Seat Ibiza Vaillante

Tags: Seat Ibiza autoshow Geneva Motor Show 2006 Seat Ibiza Cupra Hatchback

• A style exercise inspired by the famous comic-book hero created by Jean Graton, it is not meant for production
• Luc Donckerwolke, Seat Design Director, has also designed cars for Michel Vaillant
• The Seat range in Geneva also features the new Ibiza 2006 and trim line improvements on the Córdoba, Toledo and Altea

At the Seat stand at the Geneva Motor Show, a world of fantasy steals the spotlight. The Spanish manufacturer is showcasing a spectacular figment of imagination to underline the brand’s sporty image and boost the launch of the new Ibiza 2006 range.

The Seat Ibiza Vaillante is a result of Luc Donckerwolke’s passion for comic-books. Seat’s Design Director is exhibiting his latest creation for the first time, giving the Ibiza a starring role in the world of comics. The display created by the Seat Design Centre aims to lure visitors to the Seat stand, not to see a fantastically unreal show-car, but a vehicle that has been developed based on the current Ibiza – one that could well be the first compact car driven by the famous comic-book driver Michel Vaillant.

The Ibiza Vaillante is a true show-car that only plays with the brand’s image; there are no valid considerations for its commercial launch. The Seat Design department based its design on a unique Seat Sport prototype – a special Ibiza with a different front and rear end, 40 mm wider on each side, and shod with 235/35 R 19 tyres on 19 inch diameter wheels.

A fictional Ibiza with 240 hp

This basis was used to shape the Ibiza Vaillante, which has been equipped with an adapted 1.8 litre four cylinder turbo-charged engine mounted on the former León Cupra. The main difference is that this new version develops 15 horsepower more, for a total of 240 hp.

The interior overflows with touches of blue on all the elements that make up the safety structure, lending a comic-book atmosphere. The open-face driving helmets, lodged behind the front seats, match the blue of the car and the interior trim, mimic the one worn by Michel Vaillant and are personalised with the letter V for Vaillante.

Although its overall looks suggest the Ibiza, it is completely different from the waist-line down. The Vaillante has a longer, more radical front end, featuring redesigned headlights and a large grille spanning the length of the revamped bumper. The latticed grille is emblazoned with a huge letter V (for Vaillante) that goes from top to bottom on the right-hand side, which clearly identifies it as a comic-book car.

The pumped-up muscle look of the Seat Ibiza Vaillante is emphasised by the chunky front and rear wheel arches and the defined shoulders at waist-line height. Its 40 mm lower ground clearance and large sized wheels are decisive in its muscular, sporty looks.

A side view of the Ibiza Vaillante is complete with the rear-view mirrors emerging from the surface of the doors, as on the León, instead of from the window frames. The rear hatch features the model name “Vaillante” in the centre, as on the Ibiza 2006 and the Ibiza Cupra. The newly designed bumper has a solid black surface at the bottom, and a centrally mounted triangular exhaust pipe.

"Michel Vaillant inspired me to design cars"
When he decided to create a show-car to reinforce the launch of the Ibiza 2006 and exhibit it at the Geneva Motor Show, Seat Design Director Luc Donckerwolke knew from the start that an association with Vaillant would be an excellent idea. He added that “the Ibiza is the main reason for the success of Seat; in fact the name itself is almost more familiar than the SEAT name and because the Vaillante means that the Ibiza is still a cornerstone for Seat”.

The new Ibiza 2006 and the rest of the range is also on display in Geneva
SEAT has brought its entire range to the Geneva Show, with special attention paid to the new Ibiza 2006, with its revamped exterior and interior styling. Rather than a new generation model, it is a new Ibiza featuring five trim levels - Reference, Stylance, Sport, FR and Cupra. The Ibiza range offers a total of 18 versions when combining the trim levels with 11 engine choices.

Further novelties include modifications to the interior equipment of the Córdoba, and significant improvements to the array of standard equipment on the Toledo and the Altea.