SEAT Salsa - Very Spicy

Spanish VW group company SEAT have unveiled a full prototype of their Salsa concept that was widely believed to be a mere design exercise.

The Salsa is a strikingly designed car and offers all the practicality of a 4 seater hatchback with true sportscar performance. Powered by a hefty 2.8L V6 engine, giving the car 250 bhp. The Salsa also features 4 wheel drive and a 5 speed triptronic gearbox. Access to the engine is from beneath, the "boot" being entirely flush with the car's body.

Apart from its stunning looks the Salsa also has its interior firmly set in the 21st century. The on board computer can be set into 3 driving modes via a switch on the dash, Sport, City and Comfort modes. Each mode has a unique set of characteristics, with adjustments to the engine performance, interior lighting and different levels of information on the dashboard computer screen. In sport mode, for example, the automatic gearbox allows manual override on gear changes, some of the sound dampening is reduced - giving a more throaty engine sound, interior lighting increases and the computer screen disappears, leaving the driver with "classic" instruments.

SEAT want to get this car into production by 2005, and with its fully roadworthy concept - is well on the way there.

all Volkswagen Group communications and photos reproduced with permission of Volkswagen UK