Seat’s next SUV concept
The concept vehicle on show at the event is meant to give a preview of a compact cross-over which could soon commence production in the factory in Martorell in Spain. This is where in the coming months the new Audi Q3 will be built using the capacity previously employed to make the BMW X1. And without too much delay the next model to come off the assembly lines should be the Seat cross-over. There was an earlier hint of this model at the IAA show in in the autumn of 2007 where it was called the Tribu and received a lot of attention. But then the Spanish decided to call a pause in their foray into the compact SUV sector. Seat came up with a new and a variant of the Audi A4 in the shape of the Exeo. And for a good while there was no glimpse of the cross-over on the company’s horizon. Now this all changes, we hope, with the IBX.
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- Seat’s SUV is a 4.26 metre long three-door auto which would certainly fill a gap in the manufacturer’s product range.
SUV coupé in one
The Seat IBX says loud and clear that the Spanish car maker still has ambitions in the cross-over class. The design of the IBX bears some resemblance to last year’s IBE concept car. At the Geneva Motor Show the IBX will appear as a combination of straightforward off-roader and coupé. Seat’s SUV is a 4.26 metre long three-door auto which would certainly fill a gap in the manufacturer’s product range. “The IBX has the DNA of our next generation vehicles. This design strategy will be followed for all of our new models”, says seat design head, Luc Donckerwolke. “With our Urban Sports Utility we are proving that with our design, with our emphasis on sporting flair and with youthful allure we can set even an SUV apart from others in its class.”
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- In its basic version the IBX is to have front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive as an option.
Various hybrid combinations
The concept is seen as a hybrid. On electrical power alone the car is seen as ideal for city commutes with a range of 45 kilometres. Then for longer journeys the internal combustion engine will have its role to play. And the concept demonstrates how various versions of petrol and diesel fuelled power can be configured. In its basic version the IBX is to have front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive as an option. “With the IBX we are demonstrating once again that we are determined to keep the marque fresh and that we are developing it constantly to meet the demands of the future”, says Seat’s president, James Muir. “The IBX represents the value of the brand in important ways – with its unique design, its youthful appearance and its convincing sustainabilty thank to the hybrid concept. And even if the decision has not yet been finally made, we could well imagine the IBX as a model which could extend our product range.”
