Four generations of Seat’s Ibiza, the car described by design chief Luc Donckerwolke as “our icon”, took to the stage at the Barcelona show to mark 25 years since the first Ibiza – with Porsche-designed engine – was launched.
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Walter da Silva, now VW Group design chief and the man responsible for the third generation car which changed the shape of Seat design when it made its debut in 2001, said the model line is the essence of the brand: “sporty, young but not aggressive.”
The latest version is the Bocanegra, unveiled in production form here in Spain after positive reaction to the concept shown at last year’s Geneva motor show.
The Bocanegra – literally ‘black face’ in Spanish – will sit above the FR, also unveiled today, and the Cupra as the flagship of the Ibiza range.
It has the VW Group’s 1.4 TSI twin charged engine, developing either 150 PS or 180PS, plus Seat’s ‘XDS’ electronic limited slip differential which is lighter and smaller than a mechanical version and a seven-speed DSG gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts.
