The semiconductor crisis has slowed the recovery of sales for the automotive company Seat, which closed 2021 with an increase of 10.3% compared to the previous year, thanks to the sale of 470,500 vehicles.
The brand's figures are far from pre-pandemic levels, as it sold 574,000 units in 2019, a year that became the best year in the company's history.
The CEO of Seat and Cupra, Wayne Griffiths, has lamented that "the demand for Seat and Cupra models has returned to pre-pandemic levels", but "the shortage of semiconductors is creating frustration among our customers due to the long delivery times they have to face". Among the preferences of the brand's customers this year, interest in Cupra models and electrified vehicles stands out.
The Cupra brand has tripled its sales, driven by the success of the Formentor model, and is now close to 80,000 vehicles, with 41% corresponding to electrified models. Meanwhile, in terms of global sales, about 60,600 were electric or plug-in hybrids, a figure that has quadrupled compared to the 14,700 sold in 2020, according to the company.
For their part, Seat brand models suffered a 2% drop in demand and 391,200 units were registered.
Germany continues to be the main market for Seat brands, with 104,100 vehicles sold, 5% less than in 2020. It is followed by Spain, with 81,800 vehicles, 11.5% more than the previous year, and the United Kingdom, with 50,700 vehicles, 11.2% more than in 2020. Sales also rose in Mexico, by 39.3%; Turkey, by 10.3%; and in Israel, by 20.6%.
The semiconductor crisis has also been felt in the production level of the Martorell factory, where Seat produced 385,200 units, 9.8% more than the previous year, although 30% below the capacity of this work center.
The president of Seat was, however, optimistic for 2022, when he expects "a progressive recovery in supply and the stabilization of vehicle production." Among this year's goals, Seat plans to consolidate its commitment to electrification, with the expansion of the Born model range, from Cupra, with different battery capacities and with the most powerful e-Boost version. It will also present an exclusive version of the Cupra Formentor VZ5, limited to 999 units, a new finish for the Seat Tarraco (Xperience) and updates to the current models of this brand.