Ibiza is a name known not only as the landmark of all clubbers in the world, but also as the oldest name in Seat's catalogue. Born in 1984, it has sold about 5.4 million copies. 33 years later, this is the fifth generation. No, this is not a restyling. On the contrary, despite appearances, the new Ibiza Cru inaugurates a new architecture and new engines, of which it is the first in the Volkswagen galaxy.
New? Yes, really!
The general public will not necessarily notice at first glance, but Ibiza has just undergone a makeover. Starting with its MQB AO platform, the Volkswagen group's new platform adapted to small models, from which the Spanish is the first to benefit. A privilege that will only last a few weeks, since the VW Polo 6 and Audi A1 II are coming soon. A major sweep also took place in the engine offer, which was almost completely renewed!
Nice technical evolution for this 5th generation, but all this is not visible. What can be seen is the design of the car, which is intended to be a continuation of the 4th generation. Maybe a little too much, by the way. Certainly, some stylistic gimmicks from the older sister Leon enhance the whole. But we cannot help but deplore a certain timidity and a surprising lack of motivation to give this Ibiza 5 a real "novelty effect". It may be a long time for her, especially if her career lasts 9 years like the previous generation.
It's not the cabin that's going to make the crowds move. The Seat slogan is no longer "Auto Emocion", and it shows! The dashboard is sad and geometric, and finally close to that of the Skoda Fabia. This does not affect the general quality or the assemblies that will be observed in a few weeks. But honestly, what a gloomy atmosphere! We'll soon find a smile again, with a luggage compartment with the largest volume in the category. This is a great feat, especially since the vehicle's length is reduced by 2 centimetres and the rear passenger compartment does not seem to suffer from it.