With a World Premiere at the 2010 Geneva Motorshow, SEAT is pushing forward with its product offensive – the SEAT Ibiza ST is the third model to join the successful Ibiza line-up. The compact estate car is the perfect vehicle for a youthful and sporty lifestyle, bringing together the brand’s most powerful characteristics – it is emotional and well-designed, it is dynamic and efficient, it is easy to use and financially attainable. SEAT will deliver the SEAT Ibiza ST in six modern engine variants and with a broad palette of equipment and technologies. Market launch is planned for early summer.

The stylists at SEAT Design have taken the highly functional concept of the SEAT Ibiza ST and clad it in the Spanish brand’s unique design language. Despite the estate layout and generous load capacity, it retains the youthful, sporty character of the Ibiza range. The roofline stretches rearwards, the rear overhang is integrated perfectly into the overall design and the tight span of its flanks lends tautness to its proportions. The front end bears the hallmark SEAT “arrow design”; with the rear end receiving a new look courtesy of the split rear light clusters.

With a length of 4.23 metres, the SEAT Ibiza ST is no less than 18 centimetres longer than the Ibiza. This creates ample load capacity to satisfy all the requirements of a sporty and mobile lifestyle. The base capacity of 430 litres is already comparatively generous, and can be increased in stages by folding the split rear seat. Engineers paid particularly close attention to the optimal width and low height of the load opening. Overall, the bodyshell is finished to the high levels of precision and stiffness characteristic of all SEAT models.

The interior of the SEAT Ibiza ST is impressively spacious, with an accomplished and high quality character. The designers and engineers paid close attention to the tiniest detail; every single element is functional, practical to use and meticulously crafted, as evidenced by the high material quality and tight tolerances. The cockpit feels taut. Circular air vents, a short gear stick – the emotional character expressed by the design of the SEAT Ibiza ST is clearly evident in the interior, too.

Sporty dynamics with a high degree of efficiency is par for the course for every SEAT. The basis for this is delivered by state-of-the-art engines, with the SEAT Ibiza ST offering a choice of three petrol and three TDI units with common-rail injection. Four of the six engines operate with direct injection and turbocharging. They span an output range of between 51 and 77 kW (70 to 105 hp). Particular highlights include the exceptionally efficient 1.2 TDI and 1.2 TSI.

Another guarantee of agility and dynamics comes from the precise and safe running gear. Together with the excellent equipment of the three model lines Reference, Style and Sport, as well as the broad range of hi-tech optional equipment – such as the dual-clutch transmission – this makes the SEAT Ibiza ST the one to beat in the small estate car segment. Especially as excellent value for money is an integral part of the youthful character that defines this kind of SEAT.

The most obvious is the new silhouette, featuring sophisticated, innovative black honeycomb cooling vents at the front beneath the central grille. The front bumper houses two further black highlights, one at each side, with the word Cupra immediately visible on the left.

The rear features a prominent black moulding at the bottom of the bumper, a polished steel oval tailpipe and the characteristic model name in the centre of the hatch.

A side look at the Seat León Cupra reveals a lower ground clearance compared to the basic León version, making the car look and feel more like a racing unit. The spectacular 18 inch rims, eye-catching wheel arches and black encased door mirrors are all distinctive traits of the Seat model.

All the interior elements are black clad, replacing the usual light tones on other models. There is a leather steering wheel with aluminium colour inserts and the Cupra logo at the bottom and a matching gearknob. Further sporty details are the white faced instrument dials and aluminium pedals.

Special mention goes to the Seat Leon Cupra Seats, with their true racing bucket styling, featuring integrated headrests and the “Cupra” badge displayed on the backrests. These Seats offer tremendous side support when dealing with corners and driving comfort. An attractive new option is now available in black leather upholstery with white cross-stitching.

The same as on the previous version, the new Seat León Cupra 2009 is equipped with the powerful 240 hp 2.0 TSI engine, which provides brilliant performance and delivers exceptional fuel consumption figures. Top speed is clocked at 247 km/h, 0 to 100 km/h acceleration takes only 6.4 seconds, and it covers a standing kilometre in only 26.4 seconds. At the same time, average combined fuel consumption is listed at 8.3 litres for every 100 km.

The new Seat León Cupra features such standard equipment as the XDS system, ABS and TCS, ESP with EBA emergency braking, low tyre pressure warning, driver and passenger airbag, side airbag and head airbag, climate control, cornering foglights, trip computer, cruise control, sports suspension and CD radio + MP3 + 8 speakers + Aux-in, among others.

Specifications: (Updating)

SEAT, S.A. (English pronunciation: [ˈsɛːat], “say-at”; Spanish pronunciation: [ˈseat]) is a Spanish automobile manufacturer founded in 1950 by the Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI), with initial Fiat assistance, and now a wholly owned subsidiary of the German Volkswagen Group. Its headquarters are at Martorell near Barcelona, Spain. Its production reached 408.318 cars in 2006.

SEAT is an acronym for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, or in English Spanish Passenger Car Company.

Initially, SEAT manufactured rebadged Fiat models which differed very little visually from the products of the Italian parent. The SEAT Panda (later restyled as SEAT Marbella) for example was based on the Fiat Panda. The SEAT 600, based on Fiat 600, was the first car for many Spanish families, and became a symbol of the Spanish Miracle.

By 1967 SEAT was Spain’s largest auto-maker. In that year Fiat increased its holding in the company from 6% to 36%. At the same time the share held by the government holding agency was reduced from a controlling 51% to 32%. The remaining 32% was taken by six major banks. Although not a majority owner, Fiat now was seen to control the business: the deal also included various undertakings by Fiat to help in the growth of SEAT, and with the development of a new model (possibly the SEAT 133).

During the ensuing period, the manufacturer continued to dominate the Spanish auto market, producing 282,698 cars – more than 58% of the Spanish production total – in 1971 despite disruption that year caused by strikes and a serious flood at the coastally sited Barcelona plant.[3] However, with just 81 cars per thousand people, Spanish car sales were seen as ripe for further growth, and SEAT faced the prospect of increased competition with other major manufacturers contemplating establishment or expansion of ‘local’ production facilities in the still heavily protected Spanish car market.

In the early 1980s extensive discussions concerning funding and control took place between the major share holder, the Spanish government, and Fiat: SEAT needed major capital investment which Fiat was not prepared to inject. The outcome, by 1982, was an end after nearly 30 years, to the relationship with Fiat. The first car under the new SEAT logo without Fiat involvement appeared in 1982, and was called the SEAT Ronda. This was a restyled Fiat Ritmo, and sparked a lawsuit from Fiat against SEAT, as the former claimed the car was still too similar to the Ritmo. The then president of SEAT, Juan Miguel Antoñanzas, showed a Ronda to the press with all the parts different from the Fiat Ritmo painted in bright yellow, to highlight the differences. This ended the dispute. Rumour at the time had it that Fiat was angry because the Ronda restyling was in fact too close to their own planned restyling for the Fiat Ritmo, which they had to scrap.

A few years after the withdrawal of Fiat in 1981, the Volkswagen Group subsidiary Audi AG signed a cooperation agreement with SEAT, becoming the major shareholder in 1986, and 100% owner of the company in 1990. During the mid 2000s, the ownership of the SEAT company was realigned, with Audi AG transferring ownership of SEAT to the top-tier holding company Volkswagen Group.