Auto Channel

New backbone

The Seat Ibiza is the Spanish marque's bread-and-butter vehicle with already almost 120,000 units sold in 2007. But the current Ibiza is getting on in age and Seat is testing its successor already and now word has come that the 2009 model will be premiered at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.

Automotive News reports after a dealer event in Spain that the new Ibiza will come as a three-door and five-door hatchback. The 3-door Ibiza will reach dealerships by the end of next year, while the 5-door follows at an appropriate distance. An anonymous Seat dealer said: “It will look almost like a coupe.” We will have to see about that when we get to Geneva.

Other news from the dealer event includes the confirmation of the new Toledo replacing sedan and stationwagon arriving in 2009.