In the year 2000, SEAT unveiled the Salsa Concept, adding a touch of spice to its lineup. This Barcelona-based company, outselling Alfa Romeo, had Walter de Silva, formerly with Alfa Romeo, leading the charge as their chief designer for the SEAT Salsa concept car. De Silva, who owned an Alfa Spider and an Alfa 156, believed that the future of evaluating a car's sportiness included not just driving prowess but also its convenience for a sporty lifestyle.
Built on the SEAT Cupra platform, a version of SEAT Leon, the Salsa Concept showcased a teardrop-shaped body with distinctive headlights and a robust "nose," giving it a unique and memorable look. Powered by a 250-horsepower V6 engine and equipped with a 5-speed Tiptronic gearbox, the car introduced a novel Multi Driving Concept. This feature allowed drivers to switch between "sporty," "comfortable," or "urban" driving styles, transforming the car's ambiance and performance accordingly.
Considered a step in the evolution of the Multi-Purpose Vehicle (MPV), the Salsa Concept, despite its limited trunk capacity of 575 liters with folded rear seats, aimed to revolutionize driving philosophies. Developed at SEAT's research center in Martorella, with design contributions from Italian body studio ItalDesign, the Salsa Concept seamlessly integrated features like Bosch ABS, APS, stability systems, electronic differential lock, and innovative Michelin PAX tires.
In its heyday, the Salsa Concept, reaching a top speed of 245 km/h and accelerating to 100 km/h in 7.5 seconds, represented a fusion of technical prowess and Walter de Silva's design ingenuity. This spicy addition to SEAT's lineup marked an exciting chapter for the brand.
Source & Images: SEAT, S.A.
