SEAT Ibiza Anniversary celebrates… the SEAT Ibiza’s anniversary: 40 years of the Spanish supermini
More than six million SEAT Ibizas have been sold since it was first introduced in 1984
The SEAT Ibiza might not be the king of the supermini class today, but it's the Spanish brand’s most successful model ever and is celebrating its 40th birthday this year. So, as brands often want to do when a big anniversary comes around, SEAT has made a special, limited edition Ibiza to mark the occasion.
The SEAT Ibiza Anniversary comes in an exclusive Graphene Grey colour, complimented by a set of 18-inch Cosmo Grey alloy wheels and a “Anniversary Limited Edition” logo lasered onto the car’s B-pillar.
There’s some nice touches inside too, such as a unique set of bucket seats and a dark aluminium matte finish for the centre console. The same finish is applied to the door sills, which also get special laser-etched anniversary logos.
Full UK specification and pricing hasn’t been revealed just yet, but we should know soon enough as the limited edition model is due to go on sale in ‘early 2024’. We expect the SEAT Ibiza Anniversary edition will be powered by the most potent version of its 1.0-litre petrol engine, which produces 108bhp and 200Nm of torque, and can be paired with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed double-clutch automatic transmission.
SEAT Ibiza’s 40-year history
Before the original SEAT Ibiza was launched in 1984, the brand was producing re-badged versions of old Fiats. That changed with the Mk1 Ibiza, which the brand developed itself. The wedge-shaped design was created by Giorgetto Giugiaro – the man responsible for the original Lotus Esprit and Mk1 Volkswagen Golf – while its powertrains were developed by Porsche.
There have been five generations of the SEAT Ibiza since then, with more than six million examples sold in that time. Commenting on the success of the Ibiza, SEAT CEO Wayne Griffiths said “The success of the iconic Ibiza meant that some countries recognised the vehicle even before the brand! The SEAT brand currently has the best product range in its history and is now stronger than ever.”
Now read our full story on the future of the SEAT brand...