Photo: SEAT
What’s wrong with this picture? As you can see, SEAT.es doesn’t feature the Ibiza ST anymore in its model lineup. Instead of officially announcing that the subcompact station wagon has been put out of production, the Spanish brand’s regional office in the United Kingdom confirmed that the Ibiza ST bit the dust.
As reported by Autocar, a spokesperson told the British motoring publication that the “production of the Ibiza ST had stopped in May 2016, and it was not included in the recent Ibiza range facelift.” Such a scenario was expected to a certain degree, chiefly due to our ever-increasing worship of crossover SUVs.
Introduced in late 2010, the Ibiza ST was designed by Luc Donckerwolke and manufactured at the SEAT Martorell plant in Spain. This is the second family-oriented subcompact station wagon phased out of production in Europe after Peugeot killed off the 207 SW in 2014. The fallout is even drearier in the UK, where the only subcompact-sized estates on sale today are the Dacia Logan MCV and the SEAT Ibiza ST’s Czech counterpart, the Skoda Fabia Combi.
Having confirmed that the Ibiza ST was canceled due to poor sales figures, the spokesperson cited by Autocar added that the compact-sized SEAT Leon ST continues to sell well. As much as I love station wagons for what they are, it’s true that demand for high-riding crossover SUVs is on the rise in Europe.
In this regard, the Spanish automaker has a trick up its sleeve. Not only will the Ibiza get an all-new generation for 2017, but the subcompact hatchback will also spawn a crossover. Confirmed to hit European showrooms in late 2017 as the SEAT Arona, the new kid on the block will rival the Nissan Juke.
Because it will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, it’s very likely that the upcoming SEAT Arona will be available with 4Drive AWD.
Introduced in late 2010, the Ibiza ST was designed by Luc Donckerwolke and manufactured at the SEAT Martorell plant in Spain. This is the second family-oriented subcompact station wagon phased out of production in Europe after Peugeot killed off the 207 SW in 2014. The fallout is even drearier in the UK, where the only subcompact-sized estates on sale today are the Dacia Logan MCV and the SEAT Ibiza ST’s Czech counterpart, the Skoda Fabia Combi.
Having confirmed that the Ibiza ST was canceled due to poor sales figures, the spokesperson cited by Autocar added that the compact-sized SEAT Leon ST continues to sell well. As much as I love station wagons for what they are, it’s true that demand for high-riding crossover SUVs is on the rise in Europe.
In this regard, the Spanish automaker has a trick up its sleeve. Not only will the Ibiza get an all-new generation for 2017, but the subcompact hatchback will also spawn a crossover. Confirmed to hit European showrooms in late 2017 as the SEAT Arona, the new kid on the block will rival the Nissan Juke.
Because it will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, it’s very likely that the upcoming SEAT Arona will be available with 4Drive AWD.
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