MAKING HISTORY
We visit SEAT’S exclusive collection of classics to see how the brand has been shaped over 66 years Classic SEATS
YOU might think of SEAT as a relatively new brand as part of the VW Group, but its history is much deeper than that. In fact, it was founded in May 1950, which makes it 66 years old this year.
SEAT began life in an alliance with Fiat, and started offering cars to the Spanish people using designs from the Italian company which it built and sold locally. The first SEAT was the 1400, although it was mostly used by officials and taxi fleets because few people could afford their own cars at the time. The model that really got Spain moving was the famous SEAT 600 – based on the Fiat of the same name.
“SEAT was the brand that put the wheel on a nation. Suddenly the Spanish public became mobile, to visit their families and friends,” SEAT’S Jochen Dries told Auto Express. “The 600 was many families’ first car and it was the first affordable car in the country.”
That’s just the start of SEAT’S story, and it will all be documented in the brand’s new digital museum. Last year (Issue 1,379, below), we visited the Archithon, a 48-hour architecture marathon where students from Spain and Germany (reflecting SEAT’S current VW Group ownership) came up with a design for the online space – and now SEAT is forging ahead in populating it with exhibits.
“For each car we have taken pictures to create a 3D model and built a content pack with technical data and history of the model,” Dries said. “We have also been digitalising pictures over the last two years, plus a lot of videos that have never been seen before.”
Currently, the online museum only features a handful of the most important models in SEAT’S history, but the plan is to keep adding more cars, pictures and archive videos to flesh out the collection. You can find the digital museum on SEAT’S’S website now; it’s well worth a visit.
Yet we were even more fortunate to get a glimpse of SEAT’S entire collection of old models at its plant in Zona Franca, Barcelona, in an unassuming warehouse called A122. Sadly, it’s not open to the public – hence the digital offering – but it’s an incredible collection of historic
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THE 600 helped make Spain mobile after its economy had been left in tatters by the Civil War in the thirties. It still looks cute now, and has a charmingly basic interior. THE 1200 Sport was the first car developed fully by SEAT. Its nickname, Bocanegra, means black mouth, and in seventies Spain, its near100mph top speed impressed. WHEN SEAT split from Fiat in 1982, the Italians sued, saying the new Ronda was too close to Fiat’s Ritmo. SEAT painted all the exclusive bits on this car yellow, and won the case. MODIFIED SEAT Panda allowed Pope John Paul II to go to the FC Barcelona football stadium during his 1982 visit to Spain. His normal Popemobile couldn’t fit into the ground. TO go rallying, SEAT needed a more powerful engine. So it fitted the Bimotor with two – one each in the front and rear – powering two wheels each. A 4WD monster was born. THE collection’s 2000 Ibiza Cupra R is simply immaculate. It features a 1.8-litre petrol engine with nearly 180bhp – that’s enough to hit 140mph. Only 200 were ever produced.
FORD says the Vignale badge is “the highest expression of luxury for the brand”, and following on from the Mondeo, it’s applied the treatment to the S-MAX.
The idea is simple: take a top-spec S-MAX, throw on some extra chrome detailing, cover the interior in leather and go to town on the options. The flashy MPV comes stacked with kit; each Vignale model gets 18-inch alloy wheels, heated leather seats and a rear-view camera. That’s in addition to the laminated windows and DAB radio. And don’t forget, Vignale buyers also benefit from a 24/7 concierge-like service, plus a free full-car valet and posh coffee every time they need to visit a Ford Store.
From the outside – if you can ignore the slightly brash Vignale badges – this S-MAX looks fairly unassuming. Our car had a set of larger alloy wheels, but apart from the extra chrome on the grille, windows and tailgate, it’s business as usual.
It’s inside where Ford hopes to make the biggest impression, and let’s face it, that’s where buyers will spend most of their time. The layout is very familiar, with large, clear dials and a big eight-inch touchscreen display to control the car’s sat-nav, radio and menu settings. All Vignale models incorporate Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment system, which uses voice control to direct you to the nearest petrol station or recommend areas to stop for coffee.
The seats are a highlight, supporting you in all the right places the moment you get behind the wheel. As a longdistance cruiser, it’s a very pleasant place to spend time; there’s just more attention to detail in the cabin over a standard model. Buyers can specify some light-coloured ‘Cashmere’ leather as an option, although we’d worry that subjecting it to the rigours of family life would leave it looking tired rather quickly. Instead the dark Ebony colour in our car is likely to be a wise choice for everyday use.
On top of the dash you’ll find plenty of soft-touch materials, with some neat contrasting stitching throughout. Ford has even laid leather on the central storage bin, while beneath your feet you’ll find 28oz front and rear carpets. Quality takes a bit of a dip lower down, though, with some disappointingly scratchy plastics.
And there’s quite a price to pay; our S-MAX Vignale (an early UK car on German
“On top of the dash you’ll find plenty of soft-touch materials, with neat contrast stitching throughout”
plates) costs around £2,700 more than the previous range-topping Titanium Sport model. We’d look at saving even more cash by opting for the standard Titanium, which works out at over £4,000 less specfor-spec and is still reasonably well equipped.
Our test car came with the frankly absurd 237bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine. It’s only available with the automatic gearbox, but despite its sizeable power output, it feels breathless under hard acceleration.
It’s impressively quiet on the move, and thanks to laminated side windows and active sound cancellation tech, it will sit quietly on the motorway all day long.
The S-MAX remains one of the better MPVS to drive, belying its size admirably with very little roll through corners. The steering isn’t super-precise, but it’s accurate enough given the car’s purpose.
That said, as with lesser S-MAX models, the diesel versions are more responsive and considerably better to drive. The superior torque on the entry-level 178bhp 2.0-litre TDCI will suit most buyers better, while those after more grunt can opt for the 207bhp version of the same engine.
The petrol motor will only return a disappointing 35.8mpg, but even the most powerful 4x4 diesel autos can get to nearly 50mpg. Given what the S-MAX is designed to do, it’s difficult to recommend this petrol version.
However, practicality is unaffected. On the Vignale you get the same versatile seven-seat interior layout, with three individual seats across the middle row.
Head and legroom are impressive, especially with the seats slid back. The rearmost bench is still a bit on the small side, but the seats lower electrically via a button in the boot, revealing an impressive 2,020-litre load bay. Keep them up and you’ll still get a usable 285 litres, which is enough for a few squashy bags or even a small buggy.