The SEAT Ateca received its first international award. The new SUV from the Spanish brand was named "Best Buy Car of Europe 2017" by AUTOBEST.
The award ceremony and, of course, the winner, was hosted in Lisbon. Representatives of the main European manufacturers as well as the AUTOBEST panel headed by its President and Founder, Dan Vardie, gathered in the Portuguese capital. Seat's President, Luca de Meo, was accompanied by company executives and members of the team involved in the awards.
Luca de Meo could only express his delight at this prestigious award: "The Ateca was a major player in 2016, winning major awards and doubling sales forecasts. Its recognition by the AUTOBEST delegates is a source of pride for SEAT because it proves that our range, which will be strengthened in 2017 with the arrival of the new Ibiza and SEAT Arona, is expanding in the right direction."
Dan Vardie, President and Founder of the AUTOBEST Awards, called it a clear victory: "The victory of the Seat Ateca is a premiere for both Seat and AUTOBEST. With a clear victory coming from all 31 jury members representing European countries, Seat has won the first AUTOBEST award in the history of the competition. The Ateca is a very convincing expression of SEAT's "Created in Barcelona" concept and an innovative philosophy of the brand. Having the title of "Best Buy Car of Europe 2017" an SUV, it clearly shows that these categories represent the future of automotive with remarkable growth in the coming years. With the Ateca and the other models to come, Seat has already taken its place at the core of new automotive trends. On behalf of the members of the Committee and myself, we are delighted to congratulate all the people involved in this project."
The Ateca "weapon" for Seat sales
It was obvious that Seat, with the launch of its first SUV, would boost its sales. So, with its best sales result since 2007, SEAT delivered 410,200 vehicles in 2016, 2.6% more than in 2015. The Ateca provided a significant boost, with 24,200 sales in its first six months on the market. The success of the Ateca comes alongside the sales growth achieved by the Leon and Alhambra in 2016.
