Seat Ibiza Facelift: It's Just Cosmetic
The current Ibiza has essentially been on the market since 2017 and will undergo another minor revision. However, Seat is refraining from major interventions.
(Image: Seat)
The Volkswagen Group is in a bind, and Seat is part of the problem. The Spanish brand is among those in the group that are currently significantly missing their individual target for the fleet limit. Therefore, the focus is currently on the upcoming model launch of the electric small cars and their SUV derivatives. Until then, in 2026, the current bestsellers must not be neglected. A small model update is intended to keep interest in the Ibiza alive, but the brand is not investing much more.
Introduced in 2017
The current Ibiza was introduced almost nine years ago and last received a significant overhaul in 2021. Compared to that, the current interventions are quite modest. At the front, the headlights have received a small edge. Previously, full LED headlights cost an additional €1100, but now they are standard. The taillights are also equipped with LEDs. Add a few redesigned alloy wheels—and that's it. As mentioned, this refresh was not meant to cost too much.
Seat Ibiza 2026 (4 Bilder)
Seat
)The effort in the interior is also limited. A different steering wheel and new seat covers have to suffice; Seat isn't even touching the dated infotainment. Some customers will find this regrettable, but a majority of buyers in this segment don't invest in expensive entertainment electronics anyway. So, it remains a 9.2-inch infotainment touchscreen with a thick plastic frame. The manual handbrake also remains.
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No change in engines
The same applies to the engines. Natural gas and diesel have long been history in the Ibiza, and a hybrid drive is not foreseeable for cost reasons. The base is a naturally aspirated three-cylinder with 59 kW. Like the two more powerful versions, it has a displacement of one liter. Thanks to turbocharging, the two three-cylinder TSI engines produce 70 and 81 kW. Most Ibiza buyers opt for these. The only four-cylinder plays an exotic role. Its 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine provides up to 110 kW, accelerating the small car to almost 220 km/h. Since the engines, tires, and body remain practically unchanged, fuel consumption will also not change. In WLTP, they are close together at 5.1 to 5.7 liters.
Still highly recommended
At its core, the Ibiza remains what it was, and even many years after its introduction, it is by no means a bad offer. The build quality is dramatically better than in its early days in the mid-80s; the interior space is slightly above average for this segment, which also applies to the 355-liter trunk. Unfortunately, the loading lip is a bit high. In terms of suspension and insulation, the Ibiza can still easily keep up with younger competitors. However, some of them undercut it in terms of fuel consumption and also in the infotainment area.
(Image:Â Seat)
Seat has not yet revealed the price of the revised Ibiza. The base model is listed at €18,830 in the configurator. With the 70 kW turbo engine, mid-range equipment, and a few extras, the price would be around €25,000. We assume that this will change as little as the fact that such models are actually traded significantly below these prices on the market. It is also assumed that the Seat Arona the Ibiza SUV will also be affected by the changes presented here.
(mfz)