Auto Express 1467

SEAT hasn’t had the best of times in the past. As well as struggling with a lack of identity within the Volkswagen Group, massive losses led to big question marks over the brand’s future. Chatting to SEAT’s charismatic boss Luca de Meo (above) at the launch of the impressive new Ibiza supermini (see Page 26), he revealed the state of affairs the company was in. “Five years ago we were losing ¤400 million a year,” he told me, before smiling broadly to remind me “and we’ve just announced an operating profit of ¤143 million for 2016”. That’s quite a turnaround. De Meo’s vision for his brand is clear, especially how it sits in the VW Group. He told me: “We have the youngest customer base of any car company –…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE BMW 1 Series has been a huge success since it launched in 2004, but BMW is planning a complete rethink for the third generation of its premium hatchback. It’s due to arrive at the end of next year, before going on sale early in 2019, but while our images reveal that it’ll look similar to the model it replaces, a radical revamp under the skin will see rear-wheel drive ditched in favour of drive to the front axle. The new 1 Series will use the UKL platform that features on the BMW X1 and MINI range. While that will affect the way the 1 Series drives, BMW is confident that more people will benefit from the practicality and efficiency the new platform can offer. A longer wheelbase…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn BMW isn’t the only manufacturer putting the finishing touches to an all-new premium hatchback. We’ll see rivals from Mercedes, Audi and VW in showrooms by the end of 2019, all boasting new tech, efficient powertrains and autonomous driving. The industry’s focus may be on developing an army of SUVs, but hatchbacks such as the 1 Series are often the best sellers in a premium brand’s line-up. These are the incoming models that the BMW will face, and the cars that the manufacturers can’t afford to get wrong. “We’ll see rivals from Mercedes, Audi and VW in showrooms by 2019” VW Golf Mk8 2019 THE Golf Mk8 is the furthest away from showrooms, but it has already been described as ‘the versatile car’ by VW boss Herbert Diess. It…

Graham_Hope@dennis.co.uk “We are conscious of our core values, and value for money will be one of them with this car, too” Bernhard Maier Skoda CEO SKODA has confirmed that its Vision E Shanghai Motor Show concept will preview the first of five allelectric cars from the brand on sale by 2025. And according to boss Bernhard Maier, the production version of the coupécrossover will be in showrooms by 2020. The Vision E will be joined by an array of plug-in hybrid models, with the Superb saloon already slated for 2019. Insiders have confirmed to Auto Express that plug-in versions of the Kodiaq, new Yeti and next Octavia would be feasible, too. The news follows sketches (right) of the Vision E released last week, while a new profile shot of the…

steve_fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler SEAT will launch four all-new cars in the next few years that will include the brand’s first electric models. The Formentor large SUV (previewed in Issue 1,466) is one of the four, while another all-new model will also arrive, likely to be a crossover with a design that will “blur categories”, according to SEAT insiders. Chairman Luca de Meo told Auto Express that he’s already using an electric version of the Mii city car (right), based on the VW e-Up!, for his daily commute from the centre of Barcelona to the company HQ in Martorell, on the outskirts of the city. Although de Meo’s car is purely a development car, an updated e-Mii, based on a new version of the city car due in 2019, is likely to…

NISSAN is well under way with the development of the next Leaf – and our spy photographers caught the electric family hatch sporting a thorough redesign ahead of it being revealed at the end of the year. It’s clear the overall profile of the Leaf will remain similar to the current model, but despite the heavy disguise you can make out its sharper, Micra-inspired front end. Sleeker front headlamps and a more aggressive version of Nissan’s V-motion grille join with an angular rear end to give a more daring design than on the current car. Along with the exterior revamp, Nissan will also significantly increase the Leaf’s electric range, offering larger battery options, which could see range peak at around 300 miles. The Leaf will also be the next model…