SEAT 20V20 Showcar – Vision of the Brand’s Future
Functionality and emotion
- Perspective on an extremely dynamic, four- door SUV coupé
- Systematic evolution of the SEAT design language
- Further development of the SEAT product DNA
- Extreme precision in all details, innovative use of premium materials
- Innovative drive technologies, assistance systems, connectivity
At the Geneva Motor Show, SEAT is presenting a clear perspective on the future of the brand. The SEAT 20V20 showcar is the vision of an extremely sporty and powerful SUV. This athletic and muscular vehicle marks a systematic development of the Spanish brand’s highly praised design language. The 20V20 redefines the meaning of sports-utility in this vehicle class, because driving fun simply cannot look any better and utility simply cannot be any sportier.
The SEAT 20V20 (meaning “vision veinte veinte”, Spanish for 20:20) combines the dynamic silhouette of a four-door sports coupé with the refinement of an SUV and the versatility and utility of a mid-size estate car. SEAT’s new showcar displays the powerful tension of an athlete under starter’s orders, with the clear precision of a fine instrument and with the sensuality of a perfect body gleaming in the sun. It was designed with the passion of the Spanish brand. It is painted in ultra orange, a colour of an intensity that can only be created in the clear light of Barcelona’s morning sun.
“The Vision 20V20 is a new calling card for the SEAT brand,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Chairman and CEO of SEAT S.A. “With the 20V20, we are demonstrating how we will develop the unique and highly successful SEAT design language for forthcoming models . Design is already one of the most important reasons for buying a SEAT and we intend to build on this strength, along with technology. Many details of the 20V20 will be evident in future production models. Also important is the fact that we are now applying the winning Leon formula to the entire range and for sure it will be the winning SEAT formula for the future”.
The SEAT 20V20 is sure to look powerful and refined in any given situation. With its 20-inch wheels and the determined expression conveyed by its adaptive full-LED headlamps, this sports utility has a robust stance that is in no way aggressive. At a length of 4,659 metres, the “veinte-veinte” also fits perfectly into the European landscape. Despite its low and dynamic lines, the 20V20 offers a generous amount of space and premium ambience for five. Natural leather, crafted with exquisite three-dimensionality using an innovative process, aluminium and dark glass are the dominant materials. What matters more, however, is the precision and quality of the craftsmanship with which the showcar demonstrates one of the cores of the SEAT brand.
“veinte-veinte shows clearly SEAT’s ambition for the future. Our future design language on the one hand, and on the other, the positioning of our brand for young spirited customers on a five year horizon,” says Jürgen Stackmann, Chairman and CEO of SEAT S.A. “This is how we see the brand in the future, bold, characterful, technology driven, connected and attractive for customers to have SEAT on their shopping list. SEAT is to have a change from gravity towards higher segments and higher profitability. “
With its highly versatile interior and more than 600 l i tres of luggage space, the four- door SUV coupé concept marks a systematic development of the SEAT brand’s technology platform. A unique SEAT Personal Drive Device serves as the ignition key and operating interface inside the car and as a pedestrian navigation system when outside the car – guiding you directly back to the 20V20, should you ever happen to forget where it is parked. Intelligent lightweight design is a given at SEAT. In combination with body development, this enhances the exceptional efficiency of the 20V20, while a comprehensive package of driver assistance systems raises the levels of comfort and safety even further. 
In the cockpit, the freely programmable virtual displays can be extensively individualised, ensuring highly intuitive and ergonomic operation of the vehicle. The SEAT Connect technologies on-board make the 20V20 an integral part of the networked world. Perfect integration and simple operation, largely via voice control, are givens. The array of drive options is multi-faceted and accommodates powerful TSI drives of up to around 220 kW / 300 PS as well as TDI engines that are as powerful as they are efficient, with up to 176 kW / 240 PS – both, of course, also as plug-in hybrids with the option for electric-only driving. The power is delivered to the wheels via the DSG transmission and electronically controlled all-wheel drive.
“We are showing with the 20V20 showcar what a good fit such a sporty SUV is for our brand. The SEAT design language is unmistakeable and will be even more enticing and expressive in future. We’re also working hard on the ongoing development of the innovative package of technologies featured in the 20V20. We are well prepared for any challenge the future has to offer,” says Dr. Matthias Rabe, SEAT Executive Vice President for Research and Development. “The 20V20 is extremely dynamic, yet possesses a compelling degree of utility. And it provides the platform for all kinds of drives, from high- performance TDI to plug-in hybrid, and for the very latest assistance systems. Our SEAT Connect technologies make every SEAT a fully integrated part of the networked world”
The Design – full of tension, sensual, powerful
“Barcelona is our home and our inspiration. The clarity of the light helps with the clarity of the ideas. We are passionate perfectionists and we are showing that here with this showcar,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Head of SEAT Design. “Our 20V20 has a clear look, with powerful forward momentum. It possesses phenomenal tension and great depth of sensuality.”
SEAT is taking a major step into the future with this 2020 vision – thus continuing its clear development path. This showcar originates from a distinct and unique brand image – SEAT is perfectionist in its demands and passionate in its expression. The 20V20 embodies both, in the precision with which every single line is logically thought out and finely executed, and in the excitement it inspires in the beholder.
“Automotive beauty is based on two factors,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos: “The perfect balance of proportions and the clarity of the design content.” Substantial, 20-inch wheels, a long 2791 mm wheelbase, a 1648 mm wide track in the front and 1638 mm in the rear, and low greenhouse with a straight roofline give the 20V20 very taut, dynamic proportions. “These horizontal lines and the characteristic SEAT blisters on the sides give it very clear forward momentum. They convey the feeling of speed and directional clarity – like an arrow.”
Tension is another element used by SEAT designers – the coiled tension of an athlete just prior to the start. The slightly rearward positioning of the greenhouse, giving the sense of a very long bonnet, the perfect proportions of wheels, to metal, to glass, the pointed front end and the negative turn-in at the rear all reinforce this impression.
This is further enhanced by very sculptural treatment of the lines and surfaces. The wheel arches are powerfully accentuated front and rear and framed by slender, powerfully three- dimensional and structured surfaces. The sculptural impression is heightened considerably by the paintwork developed specifically for the “veinte-veinte”. Not only is ultra orange particularly luminescent, it also possesses enormous visual depth.
This impression of a muscular body is created by a systematic process of detailing. A radius, such as on the outer side of the door, is never constant. Instead, it increases in one direction, while tightening in the other. Like a muscle. On the other hand, some of the edges, such as those on the characteristic SEAT blisters along the sides, are sharper than ever. The radius here measures an unbelievably tight 1.1 millimetres. Moreover, each edge is highlighted with a negative turn. This kind of high-precision design is a huge challenge when it comes to bodyshell manufacturing – but also a major SEAT competence as evidenced today in the current SEAT Leon.
The front end of the 20V20 features the X-shape as a fundamental design element. The V- shape of the bonnet and the grille stands for dynamism and forward momentum. The front bumper, with its inverted V, stands for stability and robustness, for a firm stance on the road. The showcar’s full-LED headlamps also convey distinctive character. Their focus appears distant; their expression determined and powerful.
The rear-end design also picks up the X reference. The lines are a little subtler, as expressed by the deep draw of the tailgate and the rear bumper. The rear lights possess the characteristic triangular form used in a number of the 20V20’s design details. “We love the triangle at SEAT Design,” says Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. “It isn’t unstable like a circle or immobile like a rectangle. The triangle has direction; it is always dynamic.”
Besides proportions, the most important aspects for SEAT’s chief designer are always the clarity and logic of the lines. Every single line on the 20V20 has a clear relationship with each one of the others. There is not one line too many or superfluous. The balance between richness of form and clarity of logic is quite simply right.
The Interior – generous, precise, premium
The combination of sporty performance, relaxed refinement and precision quality expressed by the exterior design is also evident in the interior of the SEAT 20V20 showcar. With its clear structure and determined driver focus, its form is derived from the design language of the current Leon family, with a consistently forward-looking interpretation.
“A generous, yet safe feeling of space, innovative use of premium materials and, of course, the very latest in information and communication technology make the SEAT 20V20 an oasis of wellbeing on wheels,” says SEAT designer-in-chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos.
With its high shoulder line, the 20V20 offers a pleasant feeling of solidity and safety that is especially appreciated by SUV drivers, while an enveloping line running around the whole interior creates a feeling of spaciousness. SEAT designers refer to this cohesive impression of space as the loft effect.
In the interior, too, tight radii and flowing lines display the level of precision characteristic of a SEAT. The dominant materials leather, aluminium, glass and high-gloss plastic are of exceptionally high quality and crafted with enormous attention to detail. Everything feels solid and safe – yet, at the same time, airy and lightweight.
Natural leather in saddle brown from Italian specialists Poltrona Frau endows the interior with a look that is both high class and robust. Orange stitching provides a bold contrast and brings the luminescent exterior colour of the “veinte-veinte” into the interior. The leather on the door panels and around the sills has been processed using an innovative technique, creating a distinctly three-dimensional structure. Finely distributed triangles give the surface a surprising vitality.
The Technology – looking into the future
The proverbial key to driving pleasure in the 20V20 is the SEAT Personal Drive Device , a beautiful piece of tactile design in the shape of a large coin. Outside the vehicle, this Personal Device functions as a mobile navigation system, as well as a remote control for functions such as stationary heating or cooling and for managing the charging process on a plug-in hybrid version. When in the vehicle, the SEAT Personal Drive Device is mounted on the centre console using magnets and serves as an operating element for the SEAT Drive Profile individualisation functions.
“Future calls for excellence in connectivity,” says Dr. Matthias Rabe, SEAT Executive Vice President for Research and Development. “We focus our efforts to continually innovate in this field.”
The whole cockpit of the 20V20 looks like a continuous, high-gloss black panel. Set into it are three TFT screens, the largest of which measures 12.3 inches and serves as the Virtual Cockpit delivering the main driver information, while the navigation, entertainment and connectivity functions are shared between the other screens. The content and presentation can be individualised via SEAT Drive Profile. Mobile phones connect with the system via Bluetooth and can be operated using a touchscreen in the cockpit. It can be charged simply by laying it in the Charge Box located in the centre console. Another touchscreen enables its use from the rear seats.
From the outside, the SEAT 20V20 looks like a four-door sport coupé with a robust character, big 765 mm diameter wheels and heightened 228 mm ground clearance. On the inside and in the boot, however, it comes over as surprisingly spacious, with a compelling degree of utility and more than 600 litres of luggage space. This starts with plenty of room, especially for rear-seat passengers – thanks to the long wheelbase and clever packaging. The variable layout of the rear seat bench means that the “veinte-veinte” can be used as either a four or a five-seater. Beneath the tailgate, with its very low loading edge of 796mm, is an amply proportioned boot. Two luggage trolleys are perfectly integrated into its floor, as well as the Personal Mover. An electric personal urban vehicle comprising a long board with an electric motor that provides a fast and sporty means for the driver to cover the last few metres from parking space to home or office – a perfect match for such a car.
