The former head of design at Seat, Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, speaks about the Spanish company’s approach and the future of car design
Seat cars are very dynamic and have to be agile. The idea of lightness in design is extremely important. Cupra has the same ingredients but goes one step further. A Cupra vehicle has to look more powerful. Not aggressive because I don’t like that, but it is definitely more brutal and visceral.
Cupra is for people who are willing to assume a stronger message when they drive the car. It is maybe for those that are a bit more egoistic. A car like the Seat Leon is for a broader public and while it still has an element of sportiness, it has an honest and simple design. This kind of two-sided approach gives you an idea of how we approach design differently for Seat and Cupra cars. There are certainly some common points, but there are clear distinctions too. And with such a clear definition of the customers and the brands, the design ideas come pretty fast. In the past we used to do far more design proposals for each model. Now we start with a clear idea and vision, and then the rest is down to execution.
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