The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)

Record-breaking year for SEAT Ireland

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OVER the last 12 months, SEAT’s performanc­e in the Irish market has led to phenomenal growth for the car brand, with an 18 per cent increase in registrati­ons year on year against a market decline of 10 per cent.

Results show there were a total of 3,318 SEAT registrati­ons in 2017.

Fuelling SEAT’s success in 2017 was the iconic SEAT Ibiza, which was the brand’s best-selling vehicle overall. The fifth generation of this new model reached Irish shores just six months ago and has since been shortliste­d for ‘European Car of the Year 2018’. The SEAT Ateca, SEAT’s award-winning, first ever SUV model, came a close second enjoying outstandin­g sales in its first full year of trading, with over 850 units delivered in 2017.

SEAT Ireland has benefited financiall­y from this strong sales result and from strategica­lly recognisin­g and then satisfying the demand in today’s market for higher specificat­ion models. This is evident as sales of its high end Xcellence and FR models surged accounting for 31 per cent of total sales compared to just 8 per cent two years ago. The brand has achieved its best profit result since SEAT Ireland became a subsidiary of SEAT SA in 2009.

Furthermor­e, SEAT says commitment to offering motorists very attractive finance offers has led to a surge in the number of customers financing their purchase, with 51.8 per cent of sales assisted through Volkswagen Bank. This is compared to 42.1 per cent in 2016.

Niall Phillips, Brand Director at SEAT Ireland said: ‘2017 was a remarkable year for SEAT Ireland. We are incredibly proud of these hugely impressive results, which are testament to our biggest ever product offensive, our targeted and strategic approach to marketing the brand, our outstandin­g dealer network across Ireland, and of course, our dedication to continuous­ly offering high quality products at affordable prices.’

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