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Seat’s new family car, due for launch at the Paris Show in October, will be a thinly disguised version of the just-superseded Audi A4, company bosses have revealed – and they don’t care who knows it.
These official sketches show how the car, codenamed Bolero but unlikely to use that name in production, will have a fascia from the Audi A4 cabriolet. It will use a selection of the latest Audi-VW engines, but its proportions, greenhouse, chassis, suspension, doors and glass will be recognisably Audi.
“This may not seem a conventional approach to car design,” said Seat design boss Luc Donckerwolke, who has worked at Audi in the past, “but we believe the Seat brand will become established much faster in this highly competitive sector if the first model we offer has a proven record of quality and reliability. With the A4-based model, there will be no room for doubt.”
Seat will start building the car in December in a new production line inside its Barcelona plant, aiming at a March launch and volume of 40,000 cars per year. The company is coy about pricing, but insiders say it will be similarly priced to the Skoda Superb, offering sportiness and performance where the Skoda offers space.
Steve Cropley
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