SEAT is peddling its wares at the Beijing Motor Show having already opened eight dealerships in China and handed over its first customer vehicles.
SEAT intends to have a network of 15 outlets by the end of the year.Vehicles sold in China will be produced in Europe, starting with the Leon then followed by the new Ibiza family later this year. SEAT chairman James Muir has confirmed that the brand intends to launch the Alhambra people-carrier in China next year.
“China is very important for SEAT. Our offensive on this growth market is a further stepping stone in the development of the brand and just as important as our investment in the highly attractive, new products that we will introduce in the near future,” says Muir. “The car market in China is continuing to develop at a very rapid pace and there is a growing demand, particularly among young buyers, for premium, sporty vehicles that are differentiated by a clear and individual design language. This is where SEAT delivers a unique product offering and this is where we will be successful.”
The new showrooms and dealerships were opened simultaneously in eight of China’s urban regions – in Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Wuhan and Zhengzhou. Each of those cities is int the middle of a region with five to ten million inhabitants, they have an above-average income structure and a high proportion of hi-tech and growth industries.
This summer, showrooms will open in Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanning, Xi’an and Xiamen, not forgetting Beijing and Shanghai, which are scheduled to follow.
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