Since then, the car has gained an interior while its exterior design has been tweaked with a restyled lower fascia and new LED headlamps and tail lights. Furthermore, the car is now finished in a more eye-catching cherry-red color.
The super-compact sports coupe concept with the 2+2 seat layout is around 200 mm shorter than the Ibiza measuring just 3,830 mm in length. However, it is also unusually wide at 1,770 mm with a height of just 1,230 mm.
What appear to be patent drawings of numerous SEAT models were found in a posting on a Spanish blog called Decoches. Unfortunately, no additional information is provided about the source of the pictures.
A quick research on the European patent office didn't return any results, so we're not going to brand the sketches genuine just yet - for all we know they might be the work of an independent designer / artist who has nothing to do with the VW Group-owned, Spanish carmaker.
In any case, you can check out all the drawings / proposals for a series of SEAT models in the gallery after the break.
Available to order now with first deliveries to take place in the UK this summer, the Tech versions are said to add a total of £3,270 worth of extra equipment £3,270 for just £875 over the price of the standard SE and Sport models.
An acquisition would be another major part of VW's world takeover scheme, assisting with the goal selling 10 million vehicles in 2018. Its ten brands intend to release sixty new or updated models this year, so more designers and engineers are needed.
Now is far from the first time that VW and Giugiaro have worked together. The Italian design house has helped create a variety of cars for those aforementioned ten brands.
The Spanish automaker said that it will showcase two versions of its recently introduced Ibiza Sports Tourer (ST) model, one with an extensive package of accessories and the other featuring the sportier-looking black fascia of the Ibiza Bocanegra hatchback.
Seat did not release any photos of the two estate models.
In fact, aside from the Alhambra's unique fascia and tail lamp designs, the two MPVs are identical. Same goes for the interior as the only difference between the Alhambra and Sharan concerns the steering wheel hub.
The stock model rolls out of the Spanish firm's factory with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot producing 265HP and 350Nm of torque. Thanks to performance kit that includes a recalibrated ECU, a sport air filer and a new exhaust system, the tuner increases those numbers to 330HP and 420Nm.
The Cupra R is powered by a VW Group-sourced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot delivering a maximum output of 265HP and a peak torque of 350 Nm at 2,500 rpm that drive the front-wheels through a revised six-speed manual gearbox.
Talking about dimensions, Seat's sports study has an unusual breadth of 1,800mm and an overall height of only 1,220mm giving the IBE classic sports car proportions. The short front and rear overhangs, low bonnet and long roof-line along with the 19-inch alloys also help to accentuate the car's sporty looks.
There are no photos of the interior but Seat claims that the IBE is a 2+2 seater with plenty of space for a couple - meaning that the rear seats are for children at best.
Among the cars on show were Porsche's 918 Spyder Concept, Bentley's Continental Supersports Cabrio, the Seat IBE Coupe concept, Skoda's Fabia RS, the Audi A1, Lamborghini Gallardo SV, VW's Sharan MPV and Amarok pickup truck and the Bugatti 16C Galibier that's pegged to enter production in the near future. Hit the break to for the complete photo gallery.
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As anticipated, the production version of last year's Frankfurt Show IBZ study has lost all those edgy styling elements such as the hidden rear door handles and the sharper tail lamps that made the concept look so special.
On the outside, up until the C-pillar, the Ibiza ST appears to be identical to the hatchback model while from there aft, the styling brings to mind the Audi A3 Sportback.
Available to order now at SEAT dealerships across the UK with deliveries set to begin in March, the diesel-powered extension to the Ibiza FR range boasts a four-cylinder turbocharged diesel pumping out 143 horsepower.
Linked as standard to a six-speed manual gearbox, the TDI accelerates the SC three-door hatch from 0 to 62mph (100km/h) in 8.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 130mph or 209km/h. The 5-door model's equivalent values are 8.3 seconds and 129mph.
The Ibiza FR hatch, which by the way, is faster than let's say (...) the JDM Honda CR-Z by about 1.5 seconds in the 0-100km/h sprint, records a combined fuel economy in the EU cycle of 62.7mpg UK that translates to 4.5lt/100km and 52.2mpg US, with an official CO2 figure of 119 g/km.
Both bodystyles come equipped with climate control, ESP with SEAT's new XDS electronic 'virtual' limited slip differential and FR detailing inside and out.
