New Seat Ibiza Makes Show Debut

Press Release

Exterior and interior quality

The 2008 SEAT Ibiza's tantalising design is immediately visible from front to rear. Thanks to the innovative lines created by SEAT's Design Director Luc Donckerwolke, the exterior possesses a uniquely distinct look, able to convey strong emotions at first sight.

The imposing sportiness of the new "Arrow Design" concept is due to the positioning of the captivating eye-shaped headlights and the radiator grille. Both elements have been lowered, conferring an arrowhead design which is characteristic of the new car.

The silhouette of the new Ibiza gains special significance thanks to the evolution of the "Dynamic Line", which runs lengthwise from the front end over the doors. The robust shoulders and striking wheel arches complete the attractive design of the new Ibiza.

The design of the interior is based on facing all the instruments toward the driver to create a sporty atmosphere, where the shape of the surfaces lets in enough light to set the interior mood.

The interior dimensions are uncluttered, resulting in greater roominess and practicality. The first thing that draws your attention is the sporty driving position, which has been lowered by 22 mm on the front seats. Now there is a distance of 986 mm (20 mm more) to the ceiling, and 60 mm (16 mm more) from the head to the area where the ceiling and the doors meet. Since the vehicle is 99 mm longer, the boot capacity is 292 litres, which is 25 litres greater than on the previous Ibiza.

The newly designed, sporty dashboard features an ergonomic, driver-oriented instrument panel with two large circular dials. The new circular air nozzles guarantee an ideal air flow direction for greater passenger compartment comfort.

A novelty on the new Ibiza is the possibility of connecting a portable navigator thanks to the pre-installation located in the centre of the console above the ventilation nozzles, which eliminates the need for cables and suction cups to keep it in place on the windscreen.

Another highlight of the fourth generation Ibiza is the new "black panel" radio, which gets its name from its looks. Both attractive and highly functional, the new radio features a sophisticated Bluetooth telephone system, which directly influences driver and passenger comfort and safety.

There is also the possibility of installing a combined USB/Aux-in connection on the dashboard, which is compatible with an iPod, audio MP3 or similar and data storage devices. The iPod can be controlled from the new radio controls located on the steering column, another novelty on the SEAT range.

The buttons on the console include several functions, such as the hazard lights, door locking/unlocking, ESP disconnection, tyre pressure, seat heater and a warning to indicate if the passenger airbag is disconnected.

Standard ESP for the first time in this segment

The new SEAT Ibiza is equipped with top-notch equipment. In selected markets such as Spain and Germany, ESP electronic stability control is available as standard, which implies that other sophisticated elements are added right from the entry-level version.

With the addition of standard ESP, the 2008 Ibiza offers tyre pressure warning and Hill Hold Control, which maintains the vehicle stationary on slopes for two seconds between releasing the brake pedal and accelerating. This prevents the car from slipping back or forward prior to accelerating, and becomes a handy solution for manoeuvring and in city driving.

The new generation Ibiza features better dynamic qualities than on the previous model. The new track width has directly influenced the need to carry out modifications to both wheel shafts. The front shaft is 30 mm wider, which prompted modifying the steering gear, the front sub-chassis, stabiliser bar, both lower transversal arms and the drive shaft ball joint.

The main difference on the rear shaft is also related to the wider track. The 33 mm increase has resulted in a different setup and the need for new silent-blocks to join it to the body.

The new generation Ibiza features two different ratings for the chassis, one that focuses on comfort and the other on sportier performance. The modifications affect both the front and rear shafts and the steering gear.

The main differences on the front shaft centre on the ratings of the shock absorbers, which develop variable compression and extension depending on speed; the coils, which are around 25% stiffer than on the comfort version, and the stabiliser bar, whose diameter on the sporty version has increased from 18 to 19 mm.

On the rear shaft, the link is 15% stiffer and the silent-blocks that anchor them to the body have been modified, providing more agile, more precise handling. Finally, the software that regulates assistance to the steering gear also varies, to suit the new set-up of the chassis assembly.

The brake callipers on the new Ibiza guarantee more rigidity and less noise. On the versions equipped with the 105 hp TDI engine, the disc brakes measure 15 inches instead of the 14 inches of the previous version, to improve efficiency.

On left-hand drive versions, the brake servo diameter has been increased, which greatly improves braking smoothness.

The wider tracks and the greater distance between shafts have made it possible to install larger diameter wheels. The new Ibiza is available with 185/60 R15 tyres on 15 inch rims, 215/45 R16 tyres on 16 inch rims and 215/40 R17 tyres on 17 inch rims.

Passenger and pedestrian safety

The new Ibiza features two airbag setups - one standard, which includes side head-thorax airbags and two front airbags; and alternative equipment which includes side thorax-pelvis airbags and head airbags.

The safety concept has been considerably enhanced on the new generation Ibiza. One key area is the development of a new passenger airbag module, focussing efforts on improving the airbag's performance under extreme temperature conditions. Results are a weight reduction and less complexity than on the previous model.

This evolution has not only affected the performance of the passenger airbag, but has also improved the looks of the dashboard, since the deployment area on the lining is seamless and invisible to the eye.

Crash tests were used in the development programme of the new Ibiza at a speed of impact of 64 km/h, instead of the usual 56 km/h. Another area of active and passive safety examined was the restraining systems.

Besides, rear crash tests were even more gruelling, with a speed of impact of 50 km/h instead of 38 km/h, and the mass of the impact beam was also increased.

The new Ibiza also features a fasten seatbelt warning system for the front seats and Isofix anchoring points for the rear window seats, enabling two child seats to be securely fastened. A complementary accessory is the possibility of installing a third anchoring point called Top Tether, which prevents the child seat from rotating in the event of a crash.

Pedestrian protection is one definite area of safety closely studied on the new Ibiza. The two zones on the car that are more prone to cause injuries to a pedestrian's head and lower legs are the bonnet and the bumper.
The bonnet features two areas of maximum energy absorption where the risk of causing head injuries is the greatest. On the whole, the great distance between the bumper and its crossbeam but no distance between the bumper and its rear support both contribute to protecting the legs in the event of collision.

The SEAT Ibiza has been put through more than two million kilometres of endurance tests, and the resulting data has been analysed at the Martorell Technical Centre as the basis for introducing improvements to the new model during its development.