Seat has released the first official pictures of the Seat Ibiza facelift ahead of the model’s motor show debut at Geneva in March. It gets refreshed styling inside and out, and a revised engine line-up. Seat chief James Muir says the revised Ibiza is key to Seat’s future growth, particularly in China.
The Ibiza, available in three-door SC, five-door hatchback and five-door ST estate bodystyles, sports a similar front-end to Seat’s three most recent concepts, the IBE, IBX and IBL. This new styling direction is expected to evolve further in the all-new Leon, which is also slated in for a 2012 launch.
It gets a new, more angular honeycomb trapezoidal grille, a wider lower air intake and a new front bumper that further emphasis its wide, low stance. ‘Edgy’ new headlights complete the front-end revisions. At the rear, the Ibiza gets a new bumper and the angular ‘character’ lines on the sides are retained. Alloy wheels are offered between 15 and 17 inches in size, and include several new designs.
Inside, the new Ibiza features higher-quality materials and a greater choice of trims and colour options. There’s also a new climate control system and instrument binnacle.
But the chief change inside will be the addition of a new portable media system. Believed to be similar to the system in the new Volkswagen Up and sister cars, which includes the Seat Mii, the touchscreen device controls everything from the sat-nav to a hands-free mobile. The system is removable and fully integrates into the cabin when in the car.
Petrol engines include a 59bhp 1.2, a 104bhp 1.2 TSI and a 148bhp 1.4 TSI. Seat has confirmed the potent Ibiza Cupra will be replaced later this year, and its likely to retain the same 178bhp 1.4 TSI unit of the current car.
Diesel engines on offer are a super-frugal 74bhp 1.2 TDI, which returns 83.1mpg and has an impressively low CO2 rating of 89g/km, and a more potent 141bhp 2.0 TDI unit.
Transmissions include five- and six-speed manuals, and a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto’.
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Re: Seat Ibiza facelift: official pictures
I have the current Ibiza ST and love the looks, the new facelift won't be making me rush out and change! The headlights don't look as intergrated, although they do match the new brand image so I see the reason. The fog lights look better... now the same as the Polo and Fabia.
I really want to see inside shots, have they bothered changing the moldings or just played with material feel. The dash is the Ibiza's weakest part, nice and simple and built to last but it's cheap looking and a bit conservative! I doubt they have made any real changes, probably waiting for an all new Ibiza in a few years time.
Re: Seat Ibiza facelift: official pictures
Almost everything behind the nose and that SEAT badge on it, looks like generic "any other hatch". SEAT and/or VW parent desperately need to inject some individuality into the brand and the product design.
I could be wrong, but I think alongside the more successful Skoda, which is perhaps more family/practical oriented, the "aspirational"/more upmarket VW itself, SEAT has the potential to be the "cool"/"hip brand, directed at the younger market. But I just don't see VW tapping into the potential with the staid designs, aside from perhaps Leon/Cupra model.
Re: Seat Ibiza facelift: official pictures