Seat IBX Concept to Get Production Version

Having secured a place in the spotlight at the Geneva Auto Show in March with their rather visually simplistic IBX concept, the Spanish from Seat have now confirmed a rumor that has been around since the Geneva Show: the IBX will turn into a production version crossover.

According to what Car? Seat will try to expand its model offering with the new model from 2012, using as a platform the Audi technology which underpins the new Q3. Both models, for the ease of the process, will be manufactured at the Martorell plant in Spain.

Seat is currently operating within the deadline established by mother company Volkswagen in 2009. When the automotive crisis was at its peak back then, Volkswagen gave Seat (which by the numbers is the slowest moving brand in the VW portfolio) a five-year deadline to turn its business around or face the ax.

With the IBX-based crossover, the car maker plans to enter this segment of the market using as less money for R&D as possible. With the platform borrowed from Audi, the production version model is likely to be powered by internal combustion engines. For the concept, however, the Spanish have used an electric motor that powers the front wheels and a battery package that offers a range of around 45 kilometers (28 miles).

Design wise, it's also likely not will change compared to the IBX concept. The car presented in Geneva used as little complicated lines as possible, paired with the latest technologies (like LED lights) to create an interesting view.