Seat presented its representative in the compact class in the station wagon version this afternoon at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Leon ST is a strategic model in the expansion of the Leon model range, the aim of which is to increase sales of the Seat brand in the fleet market and in the family car segment.
In Western Europe, the new Leon ST sub-segment represents approximately 500,000 vehicles per year and forms a key part of the market in countries such as Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Austria and Switzerland. Within this category, on average 60% of sales go to company fleets, but for example in Germany it is up to 74%.
The new Leon ST goes on sale in November in Germany, Spain, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Portugal. Other markets will follow later. With this news, the Leon model family will be further expanded, which already includes five-door and three-door versions. During the introduction of the vehicle, Seat 's president, Jürgen Stackmann , stated that "the new Leon ST will open up new opportunities for the brand to win over the most demanding private customers and new clients in the equally important fleet market". Stackmann also added: "Our sales are developing excellently – we are growing despite the opposite trend in the automotive industry." "We will make the Leon the second strong pillar of the sustainable future of the Seat brand," concluded Stackmann .
During his first appearance as head of the Spanish brand at the International Motor Show, Stackmann said: “I am truly proud to be president of Seat . I am delighted with the excellent quality of our products, the excellent level of construction and design and the great commitment of my colleagues and our staff.”
The new Leon plays a key role in the successful campaign of the Seat brand and has become the second pillar of the brand alongside the Ibiza. Since the beginning of the year, Seat has delivered more than 60,000 new Leon cars to customers worldwide, which means a year-on-year increase in sales of this model range of 40% compared to the same period in 2012. The Leon also celebrates success in independent evaluation, winning in 35 out of 55 of benchmark tests carried out by the most prestigious media in the main markets since its launch, representing almost two-thirds of all tests.
The success of the Leon supported the positive sales development of the Seat brand in 2013. From January to August, the Spanish brand delivered 234,200 cars to its customers worldwide, 11.4% more than in the same period of the previous year. Despite the general decline in sales in Europe, Seat defies this trend and is one of the fastest growing brands . In terms of individual markets, Seat recorded growth in Germany (+26.4% to 50,600 vehicles; in Germany, Seat is the fastest growing large brand and belongs to the Top 10 best-selling brands), in Spain (+5.9% to 43,000 vehicles; the best-selling brand on the market in 2013) and in Great Britain (+15.6% on 27,000 cars).
In addition, Seat achieved highly above-average sales growth in Algeria and Turkey, where 14,900 cars (+81.7%) were sold by August, respectively. 6,500 cars (+122.5%). In Mexico, where customers have taken delivery of 14,000 cars since the beginning of 2013, Seat is now among the ten best-selling brands . The brand's sales outside of Europe rose by 27.1% in the first eight months of this year.
Source: Seat
