The new fifth-generation Seat Ibiza is loaded with the latest technology features, outstanding dynamics and an impressive improvement in interior space and comfort.
The Spanish brand’s most important model has all-new styling while preserving the same youthful, functional, sporty and comfortable spirit as always. And it does so with a fresh design that reflects the Spanish automaker’s distinctive character by continuing with the brand’s DNA but with an edgier, sportier design featuring more sculpted, accentuated, exciting and streamlined surfaces.
The newcomer aims to go a major step ahead in safety, design, performance and comfort. This huge advance in quality was achieved thanks to the new MQB A0 modular platform. The latest Ibiza is the first Volkswagen Group model to use this platform, highlighting Seat’s importance within the conglomerate and offering countless advantages.
The Ibiza has impressively increased its interior roominess, is a lot more robust and, also, a lot safer. It is much wider (by 87mm), it is 2mm shorter from bumper to bumper and 1mm lower than the previous model, but more than anything, the change in its dimensions conveys a powerful image of a hatchback that hugs the ground. And the key is in the new MQB A0 platform.
The wheeltrack is 60mm wider at the front axle and 48mm wider at the rear axle, while the distance between the axles is 2564mm, a 95mm increase. The result is a much more comfortable car, which is both roomier on the inside and larger on the outside.
For example, legroom at the backseats has increased by 35mm, while headroom has gone up by 24mm at the front seats and 17mm at the rear seats. The seats themselves are 42mm wider, while the boot has been enlarged by 63 litres, bringing its total capacity to 355 litres, making it best in class. The loading height has also been lowered.
All of the engines available on the new Ibiza comply with the Euro 6 emissions regulation and lead the way in performance, with outstanding features, high mileage and low emissions. There are three aluminium-block TSI petrol motors, three turbo-diesel TDI engines and a CNG (compressed natural gas) powerplant to choose from. Seat is the first maker to offer a CNG option in this segment. The gearboxes available are a 5-speed manual, a 6-speed manual and a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The car’s dynamic behaviour, ride quality and driving comfort are exceptional thanks to the new MQB A0 platform, as well as to the 30 percent higher torsional stiffness. The new Ibiza is only available as a five-door, whose functional design offers the sportier look of a three-door.
There have also been qualitative leaps forward in terms of noise control, vibrations and ride harshness. The car is also agile in the city, efficient on curved roads and comfortable on long trips.
The new supermini will be offered with four equipment lines, starting with Reference followed by Style. The top-of-the-range trims will be FR and XCellence, both which cost the same but appeal to different buyers – FR is sportier, while XCellence focuses on comfort, elegance and technology.
The driving assistance systems built into the new Ibiza include elements that, while already present in the Leon and Ateca, are quite unusual in this class. The elements include Front Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Keyless Entry System with heartbeat engine start button, a new generation of front and rear parking sensors, and a rear view camera with higher quality and precision reflected in a premium, integrated 8-inch touchscreen with glass panel.
The latest Ibiza also presents a new Seat partnership with BeatsAudio, a brand bringing energy, emotion and excitement to the way people listen to music. The Ibiza’s BeatsAudio sound system uses a digital signal processor (DSP), seven premium speakers and a 300W 8-channel amplifier.
Launched in 1984 as a first-generation model, the Ibiza has become an icon of Seat. This car has been around the longest in the history of the brand and is its top-selling model, with over 5.4 million units sold.
How does a 2016 Spanish supermini compare to a 1963 Spanish supermini?