Brit Wayne Griffiths was the man tasked in 2019 with the launch of the Volkswagen Group’s new performance brand, Cupra. Last year, Griffiths added to his business card CEO of Seat, a marque whose sales and marketing operations he has overseen since 2016. At the recent Munich motor show, he told Autocar what the future holds for his Spanish brands.
How does Cupra now sit alongside Seat?
“We’re a company with two brands. I joined Seat and tried to make Seat cool and desirable – not just a cheaper VW. We made Seat the youngest brand in Europe with the highest conquest rate, a new Leon that cost €1 billion [to develop], three SUVs, PHEVs: Seat has never been as strong. We made the decision to elevate Cupra, and to do sporty differently and with clear differentiators with a sporty EV brand.”
What’s in Seat’s long-term future?
“Seat will exist in 50 years’ time. We’re making lots of plans with Seat as a mobility company. Seat is in a different part of the market, making attractive cars for younger people. If the market changes – as in car buying moving to sharing rather than owning – we need to offer different mobility solutions. Seat has e-scooters already, and there’s a lot for Seat to develop into for mobility, but with sharing and subscriptions for cars, not just scooters.”
How do you rate Cupra’s UK performance?
“In the UK, we still see it as a big challenge. We had a good start with Cupra Ateca but Cupra Formentor is our game-changer. Then there’s Cupra Born, Tavascan and Urban Rebel – cars to make a breakthrough in the UK. We’ll make it with sporty cars. In the UK, you have to deliver. You can’t just make it with marketing. Formentor is the big one for us. We still have industry disruption in the UK as well [with new electric car brands]. It’s a great opportunity for new brands to emerge, not just with new technology but for people looking for something new.”
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Corporate insiders, especially heads, do not provide accurate and truthful information, as that might mean having to say something negative. They put out shallow PR messages, which may or may not be truthful, depending on requirement. That's the value of this interview.
....nothing new here viz 'Agency business model'
Nearly all the Manufacturers are either looking at this route to market, or already have plans in place. There has been much media coverage of this within the Auto Industry.
Here the customer could order the car direct from the manufacturer, but probably delivered by the dealer who would recieve a commission for his part.
Dealers make very little from the sale of new cars anyway....the profit is in used cars and after-sales.
Like Scotty5 i too am suspicious of a car maker who wants to sell a car direct. Will it be sold at all, or just rented? Perhaps OK for the CoCar market, but does it really suit private buyers?