New Ibiza for Ireland in April

13 December 2001: The next generation of the SEAT Ibiza will be rolled out in Ireland in April and will challenge a whole new segment from its current supermini slot. In many respects the Ibiza may woo drivers from the Corolla/Golf segment above it.

The car will be launched here with 1.2-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines, and - at the latter half of the year - with the 1.4-litre 3-cylinder turbodiesel engine of 75bhp output which is already being used in the Audi A2 and VW Polo, and the SEAT Arosa in some markets.

The new Ibiza will not be brought in with any of a trio of 1.9-litre engines being used in other European countries, including a 130bhp TDi with a six-speed gearbox.

"We tried a 1.9-litre diesel in Ireland with the outgoing model, and it just didn't sit with the Irish situation," says Anthony Neville of Hispano Cars Ltd, importers of SEAT in Ireland.

The new Ibiza - the model represents 40% of all output from the SEAT factory in Spain - retains a number of 'muscular' styling cues from the outgoing car, but adds elements from the recent Salsa and Salsa Emocion concept cars. It is larger inside and out, and is being promoted as being led by a sporting and designer ethos.

Brief drives out here in southern Spain today show a car substantially upograded from where it was at, both in looks, specifications and dynamic performance. The company plans to sell some 200,000 a year in mainly European markets.

We heard that the profile of the European buyer of Ibiza is primarily male, young and single, with 50% of the owners being under 30.

Projected sales for Ireland are around 1,500 in the first year.

The latest Ibiza has also made major owner cost savings by being brought down to a significantly lower insurance grade in Germany, the benchmark for insurance grading of cars. In some specifications, the savings are as high as more than EUR 1,000.

No prices or final specifications are as yet available for the Irish market, but all cars produced will have dual airbags, power steering and 14" wheels.

The entry price in Spain will be EUR 10,800. BB