Seat brand is making a comeback in 2026 with new Ibiza and Arona
In our consumer-led world, there are some things that we never predicted, like hanging onto our old cars for longer and Prince Andrew in a Pizza Hut, allegedly.
Old car parts are a cause for celebration, whereas recycled alibis are not. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), remanufacturing is a £500 million growth sector that’s about to boost the circular economy; if the government does what it recommends.
If you wander past most garages, there’s a skip full of rusted parts, but this could be a thing of the past as remanufacturing uses tired old components, everything from batteries and brakes to tyres and transmissions—and restores them to “as new” condition.
The SMMT claims in its latest report that this process can save up to 88 per cent in raw materials compared with a shiny new bit.
With a record 41.9 million vehicles in the UK, and two out of five being over 10 years old, there’s a market for keeping old stuff on the road for longer. It’s similar to what classic car specialists already do, but it’s not supporting a hobby; it’s out of necessity.
Rather than being solely about tackling the scarcity of the exotic metal found in cars, remanufacturing is a way to shorten supply chains and make the repair sector less dependent on international markets.
The UK now has 1.6 million EVs on the road (and 1.6 million range-anxious drivers), meaning we have Europe’s second-largest electric fleet.
As the batteries approach the end of their initial life, the remanufacturing sector could help reduce long-term maintenance costs and secure a domestic supply chain for the rare earth metals needed for even more batteries. Everyone’s a winner.
The SMMT wants the government to change its approach, though, in three key policy areas.
They recommend that the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) regulations move away from an emphasis on scrappage, replacing it with remanufacturing as a key part of the vehicle lifecycle. The SMMT also wants remanufacturing to be built into trade deals, so parts can be traded easily, with the definition of ‘waste’ being changed. Rather than being viewed as scrap, the old parts are classified as valuable raw materials.
Seat returns
It’s not just old EV batteries that are getting a second life. After being told a few years ago by its executives that the Seat name was in the bin and the Cupra sub-brand was in, the old Seat brand is making a comeback in 2026 with the launch of the new Ibiza and Arona, which’ll actually be available later in 2025.
It’s all very confusing. That launch will be followed by both models receiving a mild-hybrid set-up in 2027.
Both cars will sport a more aggressive, sculpted design than the inoffensive models currently on sale.
After that, in 2028, the Golf-sized Seat Leon will go fully hybrid as a bid to extend its lifespan in the face of tight emission regulations and slow sales.
Seat, alongside Skoda, is being positioned as the VW Group’s entry-level brand. Although in the real world, neither brand can be viewed with a straight face as the budget option, with the Ibiza FR Sport costing in the region of £24k and the base model still in the £20k zone.
If the SMMT is correct, many of us will be rooting out the 2016 model and focusing on repairing it