Photo: SEAT
The supermini segment is being bombarded by increasingly competent cars. More advanced technologies have begun being available, including adaptive damper, LED lighting and radar-based safety systems. But nobody seems to have found the sweet spot in the range yet, which is why we're excited about the all-new 2016 SEAT Ibiza.
According to a powerpoint presentation at a dealer meeting in June 2014, this Ibiza 5 will hit the market in late 2016 and is likely to be the first in this segment to be based on the new MQB platform, the same one used by Car of the Year winners like the Golf 7 and Audi A3.
Other cars like the Polo facelift and the Skoda Fabia have used MQB tech, like the engines and the infotainment systems, but SEAT could be the first to use the platform on a supermini. This could result in a significant weight reduction and a longer wheelbase. Because the MQB has a standard distance between the front axle and the firewall, it could for the front wheels forward, improving the space and ride.
We don't yet know what the next Ibiza will look like, since prototypes have not been seen yet. However, the dealer presentation did show a small sketch where the defining lines were marked out in red. Two prominent shoulder lines should define the profile, one long one coming from the front and a short one at the back. That's exactly what we see in this rendering by RM Design.
Of course, the front end may or may not be similar to the current Leon. But since this hatchback has been so well received and make up the bulk of their sales, we see no reason to make a shrunken version of that.
The fifth-generation model will also use all of the latest downsized engines, including a family of petrol and diesel 3-cylinder turbos. We're looking forward to seeing what sort of balance the Ibiza strikes between sport and comfort when it debuts over a year from now.
Other cars like the Polo facelift and the Skoda Fabia have used MQB tech, like the engines and the infotainment systems, but SEAT could be the first to use the platform on a supermini. This could result in a significant weight reduction and a longer wheelbase. Because the MQB has a standard distance between the front axle and the firewall, it could for the front wheels forward, improving the space and ride.
We don't yet know what the next Ibiza will look like, since prototypes have not been seen yet. However, the dealer presentation did show a small sketch where the defining lines were marked out in red. Two prominent shoulder lines should define the profile, one long one coming from the front and a short one at the back. That's exactly what we see in this rendering by RM Design.
Of course, the front end may or may not be similar to the current Leon. But since this hatchback has been so well received and make up the bulk of their sales, we see no reason to make a shrunken version of that.
The fifth-generation model will also use all of the latest downsized engines, including a family of petrol and diesel 3-cylinder turbos. We're looking forward to seeing what sort of balance the Ibiza strikes between sport and comfort when it debuts over a year from now.
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