For the first time in about 20 years, Volkswagen’s Wolfsburg plant is producing a model of another Group brand: the SEAT Tarraco. The large SUV, which was designed and developed in Barcelona, exploits the synergy effects of the MQB production platform. In Wolfsburg, SEAT´s new flagship SUV will roll off the production line together with the Volkswagen models Tiguan and Touran.
The step towards multi-brand production will boost the capacity deployment of Volkswagen’s main car plant. The production of the Tarraco SUV in Wolfsburg is part of the Pact for the Future concluded by the company and the Works Council at the end of 2016. The pact is a far-reaching timetable for improving the economic viability of the Volkswagen brand and placing the company on a firm footing for the future.
SEAT Vice-President for Research & Development Dr. Matthias Rabe says: “The Tarraco was completely designed and developed in Spain by SEAT. Together with a really enthusiastic team at the Wolfsburg factory the vehicle was then prepared for series production, and this in a very short time. That strengthens the already close ties between SEAT and Volkswagen even more.”
SEAT brand flagship rolls off the production line in Wolfsburg together with Volkswagen models.
SEAT Vice-President for Production and Logistics Dr. Christian Vollmer explained: “The SEAT Tarraco shows the collaboration among the Volkswagen Group brands in order to generate synergies. This new SUV enables us to enter a new segment, gain sales volumes, boost our brand image and increase our capacity to generate margins.”
Volkswagen Board Member for Production Dr. Andreas Tostmann stated: “A competent, globally leading production network across the Group is one of the biggest levers for efficiency enhancement. The SEAT Tarraco is an example of the way more plants within the Group-wide production network will produce vehicles for several Group brands at the same time in the future.”
This is the fifth time that Volkswagen’s main plant in Wolfsburg has produced a model for another Group brand. A SEAT model, the Arosa, already rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg from the end of 1996 until 1998. In addition, the workforce at Wolfsburg produced the Audi 50 from 1974 to 1978, the Audi 80 from 1994 to 1998 and the Audi 100 from 1993 to 1997. The Audi 50 was largely identical to the Polo, which was assembled in Wolfsburg from 1975 and is now produced at the Pamplona plant in Spain. The Audi 50 and the Polo were the first German small cars with transverse engines and front-wheel drive.
With its new flagship, the Tarraco, SEAT is rounding off its SUV family, which also includes the Ateca and Arona.
