Okay, it’s basically a marginally different version of the Ibiza hatch minus a couple of doors, but Seat reckons this is enough to give it a different name and image.
The three-door caught here wears disguise to put onlookers off the scent of Seat’s new baby, but it
hides bodywork that’s strongly reminiscent of the Bocanegra SportCoupé concept shown at the March 2008 Geneva Motor Show.
Expect a rakish supermini with a lower stance, different rear lights and a fresh swage line down the flanks.
We’ll know for sure later this summer; the three-door Ibiza will be unveiled at either July’s London motor show or the Paris exhibition in October.
Under the metalwork lies the mechanical package of the next-generation Volks-wagen Polo.
It’s the first time that Seat has been allowed the lead role in a platform introduction; normally the Spaniards trail their German and Czech counterparts.
Those front-wheel drive underpinnings mean the new Ibiza will get the latest cutting-edge tech not normally seen on superminis.
So there’s a seven-speed DSG twin-clutch gearbox under development, lights that peer around corners and a hill-holder function to prevent roll-back on steep inclines.
Timetable: Show debut at London or Paris, on sale winter 2008
Engineering: New VW Polo underneath: front-wheel drive, seven-speed DSG gearbox
The hot ones: Expect turbocharged FR and Cupra models.
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