Seat is limbering up to replace its Alhambra MPV. Expected in autumn 2010, the next Alhambra uses a new platform to stretch out more space for its seven seats – it’ll be bigger than today’s people carrier.
Also new are sliding rear doors, which will also appear on the VW version that’s destined to replace the Sharan. There is no Skoda variant in the pipeline at present, according to our sources at VW Group.
Both the Sharan and Alhambra will be launched in autumn 2010 and you can expect more visual differentiation than before, Barcelona types claim.
What’s all this about Seat’s new eco tech?
We’re all familiar with Seat’s Ecomotive green specials, but more and more of this tech will be ladelled out to the rest of the range too. Stop/start comes on Altea this year, following on the Leon family in 2010.
Expect this CO2-saving device to be standard on the halo models, and to cost a few hundred quid as an option on lesser models. CAR understands the tech will be branded as ‘Ecomotive Technologies’, letting customers choose whether to pick the pricey tech or not.
What else is new at Seat?
The Ibiza ST estate is coming in 2010 and we hear there will be more variants of the Leon to come. The next-generation model will have more body variants (currently, there’s only a single five-door bodystyle).
And what about a coupé, to make Seat genuinely sporting? ‘You’ll just have to wait and see,’ said one senior exec. VW has its Scirocco and a Golf coupé is being discussed in Wolfsburg – so the hardware exists finally to give the Spanish a performance car.
And the Seat range will stretch downwards, too, with its own version of the Up city car. Busy times in Martorell.