New SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra Unveiled at Barcelona, Available with 150 and 180HP 1.4 TSI

Volkswagen Group's Spanish division, SEAT, chose the Barcelona International Auto Show to debut the road-ready version of its sporty Ibiza Bocanegra that was first shown as a concept at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show a little over 12 months ago. In essence, the Bocanegra is a more dramatic-looking version of the Ibiza Cupra and it will be offered with a 1.4-liter twin-charged TSI engine in 150HP and 180HP guises, as found in the Ibiza FR and Ibiza Cupra respectively.

The new sporty variant of the Ibiza pays homage to the Spaniards' original Bocanegra, the 1200 Sport, which debuted in its home country back in 1975. Just like the Geneva Show concept, the production model boasts several unique black styling elements at its nose – hence the Bocanegra name which translates as 'black mouth' in Spanish.

Other styling tweaks on the exterior include a broader grille, a new treatment for the fog light surroundings, black door mirror housings, a dark tinted sunroof and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels. At the back, the Bocanegra features honeycomb mesh on the side grids, a roof spoiler and a tinted rear window plus a prominent "Bocanegra" badge centred on the rear hatch.

The hot hatch's interior has also been upgraded with sport seats upholstered in a special fabric made up of rhomboids stitched together in red, a three-spoke flatt-bottomed steering wheel, gloss black trim, aluminum-clad pedals and a Bocanegra logo on the instrument panel.

The Ibiza Bocanegra in both 150HP and 180HP versions will hit European showrooms this summer.

SEAT Pays Tribute to Ibiza with 25th Anniversary Edition

Still trying to find what's so special about this special edition Ibiza other than the '25th Anniversary' logo on the rear hatch? We don't blame you, we did the same and came up with nothing. Apparently, VW Group's subsidiary hasn't any money laying around for fancy-pansy anniversary models so the special edition Ibiza that pays tribute to the model-series' 25th birthday is no more "special" than any other example of the latest generation Spanish supermini.

Of course to justify the "25th Anniversary" logo, SEAT has enhanced the Ibiza's standard equipment with climate control, dark glass, 17 inch alloy rims, parking position door mirrors, passenger airbag disconnection and USB port + Bluetooth. For all this, SEAT asks for an additional €384.27 if you choose the 85HP 1.4-liter gasoline engine and €400 when you combine the package with the 105HP 1.9-lityer TDI diesel. The "special edition" model is available in both three-door (SC) and five-door body styles.

The Ibiza 25th Anniversary will make its premiere at next month's Barcelona Motor Show in Spain where SEAT will prepare an exhibit of the four generations of the Ibiza.

New 1.6-liter Common Rail Diesel for Seat Ibiza

Beginning from June, the 2009 Seat Ibiza will be available in Europe for the first time with the VW Group's new 1.6-liter common rail turbo diesel engine that replaces the 90 horsepower 1.9-liter TDI unit. Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the 1.6 TDI CR produces an output of 90HP and 230Nm of peak torque at 1,500 – 2,500 rpm returning an average fuel consumption of 4.2 lt/100 km (56mpg US) with corresponding CO2 emissions of 109 g/km.

The new engine that will fit between the existing 80HP 1.4-liter TDI and the 105HP 1.9-liter TDI in the Ibiza's range will be available in both the 5-door and 3-door (SC) versions of the Spanish hatch.

New SEAT Ibiza FR with 150HP 1.4 TSI: First Photos and Details

In SEAT's vocabulary, 'Cupra' is the equivalent of the Audi RS models while 'FR' is comparable to the German firm's 'S' badged cars. Now that we have got that out of the way, let's see what the VW Group's Spanish brand has in store for us. Set to make its world debut alongside the 2009 Leon CUPRA 240HP facelift at next month's Barcelona International Auto Show, the all-new Ibiza FR sits right under the Ibiza CUPRA model that was introduced at last year's Paris Motor Show.

It shares the same twin charged 1.4-liter TSI engine with the CUPRA, but detuned to develop an output of 150 instead of 180HP. The engine is hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox or optionally, a seven-speed dual clutch DSG transmission with steering wheel shift paddles that features a sportier software than the one fitted on the 1.6 model of the Ibiza range. SEAT has not disclosed any performance figures but expect to see a 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of around 8,0 seconds.

Compared to the standard Ibiza SC (three door model), the Ibiza FR is distinguished by a new front bumper featuring honeycomb slats and a chrome surround on the central grille plus a diffuser-style rear apron. Other unique exterior elements on the FR are the silver colored door mirrors (yep, just like Audi's S models), the 17 inch rims and the twin tailpipes.

As for the sport hatch's interior, it comes with a modified instrument panel that carries the FR logo, a new steering wheel and sport seats with special upholstery.

SEAT's Ibiza Cupra Race Game for iPhone & iPod

The new sporty Ibiza Cupra with its 180HP 1.4-liter turbocharged and supercharged four-pot isn't due to arrive in U.K. showrooms before the end of summer, but those interested can take a virtual spin of the car with a racing game that is available for iPhone and iPod touch owners. SEAT claims that in the three weeks that the game has been made available online, more than a quarter of a million people downloaded it to their iPhones and iPods. The company also said that in the summer, it will release an updated version of the Ibiza Cupra game with more cars, circuits and competition models.

Seat unveils Ibiza ST Concept Design Sketch

If only production models could look as cool as concept design sketches... That said, we're not expecting the forthcoming Ibiza ST (Sport Tourer) to be as dynamic as Seat wants us to believe with this official sketch that it issued today. So forget about those massive wheels and hard-chiseled sides and just keep in mind the shape of the roofline and raked rear window along with the Exeo ST-style tail lamps.

As it was announced in March, VW's Spanish subsidiary will add an estate version to the Ibiza's lineup in early 2010. More specific details of the new model will be revealed closer to its launch, but SEAT is confirming that the Ibiza ST will include a selection of engines not currently offered in the 3- and 5-door hatchback models..

Head of SEAT UK, Peter Wyhinny, said: "The addition of a great-looking, sporty and practical Ibiza ST to our fast-growing range is a very exciting development. It will, I'm sure, find significant appeal across a broad spectrum of UK drivers and I'm very much looking forward to its arrival in 2010."

New Limited Edition SEAT Ibiza Black

Continuing its color-coded trail in the UK market, SEAT has announced the release of yet another special edition model, this time based on the Ibiza 5dr 1.4 Sport. The Ibiza Black's production is limited to 150 examples in the UK and aside from the black hue, it comes equipped with a range of styling extras including unique front and rear bumpers, side skirts, tailgate roof spoiler, dark tinted rear windows and a set of 17-inch alloys.

Air conditioning, sports seats, electric windows, six-speaker radio/MP3-compatible CD with steering column-mounted remote controls and Aux-in socket, leather steering wheel and gearknob, trip computer and integrated front fog lights with cornering function are all standard. Prices for the 85HP-strong Ibiza Black begin from £12,345 RRP.