The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini or B-segment car produced by the Spanish car producer since 1984 to the present. The Ibiza, named after the Spanish island, is SEAT’s top-selling car. It is related to the Córdoba.
SEAT collaborated with Italdesign, Karmann, and Porsche in the development of the Ibiza and presented it at the Paris Motor Show in 1984. When SEAT became a part of the Volkswagen Group in 1986, it began producing the Ibiza (second generation onwards) based on VW platforms and technologies.
The First Generation (1984-1993)
SEAT built the Ibiza Mk1 (or 021A) based on the SEAT Ronda and went on to become the Spanish automaker's top-selling car. Production commenced on 27 April 1984 with Italdesign taking care of the design and Karmann preparing it for mechanization. People aptly called this the version with "Italian styling and German engines".
In terms of size, it used a compact car as the basis being bigger than superminis like the Ford Fiesta and smaller than small family cars like the Ford Escort. Folding the rear seats would result in increased luggage capacity from 320L to 1200L.
The interior was rather plain and had an unusual instrument layout. It lacked an indicator stalk and used a rocker switch for operating the indicators and a sliding switch for the headlights.
The three primary trim levels were L, GL, and GLX with 3-door and 5-door configurations. Other variants included Base, Special, Disco, Chrono, Designer, Fashion, and SXi. These models used small engines in compliance with emissions regulations. So for the Sportline model, SEAT had to develop a bigger engine, which was 1.7L in capacity.
The first-generation’s engines had inline-four-cylinder units, front transverse-mounted:
- 0.9L Fiat 146A carburettor 8v petrol engine (34 kW, 56 Nm)
- 1.2L engines had a carburettor as well as 1.5L 85 horsepower engine;
- 1.5L 90 horsepower and 1.7L engines had single-point injection systems;
- 1.5L 100 horsepower used multi-point fuel injection
- 1.7L diesel used indirect injection
VW became SEAT’s major shareholder from 1986. In 1989, Ibiza Mark 1 received exterior restyling, mechanical modifications, and interior changes. The facelift included new seats and steering wheel and improvements in the gearbox, brakes, and steering. Even though there is no noticeable difference from the original, four body-coloured bars were used instead of seven bars on the black plastic grille, and there were new side mouldings. In 1991, SEAT launched the New Style, a more radical remodelling idea.
To mark its participation as a sponsor in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, SEAT launched the Ibiza "Serie Olímpica".
As the SEAT Ibiza Mk1 participated in a few rally events, its most memorable version was the all-wheel-drive Ibiza Bimotor produced in 1986. It had two engines delivering power to both front and rear axles.
For the Chinese market, the Ibiza Mk1 entered production in 1999 when the Chinese automaker Nanjing Automobile group
bought its design and rebranded it as Nanjing Yuejin Soyat.
There was also a cabriolet version of the SEAT Ibiza Mk1 called Ibiza Cabrio, which you will find in its Nave A122 site.
The Second Generation (1993-2002)
The VW Group based the production of the Mk3 Ibiza on the platform of MK3 Golf. There were both three and five-door saloon/coupé variants called the SEAT Córdoba as well as the estate, aka the SEAT Córdoba Vario.
The dashboard of the pre-facelift Ibiza 6K was the same as the other models that SEAT and VW had. Pre-facelift trim levels were i, CL, CLX, GLX, Pasion, S, and GTI.
A facelift in 1996 brought smoother bumpers, a new grille and redesigned headlamps. Also, new trim levels were used (Base, E, S, SE, SXE, Sport, GT, GTI and GTI Cupra Sport).
It improved the powertrain and running gear and added the 2.0L 16v ABF petrol engine (110kW) as well as 1.8L 16v and the 2.0L 16v engines from the VW Golf Mk3.
In 1999, the facelift of the Ibiza Mk2 introduced revisions to the front and rear end. Also never before seen was a new tailgate-mounted SEAT badge, which doubles as a switch for releasing the boot lid. The interior modifications also included a new dashboard and new door panels.
The Ibiza used the same engines like those used by the VW Polo, including 1.05L, 1.4L, 1.6L and 1.8L petrol engines and 1.9L TDI and SDI diesel engines. The SEAT Córdoba coupé, saloon, and estate share the same powertrain and running gear as the Ibiza.
There were several trim levels offered for the Ibiza, such as the Cupra and Cupra R, Entry, S, SE, SX, Award, Stella, Signo, and Sport (1.8T 20V 156 PS). Choices for the Australian market included the CLX for the base model, the GTI, and the Cupra Sport. They feature the following:
- The CLX model was powered by the base 1.4L inline-four petrol engine with a power output of 44kW and 107Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. It comes with cloth trim and radio cassette with six speakers.
- The GTI model was powered by a 2.0L inline-four petrol engine with a power output of 85kW and 166Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. This trim serves as a higher grade level. In addition to the base features, it has a driver’s airbag, ABS, air conditioning, alloy wheels, central locking, front fog lights, metallic paint, power mirrors, power steering, power windows, and a rear spoiler.
- The Cupra Sport was powered by the high-performance 2.0L inline-four petrol engine with a power output of 110kW and 180Nm of torque, paired with a 5-speed manual gearbox. It is the top-of-the-line trim level with the following features: dual front airbags, ABS, air conditioning, alloy wheels, body kit, central locking, cloth trim, front fog lights, engine immobilizer, power mirrors, power steering, power windows, rear spoiler, sports seats, trip computer, and traction control system.
Millions of Ibizas were sold as of the close of the second generation, which was the generation that received several awards, including the 1994 Car of the Year award in Spain and the 1994 Carro do Ano award in Portugal. It was also the only generation that SEAT marketed in Australia.
The Third Generation (2002-2008)
The VW Group built this generation on the same platform used on the VW Polo Mk4. The two hot hatch models, Ibiza FR and Cupra, gave life to the sporty design that Walter de Silva created. Not only were these models more aggressively-shaped and built than the previous two generations, but they were also larger and more spacious. Apart from that, their trim levels were of noticeably higher standard.
The Ibiza was used for purposes other than the usual family or personal transport and figured as police cars and rally cars. It was available in Award, S, SX, Stylance, Reference, Signo, Stella, Sport, FR, and Cupra trim levels.
The first facelift was in 2006 with small cosmetic modifications to the interior and exterior. New trim levels were brought in, namely, Reference, Stylance, Freerider, Sportrider, Sport, DAB Sport, Formula Sport, FR, and Cupra. SEAT also introduced engines with increased power, including a 1.2L 12v and 1.4L 16v as well as a new 1.4L TDI diesel model.
The Fourth Generation (Typ 6J, 2008–2015 and Typ 6P, 2015–2017)
Famous for its ‘arrow design’ styled by Luc Donckerwole, the Ibiza Mk4 (Typ 6J) was introduced in 2008 at the Geneva Motor Show in 2008 as the Bocanegra concept car. There were a 5-door hatchback, a 3-door model and a 5-door estate variants.
In 2008, the new model went on sale for the first time, and it was in the 5-door configuration. Later, there was a 3-door variant advertised as the Ibiza SportCoupé. At the end of 2008, the Ibiza Ecomotive model was launched with a 59kW and 1.4L diesel engine.
In June 2009, three high-performance models were launched, namely, the Ibiza FR, Cupra, and Bocanegra with powertrains tuned to:
- Ibiza FR – 110kW 1.4TSI twincharger engine with a seven-speed DSG
- Ibiza Cupra and Ibiza Bocanegra – 132kW
At the beginning of 2010, the 2.0 TDI diesel engine was first introduced on Ibiza’s platform in both SportCoupe and a five-door Ibiza FR. It had a peak power rating of 105kW and fuel consumption of 4.6L/100km.
Later that year, this model was extended with the new 1.2 TSI 77kw engine.
SEAT released a special model of the Ibiza Mk4 in 2009 at the Barcelona Motor Show to mark its 25th anniversary. What better name to call it than "25th anniversary".
In July 2010, a remodelled Ibiza Ecomotive was announced, powered by a 1.2L TDI common-rail diesel engine (55 kW).
At the Geneva Motor Show in 2012, the first facelift variant was represented and soon after that sales started. The changes under this facelift only covered minor interior and exterior modifications.
In 2015, the second more thorough facelift was done by changing both interior and exterior with higher quality materials and equipment with the possibility of personalisation. Furthermore, it was equipped with Full Link technology which enables a connection with the driver's mobile phone and is compatible with both Android and Apple smartphones.
Along with that, there were some safety features, such as day running full-LED lights, parking assist with audio warnings, and a rear-view camera for reversing.
The Fifth Generation KJ (2017-present)
In 2017, the fifth-generation SEAT Ibiza 5-door hatchback was launched at the Geneva Motor Show. The new design features sharp lines and aggressive look, with a reworked interior to enhance functionality. Handling was improved to offer a better ride and driving experience. Even though it is based on the MQB A0 platform, it is 2mm shorter and 87mm wider.
Trim levels available on the current SEAT Ibiza include S, SE, SE Design, SE Technology, Xcellence Lux, FR Sport, FR, and Xcellence.
The standard Ibiza’s equipment includes 3x3 point rear seat belts, ABS, audio remote, body-colored bumpers, driver's airbag, electric mirrors, folding rear seats, front electric windows, height-adjustable driver’s seat, Isofix child seat anchor points, PAS, passenger's airbag, remote locking, side airbags, steering wheel rake and reach adjustment, and traction control.
Other trim levels offer air conditioning, alarm, alloy wheels, climate control, cloth seat trim, cruise control, electric sunroof, front fog lights, heated mirrors, metallic paint, parking sensors, partial leather seat trim, rear electric windows, Sat Nav, sports seats, steel wheels, and other.
The following were the engines used in this generation but availability varied per market:
- 1.0L MPI petrol engine with a power output of 73 kW or 78 horsepower
- 1.0L TSI 3-cylinder petrol engine with a power output of 93 kW or 113 horsepower
- 1.5L TSI EVO petrol engine with a power output of 147 horsepower
- 1.6L TDI 4-cylinder diesel with a power output of 78 kW or 93 horsepower
SEAT sold more than 4 million units of Ibiza throughout the generations.
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Author: Andrijana Pavlovic