Misplaced Pages

#376623

154-647: The following vehicles are related to the Volkswagen Caddy and are also manufactured by the Volkswagen Group . Released in 1979, the first Volkswagen Caddy is a coupe utility and van based on the Volkswagen Group A1 platform , shared with the small family car Volkswagen Golf Mk1 . Volkswagen Typ is: The Caddy came to fruition when Volkswagen of America was experimenting with Golf derivatives, developing an estate and

308-650: A Giugiaro -styled hatchback, which made use of System Porsche engines and also featured underpinnings from the Fiat Ritmo/Strada , in 1984. It also formed the basis of the Málaga , a four-door family saloon. SEAT began expanding into markets beyond Spain's borders, including the United Kingdom, where it began selling cars in the autumn of 1985. On June 18, 1986, after purchasing the 51% majority stake of SEAT and its share increased to 75% on December 23 of

462-791: A pickup truck with a 1.83 m-long (6.0 ft) bed. VW of America's engineering team was led by Duane Miller, who acknowledged the initial design was completed in partnership with Sheller Globe. Volkswagen of America was interested in the pickup, and Volkswagen released the Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup in North America, produced at the Volkswagen Westmoreland Assembly Plant in Pennsylvania from 1978 to 1984. Trim levels such as LX and Sportruck were available. In North America,

616-431: A $ 2.8 billion criminal fine for rigging diesel-powered vehicles to cheat on government emissions tests". The "unprecedented" plea deal formalized a punishment that Volkswagen AG agreed to earlier in 2017. In addition, the plea deal includes a $ 1.5 billion settlement for various environmental, customs and financial violations. Overall, Volkswagen will pay more than $ 30 billion in penalties and lawsuit settlements related to

770-586: A 51% controlling stake in SEAT, making it the first non-German subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. On 23 December the same year, it became the Spanish company's major shareholder by increasing its share up to 75%. In 1990—after purchasing its entire equity—Volkswagen AG took over the full ownership of SEAT, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary, and on 28 March 1991, another step to the expansion of

924-527: A 90.1% stake in the Italian automotive design house Italdesign Giugiaro . In less than three months, the transaction had been completed making the Italian firm a member of the Volkswagen Group. Since 2013 the Volkswagen Group has held a 89.7% stake in Traton . In 2015 research showed a security flaw in the keyless ignition of Volkswagen and other carmakers' vehicles. Volkswagen spent two years trying to keep

1078-588: A Panel Van, a Window Panel Van, Kombi (spartan passenger version), Caddy Life (family version), and a Camping version called the Caddy Tramper or Caddy Life Camper. A Caddy Life or Kombi seats up to five in two rows while a Caddy Life Maxi or Kombi Maxi seats up to seven in three rows. The Life version has interior trimmings like that of a conventional five seater wagon while the Kombi is a naked panel van with windows and seats. The difference in road noise between

1232-535: A SEAT model being sold as a Volkswagen in Canada and the United States to supplement Volkswagen's brand lineup there have occasionally circulated, but have always been unsubstantiated, and ultimately proven to be false. In the past, other market areas where the brand was also present for a short time were Australia and New Zealand (from 1995 to 1999) and South Africa (from June 2006 to the end of 2008). Still,

1386-478: A Special Edition Caddy Life Colour Concept with two distinctive colours, Red Spice and Ravenna Blue, was released with upholstery fabrics, floor mats and a variety of other elements on the dash panel in the same colour as the exterior body, and a leather trimmed steering wheel, gear and handbrake lever. Debuting at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show , Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles presented the Caddy Maxi Life

1540-463: A changing market: Driver airbag was standard and a passenger airbag was optional, ABS and what Volkswagen called an Electronic Differential Lock (EDL) was also available. In spite of the name, EDL is not a true differential lock : sensors monitor wheel speeds, and if one is rotating substantially faster than the other (i.e., slipping), the EDL system momentarily brakes it. This effectively transfers all

1694-520: A completely uneconomic enterprise." In 1948, the Ford Motor Company of USA was offered Volkswagen, but Ernest Breech , a Ford executive vice president, said he did not think either the plant or the car was "worth a damn." Breech later said that he would have considered merging Ford of Germany and Volkswagen, but after the war, ownership of the company was in such dispute that nobody could possibly hope to be able to take it over. As part of

SECTION 10

#1732780282377

1848-761: A controlling 51% to 32%. The six major Spanish banks took the remaining 32%, which decreased from their previous 42% share split equally into 7% parts owned by every single one. Although not a majority owner, Fiat now was seen to control the business: the deal also included various undertakings by Fiat to help in the growth of SEAT, and with the development of a new model (possibly the SEAT 133 ). On December 6, 1967, SEAT also founded its own customer financing company 'Financiera SEAT, S.A.' (Fiseat). To produce its own research projects independently, on November 16, 1970, SEAT came in accordance with Fiat to start building separate infrastructures aimed at developing new technologies. In 1972,

2002-578: A corporate "Strategy 2025" that focuses on electrification of its portfolio. The VW Group developed the Volkswagen Group MEB platform chassis that will be utilized in a range of various cars and light utility vehicles across several VW Group marques due to its flexibility and floor-mounted battery. As of May 2018, the VW Group has committed $ 48 billion in car battery supplies and plans to outfit 16 factories to build electric cars by

2156-442: A deal over the renegotiation of its license contract with Fiat that allowed the Spanish firm to form an international distribution network for its cars and thereafter start its export operations to more than 12 countries, entering the export market in 1969. Until the early 1980s, however, most SEAT exports were sold with Fiat badging. As a response to SEAT's bid for independence, Fiat committed themselves to sell 200,000 SEAT-built cars

2310-634: A drop in Chinese sales. On 18 September 2015, the US EPA announced that Volkswagen had installed a "defeat device" software code in the diesel models sold in the US from 2009 to 2015. The code was intended to detect when an emissions test was being conducted, and altered emissions controls for better compliance. Off the test stand, the controls were relaxed, and emissions jumped 35 to 40 times regulatory levels according to investigators at West Virginia University and

2464-504: A fire extinguisher under the passenger's seat, a sport leather steering wheel and gear knob. The vehicle has MSRP of 250,000 Swedish krona (US$ 34,200 or €22,000). At the 2008 IAA (Hannover Motor Show), Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles revealed the all wheel drive Caddy 4Motion range teamed with the 1.9 TDI engine and manual transmission. Early in 2010, the Caddy Maxi range will receive the 4Motion drivetrain. Since its introduction in

2618-410: A limited automobile market. In this period, car production was limited, with only a few low-volume local manufacturers catering mainly to the luxury end of the market, of which Hispano-Suiza was the most successful. Spain's limited market for mass-produced vehicles was taken over by foreign companies operating through subsidiaries that either imported cars or assembled cars from imported parts, depriving

2772-574: A lower car tax rate. In 1977, SEAT's leasing company Liseat was founded. In 1979, the Gearbox del Prat facility was set up as a specialised plant for producing gearboxes, gear mechanisms, and differentials in El Prat del Llobregat near Barcelona. In the early 1980s, extensive discussions concerning funding and control took place between SEAT's major shareholder, the Spanish government, and Fiat Automobiles; SEAT needed major capital investment, which Fiat

2926-709: A new main assembly facility next to the technical centre in Martorell, replacing the old one in Zona Franca. In that same year, the translocation of SEAT's Madrid administration offices to Barcelona began with the sale of two of the brand's assets in La Castellana to be completed in 1991 with the definitive installation of SEAT's headquarters in the Catalonia region. The centralisation of the management, design, research and production facilities localized around

3080-616: A profit warning, saying it had set aside $ 7 billion to fix the fraud. On 23 September 2015, Martin Winterkorn announced his resignation from the CEO position after a crisis meeting of the company board. On 25 September 2015 Matthias Müller was named CEO. Müller was the head of the Porsche marque within the VW corporate umbrella. On 21 April 2017, a U.S. federal judge ordered Volkswagen "to pay

3234-481: A seven-seat passenger oriented People Mover, debuted at the 2004 Geneva Motor Show . It comes with twin sliding doors and a 608 kg (1,340 lb) payload. Caddy Life has a flexible seating system. The two rear bench seat rows can be taken out of the vehicle altogether to give the vehicle 2850 litres of cargo room; in addition, the Caddy Life has a 1,500 kg (3,307 lb) towing capacity. In 2005,

SECTION 20

#1732780282377

3388-581: A strong partner for SEAT. Hahn's interest soon resulted in industrial and commercial cooperation, as well as a license agreement with SEAT on September 30, 1982, for the production in Spain of the Volkswagen Passat - Santana and Polo-Derby models in SEAT's Zona Franca and Landaben factories, respectively – having thus as an effect on April 29, 1983, the ending of the SEAT Panda 's production at

3542-522: A table, a fold out awning that is packaged within the rear tailgate, a bed that is made by folding down the seats measures 1.10 m x 2.0 m, also curtains are standard for privacy, options include a seven-litre cool box. The Caddy Carrera Cup Edition is a limited (250 units) version for the Swedish market. It is based on the 2.0L TDi model with black 17 inch wheels with 225/45R17 tires, a new body kit, white body with red trim, black and red leather sport seats,

3696-695: A technology cooperation and joint development agreement on platform and software. Rooted in Europe, the Volkswagen Group operates in 153 countries. Volkswagen Passenger Cars is the Group's original marque, and the other major subsidiaries include passenger car marques such as Audi , Bentley , Lamborghini , Porsche , SEAT , and Škoda . Volkswagen AG also has operations in commercial vehicles , owning Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles , along with controlling stakes in truck, bus and diesel engine manufacturers Scania AB and MAN SE . The Volkswagen Group comprises

3850-530: A three-door city hatchback, was launched in 1997, effectively replacing the Marbella, SEAT's version of the Fiat Panda , which had been in production since the early 1980s. On April 7, 1998, the Zona Franca plant marked the end of the production lifecycle of the Marbella model, signalling a historical moment for SEAT with the end of vehicle production in SEAT's oldest factory, which opened in 1953; ever since

4004-489: A wholly localized production. In that year, an agreement between Fiat and the Spanish Ministry of Industry was reached to end the restrictions over exporting SEAT cars from Spain, a term of the original licensee contract agreed with Fiat in 1948. In exchange for that, Fiat would increase its holding in the company from 7% to 36%. At the same time, the share held by the government holding agency would be reduced from

4158-538: A year from 1981, compared to 120,000 the year before. At the end of 1983, just after SEAT had won its legal battle with Fiat, a quarter of the production went to Egypt and Latin America. In Europe, they were represented in West Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Austria, and Greece. The UK, Ireland, and various Scandinavian markets were planned to be added in 1984. This was despite the company only being able to export

4312-510: Is SEAT's thematic pavilion, one of the largest pavilions in the park. In its more-than-70 year history, it was only during the period from 1953 to 1965 that the firm produced cars exclusively for the domestic Spanish market. In 1965, in a rather symbolic move, the company exported some 150 units of its SEAT 600 model (licensed version of the Fiat 600) destined for Colombia by air freight for the first time, until two years later, in 1967, SEAT reached

4466-576: Is a leisure activity vehicle with Volkswagen Golf Mk5 front suspension. It resembles the compact MPV Touran, and is assembled at the Poznań factory in Poland. In May 2007, British Gas signed a landmark deal which saw 1,000 vans being supplied to the firm, which were fitted with a bespoke racking system and a speed limiter, designed by Siemens . The deal was renewed in September 2015. The Caddy Life,

4620-451: Is also a five-seat model prepared for camping, with a slide-out kitchenette in lieu of the third seating row of the MPV (Caddy California). All versions are available with regular or extended wheelbase (Maxi). The Caddy Cargo Typ SB is now able to accommodate a EUR-pallet ; the opening at the rear hatch was widened to 1,234 mm (48.6 in) and the interior width between the wheel arches

4774-779: Is divided into two primary divisions : the Automotive Division and the Financial Services Division. As of 2008, it had about 342 subsidiary companies. Volkswagen also has three joint ventures in China, FAW-Volkswagen , SAIC Volkswagen and Volkswagen Anhui . The company has operations in roughly 150 countries, and it has 100 production facilities across 27 countries. Volkswagen was founded in Berlin in 1937 and incorporated in Wolfsburg to manufacture

Volkswagen Caddy - Misplaced Pages Continue

4928-545: Is driven by an electric traction motor that develops 82 kW (110 hp) and 200 N⋅m (148 lbf⋅ft) of torque. Driving range is 220 km (137 mi) ( NEDC ), drawing from a lithium-ion battery with 37.3 kW-hr of capacity. The fourth-generation Caddy was unveiled in February 2020. For the first time, it is based on the Volkswagen MQB platform. The switch to MQB has enabled VW to offer new tech to

5082-531: Is reflected in the announcement in August 1976 that SEAT would commence local production of the Lancia Beta . Three years later, Beta production by SEAT indeed commenced at the company's recently acquired Pamplona plant, though only the coupe and HPE lift-back versions were included. The Spanish cars were fitted with a simplified suspension system and smaller engines than their Italian counterparts to qualify for

5236-695: The Audi A1 , the Audi A3 Sportback, the Audi Q5 , etc.) and also several Audi development projects took place there. This plant is an industry benchmark, as it features elements such as the virtual simulation of the PXL press, 3D printing in the maintenance workshop, the automatic shifting between sealing tips of the robots in the body shop, and the automation of the logistics flow through automated guided vehicles. The Barcelona Zona Franca site includes

5390-732: The Audi Brand Group focused on more sporty values – consisted of Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini – and the Volkswagen Brand Group on the field of classic values – consisted of Volkswagen, Skoda, Bentley and Bugatti  – with each Brand Group's product vehicles and performance being respectively under the higher responsibility of Audi and Volkswagen brands. Volkswagen Group revealed on 24 October 2009 that it had made an offer to acquire long-time partner and German niche automotive manufacturer Wilhelm Karmann GmbH out of bankruptcy protection. In November 2009,

5544-515: The Biscúter , which seemed to suit better the unwealthy customers looking for a personal means of transport in a suffering economy. Until the time SEAT had the technical maturity and expertise to present its first self-developed model, the SEAT 1200 Sport in 1975, in its beginnings, the company had to manufacture either rebadged or restyled models borrowed from the range of its Italian partner Fiat Automobiles or even redeveloped them according to

5698-866: The Cross Caddy model with a series of crossover-inspired aesthetic changes. In 2015, the Caddy Alltrack , the successor to the CrossCaddy, debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show . Volkswagen Group tuner Abt Sportsline unveiled a battery-electric conversion of the Caddy ( Typ  2K) at the IAA 2018 Commercial Vehicle show in Hanover ; the ABT e-Caddy is based on the long-wheelbase Caddy Maxi, and

5852-547: The European Economic Community since 1977. The end of the cooperation with the Italian firm was marked by a change in SEAT's logo in 1982, and the first car under the new SEAT logo without Fiat's involvement appeared in the same year, the SEAT Ronda , styled by Rayton Fissore in collaboration with the technical centre in Martorell. The launch of this model sparked a lawsuit from Fiat against SEAT, as

6006-594: The Ford Courier , Datsun Truck , Toyota Hilux , Dodge Rampage and Subaru BRAT . The Caddy nameplate was never used in North America. Its first use was in 1982, when the vehicle was released in Europe. European Caddys were built in Volkswagen's plant TAS in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (at the time SFR Yugoslavia), between 1982 and 1992. A fiberglass-reinforced plastic box cap was available to cover

6160-671: The Industrial plans for Germany , large parts of German industry, including Volkswagen, were to be dismantled. Total German car production was set at a maximum of 10% of the 1936 car production numbers. The company survived by producing cars for the British Army, and in 1948 the British Government handed the company back over to the German state, and it was managed by former Opel chief Heinrich Nordhoff . Production of

6314-777: The Marbella in its range, but this model never made it through to production. The first time a SEAT model was manufactured out of Spain was in 1996, with the production of the SEAT Alhambra Mk1 in the Palmela AutoEuropa plant in Portugal . Also, in January 1997, a non-Spanish descendant, the Belgian Pierre-Alain de Smedt, was appointed SEAT's chairman for the first time. The SEAT Arosa ,

Volkswagen Caddy - Misplaced Pages Continue

6468-890: The National Socialist Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Labour Front) and incorporated in the Stadt des KdF-Wagens bei Fallersleben, ( " City of the Strength Through Joy car at Fallersleben ) on 28 May 1937. The purpose of the company was to manufacture the Volkswagen car, originally referred to as the Porsche Type 60, then the Volkswagen Type 1, and commonly called the Volkswagen Beetle . This vehicle

6622-451: The OTC Marketplace . Volkswagen delisted from the London Stock Exchange in 2013. The government of Lower Saxony holds 12.7% of the company's shares, granting it, by law, 20% of the voting rights. Volkswagen (meaning 'People's car' in German) was founded in Berlin as the Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH ('Limited Liability Company for the preparation of the German People's Car', abbreviated to Gezuvor ) by

6776-418: The Ronda , with the Fura to follow. The exponential growth in exports in the '70s happened under the leadership of Juan Sánchez Cortés and the export director José María García-Courel. To date, the company has launched its models in more than 70 countries worldwide in accordance with the development policies of the Volkswagen Group, with almost three-quarters of its annual production representing exports for

6930-409: The SEAT Ibiza 6K , on the Volkswagen Group A03 platform . The area of the cargo floor is 2.6 m (28 sq ft), while the loading volume is 2.9 m (102 cu ft). Typical payload is 550 kg (1,210 lb), depending on drivetrain and market specifics, and the two rear cargo doors are of a 60/40 split design. Safety features were improved from the previous generation, reflecting

7084-433: The Touran Mk2 which is similar to the Volkswagen Golf Mk6 . In 2015, it underwent a second facelift consisting of a new front fascia, roof spoiler and a new interior to keep it competitive alongside its more modern rivals. Referred to as Caddy 2K SA (or Mk4/MkIV). It is not based on the new Volkswagen Group MQB platform , but it may be differentiated when compared to the new Touran front end. In 2012, Volkswagen launched

7238-416: The Typ  SB was led by Albert Kirzinger. Overall length and width have increased by 92 and 62 mm (3.6 and 2.4 in), respectively, while height has decreased by 5 mm (0.20 in) compared to the Typ  2K. The Caddy is available in a light commercial vehicle (LCV) variant with two seats (Caddy Cargo) or a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) with five or seven seats (Caddy/Caddy Life). There

7392-515: The Volkswagen Group , is a German public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, engines and turbomachinery. Headquartered in Wolfsburg , Lower Saxony , Germany, and since the late 2000s is a publicly-traded family business owned by Porsche SE , which in turn is half-owned but fully controlled by the Austrian-German Porsche and Piëch family . The company also offers related services, including financing, leasing, and fleet management. In 2016, it

7546-469: The Volkswagen Type 3 in 1961, the Volkswagen Type 4 in 1968, and the Volkswagen Type 181 in 1969. In 1960, upon the flotation of part of the German federal government 's stake in the company on the German stock market, its name became Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft (usually abbreviated to Volkswagenwerk AG ). On 1 January 1965, Volkswagenwerk acquired Auto Union GmbH from its parent company Daimler-Benz . The new subsidiary went on to produce

7700-406: The 'Sociedad Ibérica de Automóviles de Turismo' (S.I.A.T.) to establish Spain's own mass production car maker. The initial Banco Urquijo's project aimed at running the S.I.A.T. motor company as a fully private enterprise, but soon after 1941, the interventionist state holding company Instituto Nacional de Industria followed a decision taken by the Franco government on January 3, 1942. The goal for

7854-516: The 19th century; it was also the host location of many early historical Spanish carmakers, such as Hispano-Suiza and Elizalde , and subsidiaries of foreign carmakers, such as Ford Motor Ibérica and General Motors Peninsular. Being an enterprise of vital interest for the national economy and an investment opportunity for Fiat's expansion plans through the Iberian peninsula, SEAT benefitted from state tariff and tax exemptions and technical assistance from its foreign partner Fiat. The company's first president

SECTION 50

#1732780282377

8008-437: The Americas, including North America, the Caribbean , Central America, and South America, and finally Africa, mainly in North Africa. Some of its cars have been sold outside Europe, branded as Volkswagens, such as the SEAT Ibiza hatchback, known in South Africa as the Volkswagen Polo Playa , the SEAT Inca panel van as the Volkswagen Caddy , or the SEAT Córdoba , also known as the Volkswagen Polo Classic . As of 2012, SEAT

8162-426: The Australian market in 2003, the Caddy range has taken the market lead for small vans, with a 42% share in 2007. Even with the more premium pricing over its competition, buyers are still willing to pay more for the TDI and DSG transmission options. Towards the end of 2010, the Caddy underwent a facelift to match the new design language of Volkswagen vehicles. Changes included a front with new headlights and grille from

8316-463: The Caddy lineup, including Travel Assist, the new oncoming vehicle braking when turning function, connected infotainment systems and digitalized controls. VW is offering the estate and MPV in Kombi, Caddy, Life, Move, and Style trim levels, while the delivery van will be offered in multiple trim levels; for each variant, "Maxi" is appended to the name to designate the long-wheelbase variant. It went on sale in November 2020. The design team responsible for

8470-441: The California Air Resources Board. About 482,000 vehicles are under the recall order, a potential $ 18 billion ($ 37,500 per violation) in fines are pending, and news accounts speculate a criminal indictment for the deception is certain. The VW Group CEO, Martin Winterkorn , said he was "deeply sorry" and ordered an external investigation. The software code was only revealed when the EPA refused to certify VW's 2016 models for sale in

8624-436: The Catalunya Motor dealership, and the Genuine Parts Centre for SEAT, Volkswagen, Audi, and Škoda brands. The factory in Martorell can sometimes assist the former SEAT plant in Pamplona, which is now owned by Volkswagen-Audi-Espana, S.A. The models produced at Martorell includes: Arona , Formentor, Ibiza , Leon , Leon Sportstourer and Audi A1 . SEAT's factory in Barcelona's Zona Franca started its activities in 1953 and

8778-490: The Derby Van or Pointer Van, depending on the market) received a facelift which was never sold in Europe, with a front treatment similar to that of the Polo Classic (6K; 1999 facelift). Released in 1996 to complement the Typ 9K Caddy range, the rebadged Škoda Felicia Utility was the entry level light commercial vehicle for the VWCV range. The Typ 9U Caddy was built in Škoda Auto 's Kvasiny, Czech Republic, plant. The third generation of Volkswagen Caddy debuted at

8932-621: The Ford-Volkswagen partnership. Prior Ford MPVs in this size class have been based on the Ford Transit Connect . The Tourneo Connect shares the Volkswagen Caddy's engine lineup, with the EA288-evo rebranded to EcoBlue and the EA211-evo rebranded to EcoBoost. The first deliveries started in the spring of 2022. The Active trim level features a crossover-inspired look with plastic cladding, aluminum-style skid plates and unique 17-inch wheels. Concepts and future models: Microbus Concept Volkswagen Group Volkswagen AG ( German: [ˈfɔlksˌvaːɡn̩] ), known internationally as

9086-429: The French company Simca proved Fiat's ability to manage complex international projects. Fiat's experience in the semiprotected car market in Italy was seen as the most easily transferable to the one in Spain, both of which had, at the time, customers of low incomes and limited markets for cars, as well as similar road conditions. In Italy, Fiat dominated the market for vehicles under 12 horsepower, which would initially be

9240-430: The Ibiza and Arona are based, is carried out in these facilities, as well as most of the stamped parts for all other SEAT models. The development and assembly facilities are some of the newest within the Volkswagen Group, with the ability to produce cars not only for its own brand but also for other Volkswagen Group brands, such as Volkswagen and Audi . For example, the development and design of several Audi models (e.g.

9394-435: The Italian car manufacturer Fiat to form a partnership with a foreign ally to bring to life Spain's major car manufacturer. The favoured bidders were Germany's Volkswagen and Italy's Fiat. Fiat's bid won for several reasons, including Fiat's prominence in Spain and the fact that the company established the short-lived 'Fiat Hispania' plant in Guadalajara , which was destroyed in the Spanish Civil War. Fiat's collaboration with

SECTION 60

#1732780282377

9548-406: The Landaben assembly lines due to the need of adapting this plant to the production of the VW Polo – and eventually a partnership agreement was signed on June 16, 1983, between the two parties being represented by the president of SEAT Juan Miguel Antoñanzas and Carl Hahn on behalf of the Volkswagenwerk AG. SEAT also gained the rights to distribute Volkswagens in Spain. SEAT launched its new Ibiza,

9702-403: The Landaben plant would also give up SEAT's plans to build a new facility in Saragossa . Although the Authi supplier factory in Manresa was transferred to a company called Cometsa for 150 million pesetas, the Landaben plant in Pamplona remained under SEAT's ownership to continue production in February 1976 only of SEAT cars this time. The 1970s were a decade of rising prosperity in Spain, which

9856-442: The Martorell plant lines were the SEAT Ibiza Mk2 and its saloon version, the SEAT Córdoba Mk1 . The new Ibiza was a huge success for SEAT, greatly expanding its market share, particularly in export markets. The original planning in October 1993 to close the emblematic Zona Franca assembly plant as soon as the production of vehicles could be transferred to the more efficient Martorell plant was overturned after an arrangement between

10010-429: The Rabbit Pickup was equipped with one of two engines: originally a 1.6-liter gasoline engine, joined by a 1.5-liter diesel for 1980. These were soon replaced by a 1.6 diesel with 52 hp (39 kW) or a 1.7 gasoline engine with 78 hp (58 kW). One unique feature of the diesel was that it came with a five-speed gearbox, with the fifth gear, carrying a 0.76:1 ratio, labeled as E for "Economy". Fuel consumption

10164-464: The Ronda as a rebadged Ritmo, ending the dispute in favour of SEAT. Rumour at the time had it that Fiat was angry because the Ronda restyling was, in fact, too close to their own planned restyling for the Fiat Ritmo, which they had to scrap. In 1982, Dr. Carl Horst Hahn , who had just assumed responsibility as the chairman of the Volkswagenwerk AG (Volkswagen Group), examined the opportunity of approaching SEAT after Fiat's withdrawal in his plan to expand

10318-446: The SEAT Training Centre, the Zona Franca Press Shop factory, producing stamped body parts, and the Barcelona Gearbox del Prat plant, producing gearboxes not only for SEAT but also for other Volkswagen Group marques ( Volkswagen , Audi , and Škoda ); the latter plant was awarded the Volkswagen Excellence Award in 2009 by the Volkswagen Group for high-quality production process and product. Another plant owned directly by SEAT from 1975

10472-590: The Spanish authorities and the Volkswagen Group, according to which the Zona Franca site would continue its operations, but would be gradually turned into a site with an auxiliary role in the production process (foundry, press shop, etc.). Meanwhile, on December 23, 1993, the 'Fábrica Navarra de Automóviles, S.A. was founded as a new company to hold the management of the Landaben factory, separating any ties to SEAT in production matters, with its shares being transferred to Volkswagen in June 1994 over which, however, SEAT would regain ownership four years later in 1998. In 1994,

10626-414: The Spanish production total – in 1971, despite the disruption that year caused by strikes and a serious flood at the coastally sited Barcelona plant. However, with just 81 cars per 1000 people, Spanish car sales were seen as ripe for further growth, and SEAT faced the prospect of increased competition with other major manufacturers contemplating the establishment or expansion of local production facilities in

10780-426: The Type 60 Volkswagen (re-designated Type 1 ) started slowly after the war due to the need to rebuild the plant and because of the lack of raw materials, but production grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. The company began introducing new models based on the Type 1, all with the same basic air-cooled, rear-engine, rear-drive platform. These included the Volkswagen Type 2 in 1950, the Volkswagen Karmann Ghia in 1955,

10934-552: The US unless the corporation provided full disclosure. On Sunday, 20 September 2015, VW Group announced it was halting the sale of its four-cylinder diesel models in the US. The US EPA press release on its Notice of Violation, and the California Air Resources Board letter dated 18 September 2015 contain significant chronological detail of the agencies interaction with VW on the issue. On 22 September 2015, VW AG admitted that 11 million cars worldwide had been fitted with software intended to deceive emissions testing . The company issued

11088-412: The VW group's total output in 1989, as well as an opportunity to enter the relatively unexploited (at that time) Spanish market under the SEAT, VW, and Audi names. The gathering of the brand's main infrastructures in the greater Martorell plant area has taken place in a long process beginning back in 1975 with the opening of the SEAT technical centre, but only in 1989 was a decision made to start building

11242-411: The Volkswagen Group are (as at the financial year ending March 3): SEAT SEAT S.A. ( English: / ˈ s eɪ ɑː t / ; Spanish: [ˈseat] ; from Spanish Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo , lit.   ' Spanish Passenger Car Company ' ) is a Spanish car manufacturer that sells its vehicles under the SEAT and Cupra brands. Founded on May 9, 1950, it

11396-1105: The Volkswagen Group currently producing SEAT models also include the Bratislava site in Slovakia, the Volkswagen Zwickau-Mosel Plant in Zwickau, Germany (where the Cupra Born EV model is produced alongside the Volkswagen ID.3 Electric vehicle); the AutoEuropa factory in Palmela , Portugal, and Wolfsburg in Germany. Since 2016, SEAT also holds a museum in the Zona Franca's 'Nave A122' site, which hosts all production and prototype models ever presented by SEAT together with some special or limited edition vehicles with historical value for

11550-525: The Volkswagen Group's operations out of Germany and turning the German group into a global force. It also followed the precedent set by other global manufacturers (such as Ford in Valencia and General Motors in Zaragoza ) in setting up manufacturing operations in Spain. However, the Spanish authorities had already started talks with other foreign firms, such as Toyota , Nissan and Mitsubishi to choose

11704-401: The Volkswagen portfolio in 1998: Bentley , Lamborghini , and Bugatti . On 30 May 2000, after having gradually raised its equity share, Volkswagen AG took over the full ownership of Škoda Auto, making the company a wholly owned subsidiary. From 2002 up to 2007, the Volkswagen Group's automotive division was restructured so that two major Brand Groups with different profile would be formed,

11858-566: The Volkswagen. Only a small number of Type 60 Volkswagens were made during this time. The Fallersleben plant also manufactured the V-1 flying bomb , making the plant a major bombing target for the Allied forces. Slave labour was utilised in the Volkswagen plant, e.g. from Arbeitsdorf concentration camp. The company would admit in 1998 that it used 15,000 slaves during the war effort. German historians estimated that 80% of Volkswagen's wartime workforce

12012-495: The Zona Franca plant has produced components and parts to be assembled in other locations. It also signalled the demise of SEAT's last Fiat-based model. In March 1999, at the Geneva Motor Show, SEAT presented a modern, stylised logo, more rounded than the last one and using the silver colour on a red background, instead of the previous blue, symbolising respectively the rational and the emotional. This came shortly after

12166-617: The bankrupt Authi to take over the brand's operations in Spain, leaving aside GM 's interest in it, which would otherwise open the path for the American automaker to enter the Spanish market, thus jeopardizing the relationship with Fiat. The talks ended in July 1975, when an agreement was announced between the two parties under which SEAT would acquire from BLMC the Authi brand along with its assets for 1,250 million pesetas. The imposed acquisition of

12320-417: The bomb-shattered factory for use in repairing British Army vehicles, pending the expected disposal of the plant tooling and equipment as war reparations . However, no British car manufacturer was interested. A British report on the car said that "the vehicle does not meet the fundamental technical requirement of a motor-car … it is quite unattractive to the average buyer … To build the car commercially would be

12474-699: The brand and the automotive history of Spain. Among SEAT's subsidiaries, the SEAT Deutschland GmbH subsidiary company is based in Mörfelden-Walldorf , Germany, and apart from its commercial activities, has the further responsibility of operating SEAT's electronic platform, the SEAT IT Services Network. In Wolfsburg, Germany, in the middle of a lake inside the Autostadt , the Volkswagen Group's corporate theme park,

12628-515: The brand arranged some provisional facilities for the site of the future technical centre in Martorell, and in 1973, it began construction work; this goal would come only until 1975 to be reached with the completion of the first phase in the construction of a facility designed by the Catalan architect Josep Antoni Coderch . During the same period, the manufacturer continued to dominate the Spanish auto market, producing 282,698 cars – more than 58% of

12782-693: The brand opened its new headquarters in Madrid , which hosted the firm's sole – up to 1972 – general administration offices. SEAT's plant manager was only in Barcelona until 1973 when SEAT settled another general director in Catalonia. In 1967, 14 years after producing cars for the domestic market, SEAT's success was signalled by its dominant position in Spain, ahead of its major competitors, i.e. ' FASA-Renault ', 'Citroën-Hispania', Authi , and Barreiros , making SEAT Spain's largest automaker in sales numbers and

12936-616: The brand was withdrawn from those markets due to Volkswagen's decision citing that current and expected circumstances made the ongoing importation of a niche brand unviable. SEAT sold cars in the Russian Federation from 2007 to 2015. SEAT was reintroduced to the New Zealand market in 2017. SEAT re-entered the Australian market in 2022, selling vehicles under their performance marque Cupra . SEAT plans to re-launch in

13090-535: The car that would become known as the Beetle . The company's production grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1965, it acquired Auto Union , which subsequently produced the first postwar Audi models. Volkswagen launched a new generation of front-wheel drive vehicles in the 1970s, including the Passat , Polo and Golf ; the latter became its bestseller. Volkswagen acquired a controlling stake in SEAT in 1986, making it

13244-526: The company are located in Martorell, an industrial town approximately 30 km northwest of Barcelona, with an annual production capacity of around 500,000 units. On 22 February 1993, King Juan Carlos of Spain inaugurated this plant, which became the main plant of SEAT and was accompanied by its assembly plant at the coast in Barcelona's free port zone ( Zona Franca ). There is a rail link connecting SEAT's Martorell and Zona Franca facilities, which facilitates

13398-452: The company’s industrial complex. Over 468,000 units were produced in 2020 with more than 427,000 cars exported to over 75 countries worldwide. Spain is the world's eighth-largest manufacturer of automobiles. Its car market stands among the largest in Europe. This, however, has not always been the case; in the first half of the 20th century, Spain's economy was relatively underdeveloped compared to most other Western European countries and had

13552-516: The country of the technological know-how and large investments needed for mass production. The situation greatly deteriorated with the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. Car demand collapsed not only due to the greatly reduced purchasing power of Spaniards caused by war devastation but also because the multinational subsidiaries either ceased operations or were severely stricken by the war and its aftermath. The lack of interest shown by

13706-556: The course of action. With the rest of Europe having entered World War II , and Spain itself in ruins from its civil war, the project was delayed but not abandoned due to its strategic importance. SEAT under its current name was founded on May 9, 1950, under the denomination 'Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, S.A.' (S.E.A.T.) by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI) with a starting capital of 600 million pesetas – equivalent today of almost 3.6 million euros – in

13860-490: The design centre in Sitges – the Spanish coastal town south of Barcelona – and the suppliers' park in Zona Franca were also inaugurated, and in the winter of the same year, SEAT's financing and leasing companies – Fiseat and Liseat – were sold to Volkswagen Financial Services AG. In 1994, SEAT, in collaboration with Suzuki , manufactured a five-door prototype model of a city car , internally named Rosé, aiming to replace with it

14014-710: The end of 2003, at the RAI Commercial Vehicle Show in Amsterdam, with production commencing in May 2004. The Typ 2K shares 50% of its modules with the Volkswagen Golf Mk5 and Volkswagen Touran . The new model Caddy has a more aerodynamic design, the angle of the windscreen and A pillar is more horizontal, making the dashboard bigger and the bonnet (hood) smaller. There are two body sizes: "normal" and Maxi. These can both be configured as

14168-688: The end of 2022. According to VW Group CEO Dr. Herbert Diess , the company will offer 25 electric models and 20 plug-in hybrids by 2020. Volkswagen Group came under pressure for cooperating with the Chinese government in the region of Xinjiang . In that same region, western-funded NGOs accused the Chinese government of having committed human rights abuses against the Uyghur minority group, which included mass surveillance , incarceration, and forced labor. After these accusations emerged, Volkswagen responded, "We do not assume any of our employees are forced laborers." Süddeutsche Zeitung claimed that Volkswagen

14322-642: The feedback and the relationship of the brand with the customers and its worldwide network. In January 2007, the operation of the SEAT Prototypes Centre of Development located in the heart of the Martorell industrial complex began, a facility inaugurated on July 16 of the same year, bringing together activities related to the virtual and physical preproduction processes of new models (prototyping, modelling, pilot product development, and series analysis), thus shortening development times for prototypes and preproduction vehicles, as well as saving costs with

14476-469: The first non-German marque of the company, and acquired control of Škoda in 1994, of Bentley, Lamborghini, and Bugatti in 1998, Scania in 2008 and of Ducati, MAN, and Porsche in 2012. The company's operations in China have grown rapidly in the past decade, with the country becoming its largest market. In 2015, Volkswagen was discovered to have used defeat devices to deceive environmental regulators about how much NO x its cars were emitting. The company

14630-533: The first post-war Audi models, the Audi F103 series, shortly afterwards. Another German manufacturer, NSU Motorenwerke AG , was merged into Auto Union on 26 August 1969, creating a new company, Audi NSU Auto Union AG (later renamed AUDI AG in 1985). From the late 1970s to 1992, the acronym V.A.G. was used by Volkswagen AG as a brand for group-wide activities, such as distribution and leasing. Contrary to popular belief, "V.A.G." had no official meaning, and

14784-503: The following vehicle manufacturers and their corresponding brands : Here are the brands operated under the Volkswagen Group: Other subsidiaries and shareholdings: The Group also owns five defunct marques which are managed through the companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, both of which are 100% owned by AUDI AG: In November 2018 Volkswagen's market capitalization was valued at US$ 73.8 billion. The key trends for

14938-413: The foreign firms in the weakened post-civil war Spanish market opened an opportunity for local interests. SEAT dates its origins back to June 22, 1940, when the Spanish bank ' Banco Urquijo ', with the support of a group of industrial companies, ( Hispano-Suiza , Basconia, Duro-Felguera, S.E. de Construcción Naval, Euskalduna , S.E. de Construcciones Metálicas, Fundiciones Bolueta, Echevarría, etc.) founded

15092-491: The form of 600,000 shares of 1000 pesetas each, and in a time when the country needed remodeling the fundamental structures in its national economy, just after the end of World War II. The birth of SEAT came almost a year and a half after the Spanish government and six Spanish banks ('Banco Urquijo', ' Banco Español de Crédito (Banesto) ', ' Banco de Bilbao ', ' Banco de Vizcaya ', 'Banco Hispano-Americano', and 'Banco Central') had signed on October 26, 1948, an alliance contract with

15246-484: The former CEO of BMW , was appointed to head SEAT. In the spring of 2002, as Pischetsrieder was commissioned to chair the entire Volkswagen Group, he gave way to his German compatriot Andreas Schleef on March 7, 2002. From 2002 to 2007, SEAT formed part of the Audi Brand Group, the Volkswagen Group's automotive subdivision, consisting of Audi, SEAT and Lamborghini, which was focused on more sporty values, with

15400-629: The former claimed the car was too similar to a car in Fiat's range, the Ritmo . In defence of SEAT, the then-president of SEAT, Juan Miguel Antoñanzas, showed a Ronda to the press with all the parts different from the Fiat Ritmo painted in bright yellow to highlight the differences. The case was eventually taken to the Arbitration Chamber of Paris, which in 1983 declared that differences between both cars were important enough not to consider

15554-573: The group's activities was made through the signing of a joint-venture partnership agreement with Škoda automobilová a.s. of Czechoslovakia , accompanied with the acquisition of a 30% stake in the Czech car manufacturer on 16 April 1991. On 19 December 1994, the group began the acquisition of Škoda Auto by raising its share to 60.3%. Later, on 11 December 1995, it became the Czech company's largest and controlling shareholder by increasing its share up to 70%. Three prestige automotive marques were added to

15708-568: The growth between the sliding doors and the rear axle now at 319 mm (12.6 in) and payload is up to 800 kg (1,764 lb) to 810 kg (1,786 lb) on commercial versions. The Caddy Maxi Tramper, the camping version of the Caddy Maxi, debuted at the 2008 AMI Leipzig Motor Show along with the Caddy Maxi EcoFuel Study. Based on the Caddy Life the Tramper or Camper (Australia) package comes with two seats and

15862-406: The implementation of locally made components in the production process to limit imports from one part and from another part to push the development of the almost nonexistent Spanish supplier industry and meet SEAT's assigned key role as the national carmaker in restoring the Spanish economy of post–World War II Spain. By 1954, the use of Spanish-made parts had risen to 93% of the total, and the factory

16016-670: The largest car manufacturer in the world by revenue. The Volkswagen Group sells passenger cars under the Audi , Bentley , Cupra , Jetta , Lamborghini , Porsche , SEAT , Škoda and Volkswagen brands, motorcycles under the Ducati name, light commercial vehicles under the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand, and heavy commercial vehicles via the marques of the listed subsidiary Traton ( International Motors , MAN , Scania and Volkswagen Truck & Bus ). It

16170-527: The launch of the second-generation Toledo which used it as a badge and shortly before the launch of the Toledo-based Leon hatchback. The " auto emoción " slogan was presented in September 2000, reflecting the brand's new youthful and sporty corporate identity, while SEAT Sport , apart from its motorsport activities, would undertake the responsibility of developing SEAT's high-performance vehicles. On July 1, 2000, Dr. Bernd Peter Pischetsrieder ,

16324-530: The loading lengths are 1,797 and 2,150 mm (70.7 and 84.6 in), for the standard and Maxi, respectively, making the cargo volumes 3.1 and 3.7 m (110 and 130 cu ft). In July 2022, the Volkswagen Caddy received a CNG-powered TGI variant and the Dark Label special edition. In 2021, the Ford Tourneo Connect was announced as a rebadged Caddy, the first model developed under

16478-480: The main market segment in Spain. The relative economic isolation of World War II damaged Italy and made Fiat interested in opportunities outside Italy, meaning that the negotiations with the Italian manufacturer could prosper more easily in favour of Spanish interests than those from other countries. In 1947, the Banco Urquijo group revived the S.I.A.T. project. In the next year, the talks ended successfully with

16632-606: The markets out of Spain. Its core market remains Europe, while the most successful market outside of Europe in sales for SEAT is currently Mexico , where the company has a dealer presence in 27 Mexican states. In Europe, the brand has been launched in almost 40 countries across the continent. SEAT today also sells its cars in 11 countries in Asia, mostly in the Middle East and the Arabian Peninsula , in 16 countries in

16786-642: The marque's product vehicles and performance being under the responsibility of the Audi brand. In 2006, the new SEAT corporate head office was opened in Martorell and the Martorell SEAT Design Centre superseded the Volkswagen Group Design Centre Europe at Sitges, which previously hosted the design facility jointly owned by SEAT, Volkswagen, and Audi, as on February 23 of the same year, an agreement over

16940-417: The meantime since 1951, the Spanish marque was starting preparations for setting up almost from scratch an entire supplier industry background. The first car in the marque's history to be produced was a SEAT 1400 model that came off the production line on November 13, 1953, with license plate B-87.223. In the following few months, the plant's production output and workforce significantly increased together with

17094-587: The name Rabbit Pickup were sold in the United States in late 1979 for the 1980 model year, delayed from a planned spring 1979 rollout. It was not sold as the Caddy until three years later, when the model was introduced to Europe as the Caddy. Cosmetically, the North American Rabbit Pickup had rectangular headlamps, while the rest of the world received round headlamps. The Volkswagen Rabbit Pickup competed with compact pickups, such as

17248-514: The needs of its range. However, the first example of a SEAT-exclusive derivative would arrive in September 1963 with the launch of the SEAT 800 , a car developed in-house by SEAT with no equivalent model in Fiat's range based on the SEAT 600 as a stretched version with four doors. In 1957 SEAT founded the SEAT Training Centre in the greater Zona Franca plant area, an institution covering the training of qualified personnel and serving

17402-606: The needs of the automobile industry in specialized technical human resources. In that same year, the historical SEAT 600 was launched, which proved to be the crucial car that literally motorized Spain, being the first car for many Spanish families and becoming a symbol of the Spanish miracle . As the annual production growth was hitting one record after another due to the heavy demand, the economies of scale permitted cutting costs and prices, subsequently renewing demand and boosting sales together with profits for SEAT. On June 29, 1964,

17556-450: The new national car brand was not to be only another licensee car maker assembling foreign designs and parts in Spain, but of developing the whole manufacturing process from design to assembly within Spain. Because of the country's lack of expertise in automotive mass-production development, finding a foreign partner that would contribute technically and with its models in the early years in exchange for cash, shares, bonds, and royalties became

17710-470: The next years would supply parts not only to SEAT and Citroën-Hispania but also to Ford España, was meant to be transferred later in 1986 to the multinational company GKN . In May 1975, after a request from the Spanish state authorities to ensure the rescue of the jobs for the workers in the Authi-owned factories, SEAT moved on talks with the parent company British Leyland Motor Corporation (BLMC) of

17864-536: The open bed, turning the Caddy into a small panel van with an enclosed 2.65 m (94 cu ft) of cargo volume, and it also could be used as a caravan with an appropriate in-bed unit. The original Caddy also was produced in Uitenhage, South Africa, from 1981 until 2007, alongside the first generation Golf itself (which was sold until 2009). Worldwide production of the first-generation Typ  14 Rabbit Pickup/Caddy totaled more than 207,000 vehicles. For

18018-491: The people mover version of the Maxi range. The Caddy Maxi range carried over all of the Caddy engine and debuted the 2.0L TDI engine producing 103 kW (138 hp; 140 PS). The Caddy Maxi family is 470 mm (19 in) longer version of the Caddy with 4.2 m loading space, this is due to extensions of the wheelbase which measures 3,002 mm (118.2 in) an extended, rear overhang now 151 mm (5.9 in), plus

18172-569: The pickup truck market, Volkswagen sold the Taro , a rebranded Toyota Hilux, from 1989 to 1997; the Caddy name continued in 1995 as a slightly smaller panel van and multi-purpose vehicle developed with Škoda and SEAT . The 1979–1984 Caddy pickup used the following engines: Released in 1995, the Volkswagen Caddy Typ 9K, or Volkswagen Polo Caddy , was a light van, designed by Volkswagen's Spanish subsidiary SEAT , and derived from

18326-499: The plant site was meant to serve the aim of optimising the development of new models. On February 22, 1993, King Juan Carlos of Spain and the newly elected chairman of the Volkswagen Group Dr. Ferdinand Piëch inaugurated the Martorell plant, one of the most modern and efficient car plants in Europe, using the just-in-time process with its suppliers' site located only 2.5 km away. The first cars that rolled out of

18480-520: The plant would be constructed in the duty-free zone area of the Port of Barcelona (Barcelona Zona Franca), which would offer better access to the Mediterranean shipping and the rest of Europe through rail and road connections across the nearby French border. Barcelona was, after all, a city with an industrial history that had built up expertise in complex industrial enterprises since the latter part of

18634-715: The power to the other wheel. Air conditioning was an available option. It was built in Spain, at the Martorell factory of SEAT , from 1996 to 2004. Its twin, the SEAT Inca , was quickly phased out when the SEAT marque was realigned as the "sporty" branch of the Volkswagen Group. It was in production in Argentina until 2008 for the Latin American market. In 2005 the Argentinian-made Caddy (called

18788-477: The purchase of 19.9% of Suzuki Motor Corporation 's issued shares on 15 January 2010. Suzuki invested part of the amount received from Volkswagen into 1.49% percent of Volkswagen. In 2011, Suzuki filed a lawsuit at an arbitration court in London requesting that Volkswagen return the 19.9% stake. On 25 May 2010, it was announced that Volkswagen Group, through its subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A., had acquired

18942-566: The remaining half of Porsche shares for 4.46 billion euros (US$ 5.58 billion) on 1 August 2012 to avoid taxes of as much as 1.5 billion euros, which would have to be paid if the wrap up happened after 31 July 2014. Volkswagen AG purchased the remaining stake in Porsche AG equaling 100% of the shares in Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH, effectively becoming its parent company as of 1 August 2012. Volkswagen AG completed

19096-539: The research from the public domain. On 3 August 2015, Nokia announced that it had reached a deal to sell its Here digital maps division to a consortium of three German automakers— BMW , Daimler AG , and Volkswagen Group, for €2.8 billion. This was seen as an indication that the automakers were interested in automated cars. Volkswagen held a 19.9% non-controlling shareholding in Suzuki between 2009 and 2015. An international arbitration court ordered Volkswagen to sell

19250-454: The same year, the Volkswagen Group became the major shareholder of SEAT. On December 18, 1990, the Volkswagen Group bought the remaining 25% of the company, thus making SEAT the first non-German wholly-owned subsidiary of the group. Fulfilling Hahn's expectations, SEAT not only made a profit two years after Volkswagen bought a majority of its stock but also provided a low-cost manufacturing outlet for other VW models, contributing up to 15.2% of

19404-452: The scandal. In its own financial report for 2023 Volkswagen Group estimated its long, medium and short term debt at 155,6 Billion Euros. It is unclear how Volkswagen group plans to pay off that massive debt considering its falling global vehicle deliveries, planned closure of at least 3 factories in Germany after it previously closed 2 factories in Russia as well as 64% drop in profit for

19558-455: The signing of a three-part contract, with the understanding that the INI would hold a 51% controlling interest, as well as a ruling act in the new company preserving a focused approach of the enterprise in the 'national interest'. The Banco Urquijo group, although a minority shareholder, looked forward to assuming a leading role in the future as soon as the company was privatized. Partner carmaker Fiat

19712-823: The stake back to Suzuki. On 17 September 2015, Suzuki paid $ 3.8bn to complete the stock buy-back just hours prior to a major scandal about emissions violations engulfing Volkswagen. Suzuki had wished to buy Fiat diesel engines. In 2021, Volkswagen sold their 55% stake in Bugatti to Rimac Group while transferring the remaining 45% to Porsche AG , forming a joint venture company called Bugatti Rimac . In early 2024, Volkswagen Group began looking for partners among international technology corporations to create AI labs, new digital prototypes of products and functions using artificial intelligence. In October 2024, Volkswagen plans to close at least three plants in Germany and cut jobs, facing challenges from delayed EV investments and

19866-467: The still heavily protected Spanish car market. In 1973, SEAT and Citroën-Hispania jointly contributed equal shares in founding the Vigo -located factory of Industrias Mecánicas de Galicia, SA (Indugasa) producing constant-velocity joints , essential components used in front-wheel drive cars, i.e. in a transmission layout the use of which was becoming more and more common at the time. This plant, which in

20020-454: The supervisory board of Volkswagen AG approved the acquisition of assets of Karmann, and planned to restart vehicle production at their Osnabrück plant in 2012. In December 2009, Volkswagen AG bought a 49.9% stake in Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG (more commonly known as Porsche AG) in a first step towards an 'integrated automotive group' with Porsche. The merger of Volkswagen AG and Porsche SE

20174-863: The three months to the end of September 2024. Latest setback for Volkswagen came on November 21, 2024 when Swedish battery producer Northvolt filed for bankruptcy, Volkswagen previously invested 1,4 Billion Euros in their failed business. On November 27, 2024 Volkswagen announced sale of it's Xinijang factory in China partly because "demand for combustion engine vehicles is going down". Former member of Croatian parliament Ivan Pernar warned that due to overall financial situation Volkswagen might go bankrupt just as "too big to fail" heavily indebted Evergrande Group . He also questioned how will EU tariffs on Chinese cars save Volkswagen when 50% of its sales are in China itself and not in EU, as well as its manangment decision to exit Russian market. In 2016, Volkswagen Group announced

20328-543: The transfer of the installations of the latter to the City of Sitges was closed, with the Martorell's Design Centre official opening eventually taking place on December 30, 2007. On January 12, 2007, the inauguration of the building of the SEAT Service Centre next to the southern entrance of the Martorell factory was held, the department focused on technical support, after-sales and marketing purposes, and covering

20482-477: The transportation of vehicles and parts between the two locations. The Martorell industrial complex houses numerous facilities, including Cupra Racing (formerly SEAT Sport), SEAT's Technical Center, Research and Development Center (R&D), Design Center, Prototypes Centre of Development, SEAT Service Center, which includes the After-Sales Service and Customer Services divisions, as well as

20636-462: The two is described by some as substantial. The Caddy Panel grew in size over the Caddy Typ 9K, it measures in length 4,405 mm (173.4 in), width 1,802 mm (70.9 in), height 1,833 mm (72.2 in), wheelbase 2,682 mm (105.6 in), has a 750 kg (1,653 lb) payload, and a loading volume of 3.2 m. The current shape Typ 2K Caddy, on sale in Europe since 2003,

20790-475: The use of modern technologies such as virtual simulation. In September 2023, it was announced that the SEAT brand would be eliminated on passenger cars by 2030 once the current models reach the end of their respective lifespans as a result of poor sales, with resources shifted to the stronger selling Cupra brand. However, Volkswagen did not completely rule out using the SEAT brand for another automotive role. The headquarters and main manufacturing facilities of

20944-407: Was 57.6 mpg ‑US (4.08 L/100 km), dropping to 38.9 mpg ‑US (6.05 L/100 km) at 55 mph (89 km/h). The maximum interior width of the bed was 64.4 in (1,640 mm) and the rated payload was 1,100 lb (500 kg). In Canada and many other markets outside of the United States, a turbodiesel version was also available. The first cars under

21098-688: Was based on transitioning to electric cars , and building a shared platform, battery systems, software and mobility solutions to use across all their brands. This involves creating the Scalable Systems Platform , as well as developing software under a new subsidiary called CARIAD . Volkswagen Group aims by 2024 to transition to selling mostly electric cars. It aims to have six battery factories in Europe by 2030. In 2023, Volkswagen Group announced plans to cut costs by €10 billion ($ 11.1 billion). In February 2024, Volkswagen Group and Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer XPeng signed

21252-435: Was created as a joint venture between Spain's government-owned Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI), which held a majority stake, Spanish private banks, and Fiat . After being listed as an independent automaker for 36 years, the Spanish government sold SEAT to the Volkswagen Group in 1986, and it remains a fully owned subsidiary of the Group. The headquarters of SEAT S.A. is situated in Martorell , near Barcelona , at

21406-463: Was designed by Ferdinand Porsche 's consulting firm, and the company was backed by the support of Adolf Hitler . On 16 September 1938, Gezuvor was renamed Volkswagenwerk GmbH ('Volkswagen Factory GmbH'). Shortly after the factory at Fallersleben was completed World War II started, and the plant primarily manufactured the military Kübelwagen (Porsche Type 82) and the related amphibious Schwimmwagen (Type 166), both of which were derived from

21560-613: Was fined billions of dollars. Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft is a public company and has a primary listing on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange , where it is a constituent of the Euro Stoxx 50 stock market index , and secondary listings on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and SIX Swiss Exchange . It has been traded in the United States via American depositary receipts since 1988, currently on

21714-471: Was increased to 1,230 mm (48 in). With sliding side doors that are 846 mm (33.3 in), 145 mm (5.7 in) wider than the standard Caddy Cargo, the Caddy Cargo Maxi is able to accommodate a second EUR-pallet loaded cross-wise in the cargo area. Maximum cargo width is 1,613 mm (63.5 in) for both variants, interior height is 1,272–1,274 mm (50.1–50.2 in), and

21868-621: Was never the formal name of the Volkswagen Group. On 30 September 1982, Volkswagenwerk made its first step expanding outside Germany by signing a co-operation agreement with the Spanish car manufacturer SEAT, S.A. To reflect the company's increasing global diversification from its headquarters and main plant (the Volkswagenwerk in Wolfsburg ), on 4 July 1985, the company name was changed again—to Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (Volkswagen AG). On 18 June 1986, Volkswagen AG acquired

22022-406: Was not prepared to contribute, partially due to the oil crisis of the 1970s and also due to the uncertainty for Fiat's interests following the end of a protectionist policy against GM in Spain. The outcome, in 1982, was an end to the relationship with Fiat after nearly 30 years, a rather surprising decision despite the favourable perspectives for the Spanish economy, with Spain being in the anteroom of

22176-403: Was offered a 7% share in exchange for its technical assistance. This way, SEAT would not only be able to reinitiate the country's economic recovery as the largest employer in the 1960s and '70s but would also contribute to the industrialisation of a largely rural economy. Though initial thoughts were of locating in less-developed inland cities such as Valladolid and Burgos , the company decided

22330-421: Was officially opened the next year on May 5, 1955. Nevertheless, the impact on Spanish society could not be seen immediately since the first model launched by SEAT was considered a luxury car, so it was highly priced and still not affordable to the average Spanish consumer. Consequently, SEAT needed a second, more economical model to compete against simpler, inexpensive designs that appeared in the local market, like

22484-404: Was operating a plant in Xinjiang at a loss in order to curry favor with the Chinese government to set up more lucrative plants in other parts of China, which Volkswagen denied, saying that the decision to set up the plant in 2012 was purely based on economics. Volkswagen is still operating a plant in the region as of 2020. In 2021, Volkswagen Group released their New Auto strategy. The strategy

22638-401: Was planning to expand into the Chinese market, first with Spanish-produced models, followed later in a second phase by the local assembly of SEAT models in China. SEAT's further expansion plans in more markets outside of Europe have yet to be realised. The company was considering a possible launch in the United States in the past, although this move has never been carried out. Rumours also of

22792-428: Was rated at 23 / 32 mpg ‑US (10.2 / 7.4 L/100 km) on the EPA city/highway cycles for the petrol engine with the four-speed manual and a corresponding 41 / 54 mpg ‑US (5.7 / 4.4 L/100 km) for the five-speed diesel. Observed fuel consumption for the diesel with no load and driven at a steady 35 mph (56 km/h) in fifth gear

22946-538: Was scheduled to take place during the course of 2011. On 8 September 2011, it was announced that the planned merger "cannot be implemented within the time frame provided for in the Comprehensive Agreement". As reasons, unquantifiable legal risks, including a criminal probe into the holding's former management team were given. Both parties "remain committed to the goal of creating an integrated automotive group with Porsche and are convinced that this will take place". On 4 July 2012 Volkswagen group announced they would wrap up

23100-422: Was slave labour. Many of the slaves were reported to have been supplied from the concentration camps upon request from plant managers. A lawsuit was filed in 1998 by survivors for restitution for the forced labour. Volkswagen would set up a voluntary restitution fund. After the war in Europe, in June 1945, Major Ivan Hirst of the British Army Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) took control of

23254-439: Was the Landaben plant in Pamplona , but in December 1993 its ownership was transferred to the Volkswagen Group subsidiary "Volkswagen-Audi-Espana, S.A.", and the site today is producing Volkswagen cars in Spain. However, SEAT's Martorell site still provides support to Volkswagen's operations in the Pamplona plant when necessary, as it did after a serious fire in the paint shop in the Landaben VW plant in April 2007. Factories of

23408-430: Was the industrial and aeronautical engineer, pilot, and photographer José Ortiz-Echagüe Puertas , who came from the Spanish aircraft manufacturer Construcciones Aeronáuticas SA , where he had held the position of CEO , and who in 1976 was named the Honorary lifetime president of SEAT. The construction works for SEAT's Zona Franca plant began in 1950, and the opening day came three years later on June 5, 1953, while in

23562-406: Was the production facility where the first SEAT models such as the SEAT 1400 and the 600 were built. In 1993, the car production began to get transferred to the new Martorell plant, and since then, the Barcelona factory has been producing parts such as doors, roofs, fenders and chassis. 80% of the production of the parts for the MQB A0, the compact modular platform of the Volkswagen Group on which

23716-417: Was the world's largest automaker by sales, and keeping this title in 2017, 2018, and 2019, selling 10.9 million vehicles and was the largest automaker by revenue in 2022. It has maintained the largest market share in Europe for over two decades. It ranked seventh in the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list of the world's largest companies. In 2023, Volkswagen Group was the largest company in the European Union and

#376623