GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: SEAT reveals SUV future
Is this the car with which VW's Spanish brand tries again in Australia?Could this sporty SUV concept revealed at the Geneva motor show this week preview the vehicle to underpin the relaunch of Volkswagen Group's struggling Spanish brand SEAT in Australia?
The 20V20, or 'vision veinte veinte' (20:20) in Spanish, is a thinly disguised version of the compact SUV that SEAT will launch in Europe in 2016 as it seeks to up sales and finally become profitable.
Based on the new VW Group MQB architecture, the production version of the 20V20 will be a five-seat wagon twinned mechanically with the next generation Tiguan.
If the 20V20's press material is any guide, then you can expect both TSI turbo-petrol engines up to 220kW and TDI turbo-diesels up to 176kW matched to a dual clutch DSG gearbox and Haldex all-wheel drive (front-wheel drive also makes sense but isn't mentioned by SEAT).
Plug-in hybrid versions of both petrol and diesel are also promised.
The first of what is expected to be a three-model SUV line-up from SEAT, company chairman and CEO Jurgen Stackmann says it's the appropriate base for a relaunch in Australia.
SEAT unsuccessfully retailed cars in Australia between 1995-1999 through independent distributor Inchcape.
Externally, once you get past the retina-blowing ultra-orange paint scheme, the 20V20 shows off a new design language that is expected to permeate through the SEAT range over the next five years (hence the name).
The signature is the X-shape that works through the bonnet and into the grille. That same X reference is also picked up more subtly at the rear.
The 20V20 is 4659mm long, rolls on a 2791mm wheelbase, and measures 1648mm for the front track and 1638mm for the rear track. Keeping the 20V20's floorpan 228mm clear of the ground are 20-inch wheels (which used to sound outlandish but is now nothing special).
Inside, the highlights include the SEAT Personal Drive Device, which looks like a large coin, acts as the ignition key and saves individual driver profiles. It can also be removed from the car to act as a mobile navigation system, remote control for functions such as stationary heating or cooling and for managing the PHEV's charging process.
There are also three TFT screens set into the high-gloss dashboard, the largest of them measuring 12.3 inches. All of them can be significantly individualised and many controls are operated by voice. Being a concept car, the interior is of course trimmed in luxurious leather and aluminium.
Luggage space is a substantial 600 litres-plus. Integrated into the boot are two luggage trolleys and an electric scooter dubbed the 'Personal Mover' that gets you from the car park to the office – just so you don't have to walk too far!
"Design is already one of the most important reasons for buying a SEAT and we intend to build on this strength, along with technology," Stackmann said in the press material issued with the concept. "Many details of the 20V20 will be evident in future production models."
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