad value, either. All versions are fitted with the 140 bhp version of the 2.0 TDi engine; only the spec. levels vary.
It is a lively and entertaining drive and it will also accommodate a humongous amount of either people or cargo, although moving the passenger seats around takes a little adjustment. That said, it is immensely practical — and the sliding rear doors add greatly in that regard — and very worthy of consideration if you’re in the market for a full-on MPV.
So, Seat is on the move and has very ambitious plans here in Ireland; and, on the evidence we’ve seen in recent weeks, they are well-equipped to fulfil their aims.
