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Is Seat getting its own version of the VW Up?

Could this be Seat's version of the Volkswagen Up!? Skoda recently showed off its take on the Up! runabout, the Citigo, and it's plausible that VW wants to make the biggest statement possible with the little car. The diminutive hatchback could also be employed to help reverse Seat's fortunes - remember, in May of 2010, the Spanish brand was put on notice about its financial performance. An innovative and inexpensive city car could help round out the planned portfolio expansion.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show, our sister UK site reported that Seat was working on a sporty version of the Up! that would be "good to drive." However, there wasn't any additional information at the source site, so we aren't sure how much of the image above is an actual photo and how much is rendering. We expect it would still come, as the rest, with either the 59- or 74-horsepower, 1.0-liter three-clinder engines.

Alonso consults Andretti at first day of Indy 500 practice

Fernando Alonso's first official day of practice on Monday for this year's Indianapolis 500, where he will chase the second leg of racing's 'Triple Crown,' included a chat with famed driver Mario Andretti. Alonso completed the rookie orientation session in his orange McLaren Honda Andretti car as the fastest rookie with a top average speed of 221.634 mph. Alonso's fastest lap of the day in the No. 29 McLaren-Honda-Andretti was 223.025 mph, ranking him 19th among 32 drivers who practiced Monday. That was a half-second off Andretti teammate Marco Andretti, whose fastest lap was 226.338 mph. Alonso then said he soaked up every bit of advice he received from the 77-year-old. "Yeah, well, he went to the pit lane just to say hello, but he was -- he knew that we were testing at that point, so it was just a formal hello," the 35-year-old Spaniard told reporters. "But later in the garage, lunchtime, we were talking for more than one hour and a half, so we went through many, many things, from Formula One to talk about the tires here, how they perform, to talk about the tires in Formula One." Alonso, who only settled into the cockpit of an IndyCar for the first time less than two weeks ago, will be eyeing a victory on May 28 that would put him a step closer to emulating Graham Hill in winning motor racing's Triple Crown. The Triple Crown is completed with wins in the world's pre-eminent races: F1's Monaco Grand Prix, IndyCar's Indianapolis 500 and the Le Mans endurance race. Alonso, a twice F1 world champion, already has two Monaco Grand Prix wins, while Andretti stands alone as the only driver to win a F1 world championship, an Indy 500 and Daytona 500. While Andretti never won the Triple Crown, Alonso hung on the revered racer's every word. "He's an amazing person and a true legend in motorsports, so every comment, every word that he says is obviously very, very important for all of us, and inside the team we are extremely proud and happy to work with him," said Alonso. By Frank PingueRelated Video: Motorsports McLaren Racing Vehicles F1 IndyCar indy

Seat shows Leon SC three-door ahead of Geneva

Seat has just unwrapped the Leon SC three-door hatchback ahead of its official debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show. Unlike some transformations from five- to three-door hatches, the Seat Leon underwent some meaningful surgery in the changeover, losing nearly an inch and a half of its wheelbase while still retaining the same amount of cargo capacity behind the rear seats.
The SC, which stands for Sports Coupé, is said to be more nimble than its larger counterpart, and therefore more fun to drive. A range of turbocharged and direct injected gasoline and diesel engines will be available in Europe ranging from 1.2 to 2.0 liters and with up to 184 horsepower. Manual transmissions with five or six gears will be offered, depending on the engine chosen, as will a six-speed DSG automatic.
Seat also says that the new Leon boasts more expressive styling than the five-door, and we can see where they are coming from. Of particular note, says the automaker, are the size and shapes of the glass areas and the sweep of the tailgate toward the ground. Take a good look at the new three-door Leon in the image gallery above, and feel free to read all the details in the full press blast below.