SEAT Ibiza
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The two-door 2003 SEAT "Ibiza".
The SEAT Ibiza is a small hatchback car manufactured by the VAG and sold under the SEAT brand. The Ibiza is based on the same chassis as the VW Polo, itself a modified version of the VW Golf chassis. The SEAT Ibiza was originally designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also designed the VW Golf amongst many others.
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History
Mk. 1 1985-1993
The Mk. 1 was based on the Fiat 127/Ritmo/Regata, and used a powertrain which had been developed in collaboration with Porsche. This was the first SEAT which did not share any external body panels with any Fiat model, having been designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. This version, while it established the now classic Ibiza shape, suffered from poor build quality and unreliability. It also suffered from heavy steering and noisy engines.
Mk. 2 1993-2002
The Mk. 2 was the first Ibiza to be produced under Volkswagen Group management and used the underpinnings of the Mk. 3 VW Polo. It suffered a little from brand identity issues on release. Originally seen as cheap VW, the launch of the Cupra models and rallying success gave it a much stronger sporty image, which aligned with VW's acquisition of Skoda as a budget brand.
The Ibiza's 1.0 L, 1.4 L and 1.6 L petrol and 1.9 L Diesel (turbo or non turbo) engines would also be used in the next generation Polo. The Ibiza's running gear was also used in the SEAT Cordoba saloon, estate and coupe.
Under Volkswagen's ownership, Seat was marketed as a sporty and youthful brand whose cars were sold at competitive prices. The original Ibiza's black marks of bad build quality and unreliability were stamped out, as the Ibiza proved itself to be one of the best built and most reliable small cars in Europe.
In the autumn of 1999 the Ibiza received a facelift which saw its exterior styling updated and the interior completely restyled. Even though it was approaching its seven year of production, the Ibiza's looks were kept fresh by this impressive makeover.
By the time production of the second generation Ibiza/Cordoba ceased during 2002, the range had established itself as one of the most popular small cars in Europe of the past decade.
Mk. 3 2003-
The 2003 Ibiza (or Mk.3 Ibiza) is the second model to be produced under VW managed and is a much more focused car. Strongly built around a sporty, performance image, the model line up contains a selection of Hot hatch variants, topping out with the FR and Cupra . The performance end of the range is helped by the lack of fast Polo variants, especially the cancelling of the Polo GTI. The much improved, aggressive styling has boosted this model ahead of the family-friendly styling of the Polo in the hot hatch market. It is also the largest Ibiza to date, with room for five adults, and a spacious, if rather short, boot. The standard trim level on this model is noticeably higher than previous models.
Similar Models
Volkswagen Group
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| Volkswagen | Audi | SEAT | Škoda | Bentley | Bugatti | Lamborghini
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| Marbella | Arosa | Ibiza | Córdoba | Toledo | León | Alhambra | Altea | ||
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