• SEAT at legendary Wörthersee event with another extensive display
• European premiere of the Ibiza Cupra Concept
• Mii show car with sporty FR look
• Ibiza SC Trophy and Leon Super Copa with racing licences
• Video team seeks the hottest SEAT models

SEAT is once again a star attraction at the exciting GTI Treffen event at Wörthersee in Austria, with a host of head-turning models that reinforce the Barcelona brand’s dynamic character.

The annual hot-hatch fest, which takes place in the Austrian state of Kärnten, is being held from 16 to 19 May – and SEAT is treating the vast crowds to six particularly fiery variants of the Leon, Ibiza and, for the first time, the Mii. In their full racing gear, track cars the Ibiza SC Trophy and Leon Super Copa are at the core of the SEAT display’s racing theme, while the Mii show car in FR Line configuration appears at GTI Treffen for the first time. For this year’s extravaganza – already in its 31^st year – the organisers are predicting to host around 120,000 visitors over the four days of the show.

Ibiza Cupra Concept is the star

The focal point of the SEAT stand – which has been created in line with the brand’s new visual identity – is the Ibiza Cupra Concept, a close-to-production glimpse of the new generation of this sporty SEAT icon. Just back from itsworld premiere at the Auto China Show in Beijing just a few weeks ago, the model’s 1.4 TSI packs 180 PS with looks to match the promise of that award-winning motor.

The Spice Yellow paintwork contrasts with gloss-black exterior mirrors and 17-inch alloy wheels, with red brake callipers shimmering through the spokes. A particularly large trapezoidal lower air intake emphasises the breadth of this compact sports car, while the angular lines of the headlamps underscore SEAT’s new design philosophy.

Ibiza FR and Leon Cupra R in individual design

One Ibiza and one Leon, each painted in Nevada white, showcase in their individual designs a host of options from the SEAT accessory range. The Ibiza FR on display in Reifnitz proudly wears 17-inch wheels in black and polished silver, exterior mirrors and brake callipers painted in red, and an enlarged rear spoiler.

Red accents also dominate the interior. On the Leon Cupra R, visual drama comes courtesy of the glossy black rims which contrast perfectly with the ice-white paintwork. Like the Ibiza FR, the eye is also drawn to the red colour of the brake calliper nestling behind each alloy wheel. Inside, piano black lacquer trim inserts make for a stylishly sporty ambience.

Pimp my Mii – tuning for SEAT’s baby

For the first time, SEAT is showing a Mii with an added injection of sporty character. The Tornado Red city car turns heads with its powerful presence, complete with black highlights on the wheelarches, an additional spoiler accent and black 16-inch aluminium wheels.

Red and black elements make their mark in the interior, too. The sports seats with fully integrated head restraints come with distinctive red FR lettering.

Ibiza SC Trophy and Leon Super Copa for the race track

Two further showpieces hold a licence to compete on the track – the Leon Super Copa and the Ibiza SC Trophy. They are shown at the Wörthersee festival with a special grey paint finish and wheels, while the mirror casings and roll cage are in fluorescent orange.

The Ibiza SC Trophy is now based on the new generation of the Ibiza and is fitted with the 180 PS 1.4 TSI engine. The seven-speed DSG transmission is operated from the steering wheel, as will be the case on the series-production model, while a locking differential guarantees amazing traction.

For the high lateral forces that occur under serious racing conditions, the engine comes with a modified oil sump, a powerful brake system and racing suspension running on 18-inch wheels housed under noticeably flared wheel arches. Inside, the dashboard is more minimalist than the series-production version and provides only data truly relevant to racing drivers.

The Ibiza SC Trophy is offered by SEAT Sport for 31,500 Euros (excl. tax) and is the ideal starting machine for amateur racing drivers. Single-brand race series are currently running very successfully in Spain and Italy.

At a price of 63,000 Euros (excl. tax), the 250 km/h Leon Super Copa represents the more senior league of SEAT Motorsport. Based on its sibling racer from the WTCC, more than 250 units of this model have already been built. The cup car is powered by an uprated version of the 2.0-litre TSI engine from the Leon Cupra R that produces 300 PS. A maximum of 340 Nm of torque travels through a six-speed DSG transmission and mechanically locking differential to the front wheels.

VIP party on the SEAT boat and chill-out zone
The many peripheral events organised by SEAT at the GTI Treffen include a VIP party on the SEAT boat, which will also serve on Thursday as a shuttle service over the lake. During the entire duration of the event, DJs on both the SEAT stand and SEAT boat will be lining up hot music to accompany cool drinks.

The SEAT movie team is also once again on-location. Alongside video productions for the media and Web, it will be making short films with owners of the most eye-catching examples of SEAT tuning and uploading them later to the Facebook page of SEAT Austria.

The stand is designed in line with the new SEAT corporate identity. In bright white with light colours and featuring the diagonal line as a dynamic design theme, it conveys the youth and emotional character of the brand – like the entire SEAT presence at Wörthersee.

You may join in the discussion about this topic here:

SEAT adds Spanish flavour to GTI Treffen 2012 on the forum

• Class leading seven-seat MPV is Diesel Car MPV of the Year once again
• Latest Alhambra has collected ten national awards since launch
• Sales of SEAT’s ultimate family car continue to grow

SEAT UK is today celebrating a double-digit tally of national awards for its widely-praised Alhambra with news that it has been crowned ‘MPV of the Year’ from respected specialist publication Diesel Car for the second time in a row.

The Spanish car maker’s exceptionally flexible seven-seater is today named best MPV by Diesel Car in the magazine’s anual Car of the Year Awards.

The latest honour joins important ‘gongs’ from such influential titles as What Car? Carbuyer.co.uk, Auto Express, Fleet World and Fleet News - all of which named the Alhambra their MPV of the year.

The Alhambra was praised by the experts at Diesel Car for its flexibility, value for money and high quality. ‘Everything about the Alhambra is planned for total convenience’ summarised the magazine in its awards issue.

Specialist motoring title Diesel Car focuses on the diesel car market but also includes reports on alternatively fuelled and eco-friendly vehicles. The well-respected magazine boasts a long list of established and influential writers and contributors who deliver the latest news on, and insights into, the diesel car market.

Welcoming the Alhambra’s brace of award wins, SEAT UK Managing Director Peter Wyhinny said: ‘This fantastic award from Diesel Car is the tenth UK accolade the Alhambra has received, and shows very clearly how brilliant our seven-seater really is.

‘I’m especially pleased to see that its impressive qualities have been recognised by specialist titles in both the fleet and diesel sectors, and I’m sure the fast-growing band of happy Alhambra owners will agree with the judges’ verdicts.’

Available in S, SE or top spec’ SE Lux trim and priced from just £23,535 RRP, the award-winning Alhambra is offered with a choice of modern turbocharged petrol or diesel powerplants. All engines can be paired with either a crisp six-speed manual or smooth six-speed DSG auto that offers the extra flexibility of sequential manual operation via the standard-fit steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts.

April’s ‘Nightscape’ theme has been won by Scooby2 and his beautifully captured Bocanegra set against the sunset.

Another shot of the new Ibiza this month. This time showing off one of the striking new colours available.

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March’s POTM landscape theme was won by Stealthrider. Well done for a cracking backdrop!

After our recent trip to Barcelona, we thought we’d set you up with a bepsoke photo of the New Ibiza showing off it’s curves and new creases for April 2012. We’re also introducing a new resolution for all you New iPad owners out there!

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A switched-on SEAT dealer has harnessed the power of social media to transact almost an entire new car deal exclusively on Twitter.

Car buyer Jemma Rowberry bypassed more than a dozen dealers closer to her home in Crawley, West Sussex, to buy her new Leon SE Copa from Essex retailer Grants SEAT after the firm made contact with her through Twitter.

The entire sales process was completed online through a series of ‘tweets’, with Jemma only making the two-hour drive to Grants’ modern showroom in Braintree twice – once to sign the paperwork on a PCP deal and once to collect her shiny new car.

Now the delighted 29-year-old IT Test Analyst, who loves her ‘dream’ car, is full of praise for Grants’ 21^st Century approach to car sales and customer service and is keen to recommend Twitter and Facebook to others in the market for a new runaround.

Jemma said: ‘If Grants hadn’t contacted me online and put in so much effort to finding me the right deal, I wouldn’t be driving around in my brilliant new car today.

‘The dealership may be nearly 100 miles away but they made the whole thing so effortless for me from beginning to end and they’ll definitely be the first people I contact when I’m in the market for another car.’

Jemma first fell in love with the Leon SE Copa last November but was unable to find a suitable finance package and ‘tweeted’ how disappointed she was. Grants SEAT Managing Director Darren Williams – who had set up a keyword search for ‘SEAT’ on Twitter – spotted Jemma’s message and replied offering his assistance.

The conversation continued online through the dealership’s lively Twitter page – @grantsseat – as Darren and his team found Jemma the perfect PCP deal and made getting behind the wheel of SEAT’s stunning family hatchback an affordable reality.

Darren Williams said: ‘We were very happy to be able to help Jemma get behind the wheel of her dream car and have really enjoyed getting to know her online.

‘This goes to prove the power of social media to all the sceptics in the motor industry. By putting in a bit of effort and striking up a real friendship online we’ve sold a car and gained a valuable customer who will use us again and recommend us to her friends and family.’

SEAT UK Head of Marketing, Chris Stevens, said: ‘I’m really pleased that our dealers are engaging so effectively in the new world of social media.

‘This example of best practice by Grants SEAT in Essex – a worthy winner of the ‘Best Digital Initiative’ category in the recent AM Awards, by the way – only goes to show how effective social media can be if used really well.’

The multi award-winning SEAT Alhambra continues its unprecedented awards success with news that it has been named ‘Best People Carrier’ by the highly-respected industry title Fleet News.

The SEAT scooped the coveted honour during last night’s 2012 Fleet News Awards ceremony at London’s famous Grosvenor House hotel.

The judges, comprising key members of the Fleet News editorial team and a number of fleet industry experts, highlighted the all-conquering Alhambra’s practicality, versatility and affordable costs.

In naming the SEAT ‘Best People Carrier’ the judges said: ‘The Alhambra is a full size people carrier that offers a good-size boot – even with all seven seats in use.

‘The seats are easy to fold flat, adding to the car’s versatility, while good road performance, competitive costs and low CO₂ emissions combine to make the perfect package.’

The largest member of the growing SEAT range went on sale here in late 2010 and, since then, has secured near-universal acclaim from the nation’s motoring press.

The Fleet News accolade is no less than the ninth major national award to be taken by the Alhambra in the UK in a little over 12 months – with key titles as diverse as Auto Express and Fleet Worldagreeing that the seven-seater is, indeed, the best MPV on offer in Britain today.

Available in S, SE or top spec’ SE Lux trim and priced from just £23,525 RRP, the Alhambra is offered with a choice of modern turbocharged petrol or diesel powerplants.

SEAT UK Managing Director Peter Wyhinny was at the Grosvenor to celebrate the Alhambra’s latest success. He said: ‘To receive this trophy from Fleet News means a great deal to us at SEAT.

‘We know the Alhambra is a very impressive MPV and the near-constant stream of important awards such as this reinforces that belief.

‘I know the quality, value and versatility of our seven-seater is as compelling for business drivers as it is for private buyers which is why it is, increasingly, making a name for itself among savvy fleet customers all over the UK.’

SEAT UK’s increasingly successful fleet team is celebrating another important contract win with the news that blue chip support services firm Babcock International Group PLC has signed a deal for up to 100 new Ibiza superminis.

The agreement, which saw Babcock’s specialist fleet team begin with a pool of 15 contender cars, sees the Spanish supermini supplied for use by employees in the plc’s engineering training division.

A process of elimination covering environmental issues, costs and safety considerations saw the initial list of cars whittled down to just two, with the SEAT winning through after a trial of both vehicles by the Babcock team.

The victorious SEAT is the ultra-frugal Ibiza 5dr 1.2 TDI E Ecomotive in luxurious S Copa trim. It means Babcock’s drivers can look forward to a heady mix of exceptional economy – up to 91.1 mpg and emissions of just 92 g/km – and pampering luxury, with the likes of 15-inch alloy wheels, cruise control and air conditioning all included as standard.

The Ibiza makes a great financial case for itself, too. Those ultra-low emissions make the car both Road Tax and London Congestion Charge exempt, while a basic rate tax payer will incur company car BIK of just £30.64 per month on the SEAT.

Recently honoured as Eco Car of the Year in the Scottish Car of the Year Awards, this most frugal Ibiza remains one of the most environmentally sensitive, yet fun, cars in its class.

Explaining why Babcock opted for SEAT ahead of the competition, Babcock Group Fleet Manager Roland Puckett said: ‘The combination of low CO₂, low BIK and high MPG plus all the safety features made the Ibiza a winning contender. ‘

Sam Ragheb, SEAT UK National Key Account Manager, said: ‘The whole SEAT Fleet sales team is understandably thrilled that Babcock have opted for the Ibiza.

‘We put in a lot of work to ensure the car had the best possible chance in line with our ambition to be a fleet manufacturer of choice, and I’m sure we will go on to prove that we are also a team that’s very easy to do business with.’

The first cars are being delivered to Babcock Training employees now, with a gradual roll-out of vehicles across the fleet planned.

Fresh for the new ’12′ plate change SEAT is giving one of its most popular performance models, the hi-spec Leon FR+, the benefit of an even more sporty look courtesy of a dramatic special edition styling kit.

The impressive additions to the Leon’s already lithe lines give the turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol- or diesel-engined FR+ looks reminiscent of the brand’s many recent motorsport successes. And that’s no mere coincidence, as the exclusive new Supercopa is constructed by the very same expert engineers at SEAT Sport who have nurtured SEAT’s WTCC title-winning race cars in years gone by.

The car even sports a track-inspired model name with ‘Supercopa’ being, of course, also the moniker of SEAT’s successful global one-make race series.

Boasting bespoke ‘Supercopa’ badges the special edition car’s comprehensive styling additions include extensively re-worked front and rear bumpers, smart side skirts, a more pronounced tailgate spoiler, bespoke BBS 18-inch alloy wheels and unique chrome-tipped, twin exhausts.

Naturally the extensive styling enhancements come in a range of eye-catching colours including Nevada White, Emoción Red and, appropriately enough, Speed Blue.

SEAT aficionados will recognise, of course, that the Leon FR+ which forms the basis of the special edition new Supercopa is a generously equipped offering that’s a significant step up from the ‘standard’ FR trim in terms of both performance and equipment.

Equipped with SEAT’s powerful 2.0 TSI 211 PS petrol or 2.0 TDI CR 170 PS turbodiesel engines the Leon FR+ takes the FR trim and adds arch-filling 18-inch alloy wheels; the SEAT Media System 2.2 which includes satellite-navigation with five-inch colour touchscreen and dynamic route guidance, DAB radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and SD card slot; Bluetooth phone connection; bi-xenon headlights with AFS (Adaptive Front-lighting System) and rear parking sensors.

Representing truly exceptional value, the new Supercopa editions feature £3,000-worth of SEAT Sport body kit for just £750 more than standard versions of the Leon FR+. Prices therefore start from just £22,530 RRP on-the-road for the 2.0 TDI 170 PS six-speed manual model.

The Leon FR+ Supercopa additions arrive as SEAT celebrates continued strong growth in what remains a challenging UK new car market. To the end of February SEAT’s UK sales were up almost two per cent on the same period in 2011 which was, itself, an all-time record year for the brand here.

And the new car immediately grabs the spotlight as, from today, it becomes the star of SEAT UK’s marketing activity around the SEAT-sponsored UEFA Europa League. The brand’s television adverts around the remaining ties in this season’s Europa League will consistently feature the new Supercopa.

Welcoming the arrival of the head-turning new Leon FR+ Supercopa special editions, SEAT UK Head of Marketing, Chris Stevens, said: ‘This stunning car represents many of the very best elements of SEAT.

‘Gorgeous styling, superb levels of standard equipment and unrivalled value for money are the hallmarks of our cars, and they come together to exceptional effect in the Leon FR+ Supercopa.

‘I’m sure this special edition model will, quite rightly, quickly become one of our most highly sought-after vehicles.’

Leon FR+ Supercopa models are available to test drive, and order, at SEAT dealers nationwide. For more details on the new model log on to http://www.seat.co.uk/content/uk/brand/en/models/leon/versions/supercopa.html