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VW's SEAT brand is getting a makeover, and the Tribu concept unveiled in Frankfurt shows us where the marque's headed, stylistically. Penned by new SEAT design chief and Lamborghini expat Luc Donckerwolke, the Tribu jettisons the more organic, flowing shapes of current SEATs and replaces them with taught lines and a face that is very Audi-looking. We have to believe that it also foreshadows a SEAT-branded crossover that'll have this same general shape, if not all the details, obviously.

Some of the concept's highlights include a fancy, rail-mounted rear hatch that opens in two stages. The first one opens it partially to allow for quick stowage of small items. When opened fully, it slides up over the roof. No engine specs on this design study are given, which leads us to assume it's not a runner. Still, the concept is said to incorporate three selectable drive modes -- Urban, Sport, and Freerun -- which respectively alter engine and suspension settings to favor economy/cleanliness, performance, and off-road ability. There's no traditional shifter, just wheel-mounted paddles for a sequential gearbox, and the rest of the interior is an exercise in typical concept fantasy fare wherer shapes and materials are concerned. In the Tribu's case, what you see outside is most important, and you can expect to see more of it in future concepts and production cars from the Spanish brand.

Follow the jump for a full press release, and check out the attached gallery below. For even more shots of the car's live reveal, head over to Autoblog Spanish.

[Source: SEAT via Autoblog Spanish]

First shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2002, the charmingly sleek SEAT Tango passed many of its styling cues on to other SEAT siblings in production, although the little roadster never made it to the streets itself. Such a pity too, as this little car has so much going for it. Blending elements of the Porsche Carrera GT, Spyker, and BMW Z4 on a much smaller scale, it has been one of our favorite concepts since we first saw pics of it all those years ago. But there is renewed hope. Autocar has found sources inside SEAT that say the Tango could still be produced. With their new focus on styling as a signature feature, SEAT could really use something fun like this to compete against Ford's StreetKa cabrio and similar superminis. The only snag is that the Tango would have to be supported by other models. One possibility is that the roadster could share the next-generation, front-wheel-drive, Ibiza platform. Autocar is predicting a production Tango would most likely sell for around £15,000.

Before the Tango is greenlighted, SEAT needs to release its all-new Ibiza, the new Alhambra MPV, and reassess their Toledo, possibly replacing it with a pseudo-4x4 similar to the new Nissan Qashqai. So the Tango would still be quite a ways away. Chief SEAT designer Luc Donckerwolke, who was responsible for the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo, has said that he wants SEAT to become a "design-driven brand". A production version of the Tango would certainly help towards that goal. And it would add another item to our list of fun cars we can only drive if we rent them while vacationing in Europe.

More pics after the jump

[Source: Autocar]