Volkswagen group Spanish unit Seat plans seven new dealers in Rome as part of efforts to expand in the key Italian market, where sales are booming this year.
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Seat has struck a deal with Rome-based dealership network Car Point for the expansion, which will boost its dealer count in Italy to 127 by late 2007, product communications manager Fernando Salvador told just-auto.
Car Point already operates two Seat dealers in the Italian capital. It will open three more this year and an additional two by the end of 2007, Seat said in a statement.
Seat’s announcement comes as sales rose 20% in the first half, boosted by the sporty new Leon hatchback, of which the company sold 5,000 units, triple the older model’s sales a year ago.
“This year is going fantastically well,” Salvador said, adding that Seat hopes this year’s volume will pass the 30,000 units sold in 2005.
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By GlobalDataItaly is Seat’s third or fourth-most important European market after Spain and Germany, depending on how another key market – France -performs each year, Salvador noted.
Seat said it hopes to sell 2,000 units a year through Car Point, which has so far specialised in Ford models.
Seat has a 1.4% share of the Italian car market.
Ivan Castano
