Hot diesels on the way for SEAT, with new crossover set for 2016

SEAT could use the hot diesel engines from its Volkswagen Group sister brands in its future models, with the fast Cupra range being a likely vessel for them.

SEAT boss Jurgen Stackmann told Auto Express that a fast diesel model could join the Leon range, but that it would need to make financial sense.

“I think that it’s a natural extension [of the Cupra range], the biggest challenge of diesel has actually been Euro6, in terms of the actual costs going in to it," he explained.

“I can tell you, a performance diesel works extremely well in a Cupra. We have one, it’s lovely, but the whole problem is making business sense out of that idea. It’s a great machine and would be a perfect extension."

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But while the performance diesel might not stack up for SEAT in the Leon, Stackmann was keen to point out that it could work better in the company’s first crossover, which we’ll see next year. “It may actually be a good idea more in the crossover. Intuitively for me, that would make really good sense - a performance diesel in the crossover.”

This first crossover is expected to be the medium-sized model based around the Leon platform. In 2017 a smaller Ibiza-sized crossover will arrive, with the larger SUV expected to follow in 2018.

Stackmann explained that the first of these crossovers would make its debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. “Next year, same place, same time we will introduce our compact SUV and it will be sold as of next year,” Stackmann told us.

“A plan for 2017 is another car in that direction, and we believe that once we have moved the brand and opened it to more customers we will be ready for a car that is actually, sort of standing outside that clearly would be the big car for the SEAT brand.”

Now read more about the SEAT SUV concept revealed this year.