Gone is the 3-door model and it's strictly a practical 5-door for the 5th generation Ibiza. That also means no wagon, but we think the younger SEAT buyers would prefer an X-Perience version of the hatchback because it simply looks better.
Before I talk about the rendering, I want to quickly discuss the Leon X-Perience. The reviews have been decent, but I think SEAT have made it a little too dull which is why it never sold in the same numbers as the regular ST wagon. Brown seats and brown paint? Come on.
I still remember being glued to the monitor a couple of years ago when the Leon Cross Sport, a completely functional mix between a Cupra and a crossover body kit. Sadly, they never got round to making it, but the Ibiza X-Performance 4Drive looks just like it.
It's got sleek lines, bold minty paint and the rugged body kit which X-Tomi borrowed both from the Leon and the Ateca.
But the name is all wrong because X-Perience implies a standard 4Drive system which cannot be installed on the Ibiza right now. Instead, it should be a slightly more rugged supermini, like the CrossPolo and that thing based on the new Fiesta.
Skoda tried it too with the Rapid Scoutline, a dilution of its famous Octavia Scout brand. But you can't call something "X-Perienceline"; that's just stupid.
It's easy to underestimate these types of cars as marketing gimmicks. However, many people have to deal with hellish potholes and deteriorating roads. Meanwhile, Spain uses EU money to re-skin all its roads and keep unemployment down, so it's like paradise down there.
The only downside is that you have to be careful how much expensive equipment you add to an undesirable car. For example, a Leon X-Perience starts at €24,590 in Germany while the Ateca, which looks like the SUV everyone wants, is only €19,900.
Still, taller shocks and a black plastic kit are much easier to engineer than a 2-liter turbo engine, so the Ibiza XP should appear well before the Cupra rears its head.
I still remember being glued to the monitor a couple of years ago when the Leon Cross Sport, a completely functional mix between a Cupra and a crossover body kit. Sadly, they never got round to making it, but the Ibiza X-Performance 4Drive looks just like it.
It's got sleek lines, bold minty paint and the rugged body kit which X-Tomi borrowed both from the Leon and the Ateca.
But the name is all wrong because X-Perience implies a standard 4Drive system which cannot be installed on the Ibiza right now. Instead, it should be a slightly more rugged supermini, like the CrossPolo and that thing based on the new Fiesta.
Skoda tried it too with the Rapid Scoutline, a dilution of its famous Octavia Scout brand. But you can't call something "X-Perienceline"; that's just stupid.
It's easy to underestimate these types of cars as marketing gimmicks. However, many people have to deal with hellish potholes and deteriorating roads. Meanwhile, Spain uses EU money to re-skin all its roads and keep unemployment down, so it's like paradise down there.
The only downside is that you have to be careful how much expensive equipment you add to an undesirable car. For example, a Leon X-Perience starts at €24,590 in Germany while the Ateca, which looks like the SUV everyone wants, is only €19,900.
Still, taller shocks and a black plastic kit are much easier to engineer than a 2-liter turbo engine, so the Ibiza XP should appear well before the Cupra rears its head.