Seat has confirmed it will launch a new large SUV, positioned one segment above the Ateca, next year.

The new SUV, which will be available as a five or seven-seat version, is set to become the brand's flagship model, and will follow the launch of a compact crossover (the Arona) in the second half of this year.

While the Arona will be manufactured in Martorell on the same platform as the Ibiza, the large SUV will be built at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg on Volkswagen Group's MQB A2 platform.

The announcement was made during the presentation of Seat’s annual results, which saw the brand post its best performance to date, with an operating profit of 143 million euros in 2016, and worldwide sales of nearly 410,000 vehicles.

Seat president Luca de Meo (pictured) said: “This car will bring new customers to us, will boost brand image and will have a very big effect on our ability to generate margins. It will be designed in Barcelona and made in Germany. Producing the new SUV in Wolfsburg, in the heart of the Group, will reinforce the ties between Seat and Volkswagen."