Here are the finalists
SEAT is preparing to launch a new, big(ger) SUV but, this time, it didn’t figure out its name yet. So, just to kindly remind us of its upcoming model, the Spanish carmaker published the shortlist with the nine most appealing nicknames.
Those are… (*drums playing in the background*)… Abrera… Alboran… Aran… Aranda… Avila… Donosti… Tarifa… Tarraco… Teide.
The nine have been selected from a total of 10,130 names submitted in the #SEATseekingName challenge, having passed three different criteria.
One of them is regarding the brand values and the product’s characteristics — which basically means putting the right name to the face. SEAT’s third SUV (after the Ateca, and the Arona) is also the biggest, so the name should suggest that.
The second filter is about sonority and linguistics. By this, the carmaker is making sure the name means something (other than a crossbreed between a tiger and an iguana; hope you’re paying attention, Volkswagen), and that it doesn’t offend anyone. Also, the name must be easy to pronounce in any language — as long as you’re not the Huayra, you have no excuses.
The most boring (yet as important) criterion is the one involving the legal — the name shouldn’t be registered elsewhere.
In the next weeks, the names list will be trimmed to “at least three” finalists, disclosed on September 12 during a press conference at the 2017 Frankfurt Auto Show. The voting session for the car’s final name will be open until September 25th, and SEAT’s third SUV will be officially baptized before October 15th.
Now, let’s take a look at our contributor Christian Schulte’s rendering, and try to put the right name to this sharp, Spanish face, hoping that your guess will be the car’s final name.