The evolution of the Seat plant in Martorell towards an intelligent and connected production center takes another step. The factory has started the production of the new Cupra Formentor and Cupra León, two redesigned and developed models in Martorell that will soon have their first units ready to circulate. In fact, the forecast is that the factory will produce more than a thousand vehicles of both models daily, and that the first units will begin to be delivered during the third quarter of this year.
The production line of the two models will have an impact on more than 4,000 jobs at the plant, a third of the approximately 12,000 employees currently working at the production center. Producing the new Formentor and León represents for the company the beginning of a stage for Cupra as a design-driven brand. So much so that the new models "are key to the future of the Martorell plant and will drive the brand's expansion in global markets," according to Cupra CEO, Wayne Griffiths.
The production of the two models has started in parallel with the factory's transformation process, with the aim of integrating advanced technologies into the structural and manufacturing processes at the plant. Martorell is the third factory in terms of production volume for the Volkswagen Group in Europe, and plans to "continue growing with new models, but also through the implementation of smart technology and artificial intelligence," highlighted the Executive Vice President of Production and Logistics at Cupra, Markus Haupt.
The Seat factory is transforming itself with an eye towards electric vehicles, with the forecast of producing the 100% electric Cupra Raval in 2025"This is a key moment for the Martorell plant. Together we are driving the transformation of the factory to ensure the launch of the first 100% electric models, while continuing to produce combustion and electrified vehicles," said the factory director, Jose Arreche. With 2.8 million square meters —the equivalent of 400 soccer fields—, the factory has produced more than 12 million vehicles of 45 models since its inauguration in 1993, which have been exported to 70 countries around the world. Coinciding with its 30th anniversary, 2023 was a key year for the plant, in which its production increased by 21% to exceed 443,400 vehicles and during which it installed the first fully electric paint drying oven of the Volkswagen Group.
The electrification of the Seat factory is a fundamental part of the company's objective to convert Spain into a hub for electric mobility in Europe. In fact, Seat leads the cluster of Volkswagen's range of urban electric cars. In this sense, the 100% electric Cupra Raval will leave the Martorell plant in 2025, so that months later the Volkswagen ID 2 will begin to be produced in the same plant.
Currently, the Cupra Formentor is the brand's best-selling vehicle. It was the first model designed and developed exclusively for Cupra, and is available as a plug-in hybrid or with new high-performance gasoline engines. Together with the Cupra León, the brand has expanded its global presence, with more than 600,000 units delivered since the launch of Cupra in 2018.
To prepare for this new stage and have a new line in the factory for electric cars, the company will transfer the production of the Seat Ibiza and Arona to another assembly line in Martorell this summer, with the objective set on a transformation that Seat has also launched at an industrial, organizational and cultural level of the company.