Currently reading: Seat Ibiza receives price cut
The majority of models in the subtly revised Seat Ibiza range have been reduced in price

The Seat Ibiza range has been revised, with the majority of models in the range receiving a price cut. The latest range will appear in showrooms next month.

Seat will offer the Ibiza ST in warm FR trim for the first time. The model will be offered with a choice of 105PS 1.2 or 150PS 1.4-litre petrol engine. A 105PS version of the VW Group’s 1.6 TDI and a 143PS 2.0 TDI will also be available.

The three-door Ibiza SC continues to be priced from £9995 on the road. The five-door range starts with the £11,430 1.2 70PS S A/C model. The entry-level ST model is £12,140.

The Ibiza S A/C, the core basic model of the range is £300 less than the outgoing S Copa edition on average. The SE model, which replaces the SE Copa, has been reduced by the same amount. FR models are up to £1100 less than before.

As before, five-door variants command a £500 premium over the three-door SC. ST models are another £710 more than the five-door.

The Ibiza also receives a range of model year revisions. The headlights are reshaped and include sculptural elements similar to those used in the Alhambra and Exeo. Optional bi-xenon lights include LED daytime running lights. The front grille is smaller, and all models adopt the lower grille previously reserved for FR and Cupra models. The rear lights have been restyled, and FR models gain LED lighting.

A redesigned steering wheel, a new climate control console and enlarged glovebox are key interior changes.

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6th.replicant 13 March 2012

Re: Seat Ibiza receives price cut

McBaine wrote:

6th.replicant wrote:

But has it been a "failure of the management", or a lack of funding and will from VW?

Seat's management produced the concepts - eg, the rather lovely Tango and IBE - and went racing, and won titles, but was not allowed to follow through with Alfa-esque showroom product. Why?

VW was able to overhaul and re-invent Skoda, why the cold feet with Seat?

My personal view is that VAG's problem is more to do with the positioning of Volkswagen as a brand.

If you think about it, before Ferdinand Piëch moved to VW Group, their cars were regarded as being worthy but relatively dull (with the exception of the GTIs, VR6s etc). Piëch then moved VW (and Audi, for that matter) into more of an "upmarket" position - certainly in VW's case, by releasing cars which catered for markets who wanted more than just straght-forward transport (the Phaeton for executives, the Touareg for off-roading/lifestyle, the Eos for cruising, the Scirocco as a sporting coupe etc). Although all have had varying levels of success, they all played a part in turning VW from a middle-of the-road brand (albeit marginally more desirable than Ford etc.) to something more aspirational.

As a result, Audi over the same period of time have moved from being a strictly aspirational brand to being positioned just above, by going into every niche imaginable within the Executive / Sports sector.

Skoda obviously originally filled the "budget" sector (call it what you will), but owing to their success (based on tried-and-trusted engineering, no-nonsense vehicle models/specs and what appears to be exceptionally high levels of customer satisfaction), they are in effect the "new" VW - solid, dependable, value for money etc.

Which leaves Seat.... there is a school of thought that if they were to be the "sporting" brand, they should have been allowed to produce the Tango (as a budget TT-type rival), the IBE should proceed (as an alternative design to the Scirocco), or indeed VAG could have followed Renaultsport's lead by allowing Seat to offer "cup" variants of their Cupra models (stripped-out, lighter weights etc).

Instead, it seems that perhaps Seat has (in effect) become the new Skoda....

So, Audi is the rival for BMW and M-B, while VW has Audi quality (almost) but suits punters who don't want an overt 'statement car' - in effect, VW is now the anti-Yuppy choice for the quality conscious.

Meanwhile, Skoda slots into VW's old role to rival low- to mid-spec Opel-Vauxhalls, Fords, PSAs and Renaults.

But what about Fiat/Alfa? What about punters who don't want a 'cold' Northern European-style car but prefer some Mediterranean joie de vie or, indeed, some Auto Emoción?

I suspect Fiat/Alfa must be smiling/relieved, while folks who bought into Auto Emoción must be scratching their heads. By turning Seat into a producer of low-cost, bland Audi-VW clones, I assume VW Group knows something the rest of us don't?

nettingham 13 March 2012

Re: Seat Ibiza receives price cut

Mini1 wrote:
Thankfully they've ditched the oh-so confusing model naming ... but I don't know WHY they're so insistent on labelling the basic model as 'S A/C'. If that's the base model, then there isn't one below it without air conditioning, is there??? So why not just call it 'S' and be done with it? Just looks dreadfully untidy and will confuse people into thinking that there's a cheaper model available.

It's a fleet market thing, you see it all over the place. On a long list of company car choices from a load of different brands, you have a limited number of characters to "sell" the model to the user-choosers. They don't have time to check out the full specs on 10-20 cars...

"S A/C" is one, but you have "SE Business Edition" (Jag), "Elite Nav" (Vauxhall), "Style Nav" (Hyundai) to name but a few others I've seen recently.

Call it an S and you're just as likely to have potential customers reject it, thinking it's too basic for them.

JezyG 13 March 2012

Re: Seat Ibiza receives price cut

Flash Harry wrote:
The Ibiza will always play second fiddle to the Polo as customers are drawn to the VW badge and its image.I could never understand the perception that Seat could become an Alfa rival as i have never seen a desirable or sporty Seat apart from the odd concept.
Whilst the badge Kudos is still there the Polo is not a cheap car anymore and the likes of the Fabia and Ibiza steal sales, especially from those looking at the entry level models.

SEAT's are not all about looks they do have there own way of driving and in many ways drive very well indeed. Partly due to being a VAG clone but partly as SEAT do tune their cars quite well especially the more sporty versions. If they had access to more of the VAG part's bin ie adaptive dampers and other toys they could do better. But VW does not want to be outshone by SEAT or Skoda and I am sure at times certain technology is not allowed to filter down to give Audi and VW their own USP.