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SEAT Ibiza X-Perience Rendered: Offroad Supermini

European car buyers appear to be shying away from SUVs and going back to the more practical wagons that lay forgotten for many years. This has created a new market for crossovers that are essentially jacked up versions of normal cars, literally a dozen such vehicles having sprouted up in the last two years.
SEAT Ibiza X-Perience 3 photos
Photo: Theophilus Chin
SEAT Ibiza X-Perience RenderedSEAT Ibiza X-Perience Rendered
Volkswagen Group appears to be very keen to take advantage of this niche, having just launched three compacts, all based on the MQB platform: Skoda Octavia Scout, Volkswagen Golf Alltrack and SEAT Leon X-Perience.

Lowed down in the supermini or subcompact segment, there's only one choice, the Polo Cross, possibly to be joined by a Skoda Fabia Scout next year.

So where are the Spanish in all this? Well, the current generation Ibiza dates back to 2008 and was designed to be the sportiest supermini on the market, not the most rugged and adventurous. It has sharp creases down its side that are inspired by Lamborghinis, a large exhaust muffler that sticks out on some models and low front bumper – not ideal for a crossover.

These renderings created by Theophilus Chin show the X-Perience design language doesn't blend perfectly with the sporty Ibiza. But the aluminum protective plates and black armor cladding do manage to hide some of its weaknesses from rocks and gravel.

The future of the Ibiza

We can say with almost absolute certainty that SEAT will not make an X-Perience version of the current Ibiza. However, the next one is an altogether different thing.

Work has already begun to prepare the fifth-generation supermini in time for its 2017 launch. After more than 30 years on the market, it will receive a complete redesign. Unlike the current mode, this will be based on compact version of VW Group's MQB platform, also to be used by the next Polo in three years.

SEAT is currently developing its first SUV, which will be about the size of the VW Tiguan. After that, a smaller crossover is planned, expected to compete with the Renault Captur and Opel Mokka, both of which have been hugely popular.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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