In 2021, Seat increased worldwide car sales by 10% with Arona the top model, Germany the largest global market, and Cupra sales up 190%.
In full calendar year 2021, SEAT S.A. sold 470,500 vehicles, a 10.3 percent increase on 2020 when 426,600 cars were delivered worldwide. Sales growth was largely due to Cupra and the demand for electrified models, with greater recovery stifled by the significant impact of the semiconductor shortage, which has affected the entire industry. Seat brand sales were slightly weaker.
SEAT SA Global Sales by Brand in 2021
Worldwide sales by brand for SEAT were as follows in 2021:
| Â | 2020 | 2021 | +/- |
| SEAT S.A. | 426,600 | 470,500 | +10.3% |
| CUPRA (brand) | 27,400 | 79,300 | +189.4% |
| SEAT (brand) | 399,300 | 391,200 | -2.0% |
| Electrified vehicles | 14,700 | 60,600 | +311.0% |
In 2021, SEAT S.A. sold 470,500 vehicles worldwide. The 10.3 percent increase in global sales was largely due to the popularity of the new Cupra brand and the high demand for electrified vehicles.
In 2021, SEAT S.A. electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle sales quadrupled, from 14,700 to 60,600 cars.
CUPRA tripled its sales, reaching a volume of 79,300 vehicles for the year, driven predominantly by the Formentor. 41 percent of CUPRA sales in the past 12 months were electrified vehicles.
“2021 was not the year we expected”, said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of SEAT and CUPRA.“After working hard to fight the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, our activities were severely affected by the semiconductor shortage. Demand for SEAT and CUPRA products has returned to pre-pandemic levels, and the shortage of semiconductors is creating frustration among our customers due to the high delivery times they have to face.”
Global Market for Seat Sales in 2021
Germany is again SEAT S.A.’s leading market, with 104,100 vehicles sold, 5.0% less than in 2020 (109,500). This was followed by Spain with 81,800 sales, 11.5% more than the previous year (2020: 73,300), and the United Kingdom, with 50,700, an 11.2% increase (2020: 45,600). Completing the top five countries for the company were France (31,200) and Italy (27,600), which achieved a growth of 14.0% and 24.6%, respectively versus 2020.
SEAT S.A.’s sales also grew solidly in Mexico (20,900, a 39.3% increase over 2020), Turkey (12,700, +10.3%) and Israel (12,600, +20.6%).
The best-selling markets for the Seat brand were Germany (73,300 units sold), Spain (70,800), the UK (43,000), France (27,100), and Italy (21,500).
The top sales markets for Cupra brand were Germany (30,800), Spain (11,000), the UK (7,700), Italy (6,200), and France (4,100).
Worldwide Sales of Seat and Cupra Cars by Model in 2021
The best-selling CUPRA model was the Formentor coupe SUV, with 54,600 units sold, representing almost 70 percent of the cars sold by CUPRA brand in 2021.
3,300 units of CUPRA Born, the brand’s first 100% electric car which went on sale in the UK in December, have been delivered so far – a promising start that CUPRA expects to build on in the coming months.
SEAT achieved sales of 391,200, a 2.0 percent decline versus 2020, which were impacted by the shortage of semiconductors. SEAT’s best-selling vehicles were the Arona (106,900 units), Ibiza (95,800), and Leon (87,700).
Seat Global Car Production in 2021
The shortage of semiconductors prevented a full recovery in manufacturing volume after a 2020 marked by the pandemic. Despite this, globally, SEAT S.A. production grew to 423,888 in 2021, a 4.2 percent increase compared to the previous year (406,706).
Production at the Martorell plant, the heart of SEAT S.A.’s headquarters, increased by 9.8 percent in 2021 compared to 2020. 385,200 units of the SEAT Ibiza, SEAT Arona, SEAT Leon, CUPRA Leon, CUPRA Formentor, and Audi A1 were produced. However, this was almost 30 percent below the plant’s capacity.
Despite the semiconductor shortage and the ongoing uncertainty that will be present during the year ahead, SEAT S.A. will consolidate its electrification strategy in 2022. Following the successful launch of its first 100% electric vehicle, CUPRA Born, the brand will expand the range with different battery capacities (45, 58 and 77kWh) as well as the more powerful e-Boost version (170kW).
Global Worldwide Car Sales by Brand in 2021 (Full Year)
Global worldwide sales by brand in 2021:
- Audi
- Bentley
- BMW
- Bugatti
- Caterham
- Cupra
- Daihatsu (see Toyota)
- Ferrari
- Gordon Murray Automotive
- Honda
- Hyundai
- Kia
- Lamborghini
- Lexus (see Toyota)
- Lotus
- Mazda
- Mercedes-Benz
- Mini
- Nissan
- Porsche
- Rolls-Royce
- Seat
- Skoda
- Smart
- Tesla
- Toyota (including Lexus)
- Volkswagen (VW Brand)
- Volkswagen Group
- Volkswagen Group (Battery-Electric Cars)
- Volvo
“Sales” as reported by the various brands generally refer to deliveries and not necessarily sales to the customer or final registration. Terms and definitions may vary.
About SEAT
SEATÂ is the only company that designs, develops, manufactures, and markets cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), sells vehicles under the SEAT and CUPRA brands, while SEAT MĂ“ covers urban mobility products and solutions. SEAT exports more than 80% of its vehicles and is present in 75 countries.
SEAT employs over 15,000 professionals and has three production centers – Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat, and Martorell, where it manufactures the SEAT Ibiza, the SEAT Arona, the CUPRA Formentor, and the Leon family. Additionally, the company produces the Ateca in the Czech Republic, the SEAT Tarraco in Germany, the SEAT Alhambra in Portugal, and the Mii electric, SEAT’s first 100% electric car, in Slovakia. These plants are joined by SEAT:CODE, the software development center located in Barcelona
SEAT will invest 5 billion euros through to 2025 in R&D projects for vehicle development, specifically to electrify the range, and in equipment and facilities. The company aims to make Martorell a zero-carbon footprint plant by 2050.
