The ceremonious opening of the Seat Centre Singapore

The official opening of the Seat Centre Singapore, held on Saturday, 15^th October, marks the Spanish brand's re-emergence in the Singapore market after a 13-year absence. The brand returns to the market under the purview of Vertex Euro Motors, with the Vertex brand best known for importing Chery cars. 

With the launch of the brand's new showroom, the full lineup of four Seat models - the Ibiza, the Leon, the Toledo and the Alhambra - will be available. Eventually, a fifth model, the Ateca crossover sport utility vehicle, will be added later. 

As a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, the Seat models share a lot of similarities with their German counterparts. The Ibiza is a supermini hatchback (think the VW Polo) packing a new 1.0 EcoTSI engine providing 108bhp and 200Nm of torque. It is also packed with innovative technologies, as well as providing individual customisation for owners. 

The Leon is Seat's Golf-beater, a sporty hatcback with sleek looks, a 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine making 108bhp and 175Nm of torque and a seven-speed DSG gearbox. The Leon is actually built on the same MQB platform as the Golf, as well as sharing multiple cabin equipment. The Leon is also available in two-door SC and stationwagon ST guise. 

The Toledo is the Spanish brand's family saloon, and is being offered with a 1.4-litre TDI diesel engine, making 89bhp and a punchy 230Nm of torque. The last model is the Alhambra, the brand's multi-purpose vehicle offering. It is powered by a 2.0-litre TDI diesel engine with 181bhp and 380Nm of torque. 

The official opening of the new Seat Centre Singapore also marked the unveilling of the Seat Leon Cupra 290.

The Cupra is a hot hatch (in the vein of the Golf GTI), powered by a 2.0-litre engine that has been tuned to make 286bhp and 350Nm of torque, capable of accelerating the car from 0-100km/h in just 5.8 seconds. This makes it the most powerful front-wheel drive hot hatch in the market this side of the Civic Type R.

The new Seat Centre Singapore is located at 3 Ubi Road 4, Singapore (408608), and you can find out more at www.seat.sg.

Price as of press time (one month introductory package inclusive of COE)

Seat Ibiza 1.0 EcoTSI DSG 5-Door (A) - $95,000
Seat Leon 1.2 1.2 TSI DSG (A) - $105,500
Seat Leon Cupra 2.0 - $165,500
Seat Toledo Diesel 1.4 TDI DSG (A) - $103,000
Seat Alhambra Diesel 2.0 TDI DSG (A) - $165,500