Seat Previews Next Year's Ibiza Sport Tourer with IBZ Concept

Sans the LED tail and head lamps, the sexy 19-inch alloys in low profile 235/35 tyres, the dramatic styling of the front and rear bumpers, the groovy exterior mirrors, the sporty interior with the high-quality materials, the flat-bottomed steering wheel, the futuristic instrument panel and well, whatever else makes this concept look cool (...), what you see here is very close to next year's production Ibiza station wagon or in Seat's nomenclature, the Sport Tourer.

The concept model, which goes by the name IBZ, also gets hidden rear door handles and a panoramic glass sunfroof while the front-end shows an evolution of Seat's latest design language with the bonnet now featuring a running edge - GM anyone?

Bypassing the conceptual styling traits of the interior, the IBZ comes with a more spacious boot that measures 410 litres and can be extended when the rear seats are folded down leaving a completely flat cargo space stretching right to the back of the front seats. The car also features a hidden area underneath the 'normal' boot.

Seat says that IBZ Concept has a total length of 4.22 meters and retains the same height and width as the basic hatch. Howver, the Spanish automaker claims that access to the back seats has been improved thanks to the broader rear doors.

The toned-down, production version of the IBZ Concept will join the three- and five-door hatchback versions of the Ibiza towards the middle of next year (2010).

JE Design Turns the Wick Up on the 2010 SEAT Leon FR TSI and TDI

The tuning specialists over at JE Design are planning to debut their 2010 Seat Leon FR at this month's Essen Motor Show in Germany. The performance package includes upgrades for both the TSI gasoline and TDI diesel versions of the Spanish hatchback. In its latest form, the 2.0-liter TSI petrol engine delivers 211HP and 280Nm of torque. With JE Design's engine kit that's priced at €1,499, the TSI's output is lifted to 270HP and 335Nm reducing the Leon FR's zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time from 7.1 to 6.2 seconds.

The 170HP 2.0-liter diesel engine's gets a nudge to 204HP and 380Nm of torque. This extra muscle helps cut 0-100km/h acceleration from 8.2 to 7.6 seconds. The price for this kit is €1,339 Euros and also includes VAT, assembly and warranty.

The tuner shop offers a set of lowering springs (€159) to bring the car 35mm closer to the ground while there's also an adjustable coilover suspension (€979) that allows the driver to drop the vehicle's height between 15mm and 40mm. A set of 19-inch multispoke alloy wheels shod in 225/35R 19 rubber priced at €2,930 complete the performance tweaks.

For the exterior, JE Design offers a bevy of upgrades including headlamp covers (€89), LED daytime running lights (€299) and its aerodynamics package that comprises of a front spoiler (€279), side skirts (€299), rear apron (€299) and the centre diffuser attachment (€99) plus a four-pipe muffler system (€899) and a pair of Lamborghini-style scissor doors (€1,499).

Finally, the interior can be modded with a leather treatment for the seats, door linings and the centre armrest (€1,599), a two-stage seat heating function (€379) and even a massage system with twelve programmes for the front seats (€429).

Skoda Plant to Produce VW Group's New 1.2 TSI Turbo Petrol Engine

In celebration of the 110th anniversary of engine building at its Mladá Boleslav plant in the Czech Republic, Skoda has announced that it will manufacture the VW Group's latest generation 1.2-liter TSI gasoline engine. The new four-cylinder power unit features both direct fuel injection and turbocharging technology delivering an output of 105HP at 5,000 rpm and 175Nm (129 lb-ft) of peak torque available between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm.

It can be combined with either a six-speed manual transmission or the VW Group's 7-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission.

"This brand new TSI engine provides a unique opportunity of combining environmental friendliness with a well-balanced driving performance," says Skoda Auto BOD Chairman Reinhard Jung. "With substantially lower CO2 figures, this new engine needs to be seen as a contribution to a significant reduction of average emission volumes in our cars."

The new powerplant makes its Skoda debut in the new Yeti compact SUV, and is also offered in various Audi, Volkswagen and Seat vehicles.

SEAT Announces 62.7mpg UK Ibiza FR TDI Diesel Models

The Volkswagen Group's seemingly sporty Spanish car brand is starting 2010 in the UK with the launch of the Ibiza FR TDI that will be available in both three-door SC and five-door body styles with prices starting at £16,465 RRP.

Available to order now at SEAT dealerships across the UK with deliveries set to begin in March, the diesel-powered extension to the Ibiza FR range boasts a four-cylinder turbocharged diesel pumping out 143 horsepower.

Linked as standard to a six-speed manual gearbox, the TDI accelerates the SC three-door hatch from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 8.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph or 209km/h. The 5-door model's equivalent values are 8.3 seconds and 129mph.

The Ibiza FR hatch, which by the way, is faster than let's say (...) the JDM Honda CR-Z by about 1.5 seconds in the 0-100km/h sprint, records a combined fuel economy in the EU cycle of 62.7mpg UK that translates to 4.5lt/100km and 52.2mpg US, with an official CO2 figure of 119 g/km.

Both bodystyles come equipped with climate control, ESP with SEAT's new XDS electronic 'virtual' limited slip differential and FR detailing inside and out.

New Seat Ibiza Sport Tourer Unveiled Ahead of Geneva Motor Show

Meet the all-new Seat Ibiza Sport Tourer or ST for short that was unveiled today ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March. The third member of the Ibiza family after the five-door and three-door (SC) models, is a subcompact estate and it will go on sale in most parts of Europe by early summer.

As anticipated, the production version of last year's Frankfurt Show IBZ study has lost all those edgy styling elements such as the hidden rear door handles and the sharper tail lamps that made the concept look so special.

On the outside, up until the C-pillar, the Ibiza ST appears to be identical to the hatchback model while from there aft, the styling brings to mind the Audi A3 Sportback.

Measuring in at a length of 4,320mm, the new Ibiza ST is about 180mm longer than the hatchback model.

And by the look of these images, most of the extra length is concentrated in the rear overhang benefitting the capacity of the luggage compartment that now reaches 430 liters, and can be further increased in stages by folding the split rear seat.

The VW Group's Spanish subsidiary said that the Ibizia ST offers a choice of three petrol and three TDI units with common-rail injection with four of those engines operating with direct injection and turbocharging.

These include the group's new 1.2-liter TSI petrol with 105HP and the 1.6-liter TDI in 90HP and 105HP guises.