Seat celebrates 12 months as DVLA prize provider

SEAT is celebrating the first anniversary of its remarkably successful association with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s (DVLA) innovative online road tax renewal campaign.

It was 12 months ago that SEAT UK announced the Ecomotive had been chosen by the DVLA in Swansea as the star prize car in a competition linked to a push by the Agency to encourage drivers to renew their road tax online or by phone.

A year on, and the latest lucky winner to be presented with the keys to a shiny new SEAT is Paul Hares, who also becomes the first Welsh resident to scoop a free car in the draw.

Mr Hares, of Aberbargoed in South Wales, scooped his new generation SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive 5dr in the promotion run jointly by the sporty Spanish car maker and the DVLA.

And Mr Hares’ new car was all the more special for being the very first second generation Ibiza Ecomotive to be registered and driven on UK roads.

As a special surprise organised by the SEAT UK Marketing team, the rugby-mad carpenter was presented with the keys to his ultra-economical new car by his sporting idol – Wales and Lions prop Gethin Jenkins – on the hallowed turf of Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

The 49-year-old Cardiff Blues fan, who was also presented with a Wales rugby jersey as a souvenir, was overwhelmed. Afterwards he beamed: ‘When I was told I’d won the car, I didn’t believe it at first. I thought the boys I work with were winding me up.

‘Winning the car itself was special enough, but to meet Gethin Jenkins, too, and to get out on the pitch at the Millennium Stadium, was incredible.’

Mr Hares’ win came courtesy of an online promotion to encourage motorists to renew their road tax online – a simple process that can be completed in less than four minutes on the DVLA’s dedicated site – direct.gov.uk/taxdisc

The new generation Ibiza Ecomotive, arriving in showrooms across the country now, is so clean it is actually exempt from road tax – a major factor behind the car’s incredible sales success.

In fact the model is one of the cleanest and greenest cars on the road with the ability to travel up to an incredible 94.2 miles on one gallon of fuel. Official CO2 emissions, meanwhile, are just 98 g/km.


SEAT Marketing’s Henri Massingham said: ‘As SEAT is a long-term supporter of the Welsh Rugby Union we were able to arrange for the presentation to take place at the Millennium Stadium and also secure the services of Gethin.

‘I know Paul was thrilled with the whole experience and I’m absolutely positive he’ll be over the moon with his new Ibiza Ecomotive.’

Available in SC or 5dr form, the new generation Ibiza Ecomotive costs from £11,605 RRP. Its ultra low emissions and class-leading fuel returns are possible thanks to SEAT’s advanced diesel technology and some clever tweaks to the standard Ibiza model. The DVLA chose the SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive as the main prize in its competition as it perfectly suits all of the motoring messages the Government wants to make.

Recently the wisdom of that decision was borne out yet again when, at the prestigious European Business Awards (EBA) in Rome, the DVLA’s innovative campaign to encourage greater use of its Electronic Vehicle Licensing service beat rival strategies from companies such as Sony, Société Générale and ScotRail to take a Ruban d’Honneur accolade – the ultimate award for marketing strategy.

On accepting the award in Italy last month Andrew Rhodes, Director of Products and Services at the DVLA, said: ‘I would like to take this opportunity to thank SEAT for having the vision to see that such an innovative partnership with a Government body can be a success.

‘The relationship with SEAT has been an excellent one and has delivered great benefits for both organisations.’