Seat is asking its European dealers to spend thousands of pounds upgrading their showrooms to help revamp its corporate image and boost sales. All 125 UK dealers will have to make the investment by the end of August 2005.

The bill for new exterior signage – between £10,000 and £12,000 – will be picked up by the carmaker. Dealers will have to pay for new seaside-style tile flooring with an ocean blue-coloured floor for the new car display area and beech-effect floor and furnishings around the reception area.

Each site will have a black and white feature island to display new products, sporty derivatives or stock that is being heavily promoted. An interior upgrade could cost between £5,000 and £30,000 depending on the condition of the site and its size.

Iain Carmichael, Seat's head of operations, says the new look will help achieve consistency within the dealer network.

Few upgrades will be complete for the compact MPV Altea launch in September. But by August 2005, showrooms will be ready for the latest Leon and Toledo.