SEAT Set To Reveal Large SUV In 2018

Kodiaq-based 4x4 on the way, tentatively called Formentor 

New model will be designed in Barcelona and built in Germany

- Lawrence Allan

SEAT has officially confirmed that its SUV range will expand to include an all-new seven-seat model. To be positioned above the Ateca and upcoming Arona, the Kia Sorento rival could be called Formentor when it arrives in mid-2018.

President and CEO Luca de Meo made the announcement at SEAT’s annual press conference last week, where the brand also confirmed an operating profit of €143m (£124m) for 2016 – the highest in its history and first full year of profitability since 2008.

During the conference, images of the upcoming flagship SUV were displayed, and they indicated that the model will have similar dimensions to Skoda’s seven-seater, the Kodiaq. Also evident from the images is a rear-end design heavily influenced by the Ateca, and a nose with a prominent SEAT badge and large LED headlamps.

Our exclusive images preview what the finished product should look when it lands in showrooms.

In an exclusive interview, de Meo outlined how the SUV will start a “new design cycle” for SEAT, leading up to the release of a “landmark” next-generation Leon by the end of the decade. “We want to be even more emotional and sporty in our design – both with the interior and exterior,” de Meo told Auto Express.