Here are the first official pics of the Seat Ibiza ST station wagon version. The Ibiza ST will be presented at the 2010 Geneva motor show in March after initially being previewed by way of the IBZ Concept seen at last year’s Frankfurt motor show. The Ibiza ST is 423 cm long, which is 18 cm more on the standard five-door version. The boot has a 430-litre capacity, which can be extended when lowering the rear seats.

The Seat Ibiza ST will have the following petrol engine options: 1.2-litre with 70 hp, 1.4-litre with 86 and the 1.2-litre TSI with 105 hp. Diesels on offer include the 1.6 TDI with 90 and 105 hp and the Ecomotive 1.2 TDI with 75 hp. Optional DSG seven speed gearbox is available, and the Ibiza ST will appear in the Reference, Style and Sport kits. It will appear on the market at the beginning of summer.

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After the accidental video revealing the new Golf 7, it looks like Seat has also inadvertently revealed a drawing of the new Seat Leon in the background of an interview with a Seat manager. The interview is part of a news service from Spanish television, TV3, and in the background we see a mock-up of a three-door compact sports model.

It’s quite possible that this is a look at the new Leon SC, expected to debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in October. Despite the planned presentation and the drawing, it’s still unknown whether the Leon SC will debut as a concept car or in its final production form.

Source | Autoblog.it

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Reports that Seat is going to China have been confirmed by the head of VAG, China, Winifried Vahland, who says that it’s not a question of “if”, but rather “when”. The plan for the Seat brand in China will be revealed next week at the Guangzhou Auto Show, although its assumed that Seat will initially focus on the south of the country, where brands like Honda and Toyota are strong.

If Seat models are to be sold in China, it would complete the entire Volkswagen Group offering in that market, with everything from Bugatti to Skoda available. The name of the Chinese company that would partner in the Seat initiative has not been revealed, but Volkswagen’s ties with FAW and SAIC (the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) would indicate one of these two.

Source | Es.autoblog

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JE Design has created this tuning of the Seat Leon FR, seen in this gallery, with an increase in power and some aesthetic touch-ups, too. The two-litre engine, usually at 211 hp has been increased to 270 hp in the TFSI engine, with total torque increasing from 280 to 355 Nm. The tuned Seat Leon FR now reaches 100 km/hr in 6.2 seconds.

Changes to the look include a revamped interior with two-tone leather finishings and LED daytime running lights on the exterior. A huge, brand new feature are the wing doors, along with new spoilers and skirts, and a new aerodynamics kit.

The diesel engine also gets its own touch-up, increasing from 170 hp to 204 with torque up from 350 to 380 Nm. The performance enhancements cost 1,499 euros and 1,339 euros respectively. For more details on this mean-looking Seat Leon FR, see the Tuningpress.com site.

JE Design Seat Leon FR tuning

Continue reading: JE Design tunes the Seat Leon FR

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The Seat Leon Cupra R is now available on sale in showrooms, with its turbocharged 2.0-litre TSI engine with 265 hp. The sports hatch is Seat’s most powerful car to date, and should certainly prove competitive in this segment.

The Leon Cupra R has a top speed of 250 km/hr and can reach 100 km/hr in 6.2 seconds. It has 350 Nm to couple with the 265 hp, and a six-speed manual gearbox. It’s fuel consumption and emissions are competitive at 8.1 l/100 km and 190 g/km respectively.

Other features include an XDS self-blocking differential, new 19-inch wheels and a sexy sports interior. It has an extensive list of optional extras including leather seats and white alloy wheels. Check out the gallery for a closer look.

Seat Leon Cupra R

Continue reading: Seat Leon Cupra R released

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After the debut of the Golf R at Frankfurt, the Volkswagen Polo range will soon expand to include the GTI, GTD and R versions. The Polo GTI will be the first to debut with a 1.4-litre TSI engine at 170 hp. It’s the same unit as that of the Seat Ibiza Cupra, although it won’t be as powerful.

The Polo R will appear on the market later and will also be equipped with the 1.4 TSI but with a powerstep to 190 hp. A Seat Ibiza twin version should also be produced, called the Cupra R, with 10 hp more.

Finally according to Autocar, a Polo GTD could be in the works, providing the sporty looks and performance of a GTI, but with the lower fuel consumption and emissions of a diesel model. At the moment it’s purely hypothetical as the success of the 1.6-litre TDI will be used as a benchmark for any future Polo GTD.

Source | Autocar and Es.autoblog

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JE Design has tuned the Seat Leon Cupra to produce 285 hp and 385 Nm. Those figures are up from 240 hp and 300 Nm for the TSFI engine, and mean the Cupra can reach 100 km/hr in 5.9 seconds. Top speed has also increased from 247 km/hr to 261 km/hr.

The JE Design Leon Cupra has achieved a more aggressive exterior with redesigned aerodynamics, huge front air intakes on the spoiler, new side and rear skirts, and a centre diffuser insert. The rear wing completes the package.

The Leon Cupra has been lowered overall by 49 mm and fitted with new 19-inch wheels with black rims. A coilover suspension has been fitted along with twin, rear exhaust pipes. The whole kit and caboodle would get pricey though, with the wheel set alone costing 2,930 euros. See what you think in the gallery below.

Continue reading: Seat Leon Cupra tuned by JE Design

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At the Barcellona car show, Seat president Erich Schmitt has expressed his faith in the future of the company, underlining the 15,000 jobs saved from the risk of lay-offs thanks to the VAG group decision to produce the future Audi Q3 in the Martorell factory.

During the presentation of the new Ibiza Bocanegra, the announcement was also made of a new small Seat to be based on the Volkswagen Up!, already revealed by VW itself. Schmitt said: “We are preparing to enter a smaller segment compared to the Ibiza. Thanks to the platform of the New Small Family vehicles that will be built in Bratislava, Seat will launch a small car that will be aimed at a younger public. Never before has the Seat future looked so promising.”

After mentioning the growth in quality of the Seat offering, and consequently it reaching fourth place among European manufacturers for customer satisfaction, Schmitt also focused on the need to cut production costs, saying this would be achieved through increasing employee productivity.

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The Audi Q3 is one of the most anticipated car models of the next few months, but it has been revealed that it will not be assemble at the German facilities of the VAG group. Audi has announced that the new Q3 SUV will, in fact, be built at the Seat factory in Martorell, Spain.

The decision comes as Audi attempts to spread its work and balance the economic downturn. The choice to build the Q3 in Spain should save the jobs of 13,000 people at the Martorell factory, and comes after Spain’s industry minister specifically request help from the company. In return, Audi will receive public funds from the Spanish government of up to 112 million euros, sufficient to adapt the assembly chain to the Q3.

Continue reading: Audi Q3 to be built at Seat facilities in Spain

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The Motor Show in Bologna, starting on December 3, will host a series of important news from the Volkswagen Group, with the presentation of the new Golf Plus, that will see its international debut at the show.

Next to her we will see the Golf and the Golf GTI that were presented at the Paris show in October.

Audi, however, will be showing the world its A1 Sportback Concept, the S4 sedan and S4 Avant, also seen at the Paris show, and the new Q5. For the opening Sunday of the show, the company has organised an event featuring Emanuele Pirro, Dindo Capello and the R10 TDI, winner of the last three editions of the 24-hour Le Mans.

Continue reading: Bologna 2008 Volkswagen line-up

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