Today (11th September) at the Frankfurt Motor Show, SEAT reveals its most economical and lowest-emissions production car – the Ibiza Ecomotive.
Mixing mean with green – that’s mean-looking and sporty styling, as one would expect from the sporty Spanish brand, and green credentials, thanks to its ultra-efficient engineering – the Ibiza Ecomotive is set to be among the very lowest polluting new cars on sale in the UK, when it arrives next year.
Its debut could make even some petrol-electric hybrid rivals green with envy, as the Ecomotive is a stylish and sporty-looking four-seater hatchback with ultra low CO2 emissions and fuel consumption, but with a projected lower purchase price than such competitors. Prices will be confirmed closer to the car’s on-sale date, but are certain to be more attractive to environmentally-aware customers on a budget.
With official carbon dioxide emissions of just 99 g/km, the Ibiza Ecomotive is not only set to avoid the London Congestion Charge, under the terms of new proposals, but also road fund licence, as it fits into the tax-exempt VED Band ‘A’. And, perhaps more pertinently on the subject of financial incentives, it is capable of returning a thrifty 74.3 mpg on the combined cycle.
This increase in fuel efficiency compared with the already-frugal Ibiza 1.4 TDI on which the new model is based (124 g/km CO2 and 61.4 mpg), is thanks to a number of careful enhancements. New software has been added to the ECU, while particulate emissions are further reduced through the fitment of a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF). Furthermore, the gear ratios have been lengthened.
The Ibiza Ecomotive is also more aerodynamic, with a Cd (coefficient of drag) figure of 0.30, compared with Cd 0.315 for the standard 1.4 TDI model. In addition, the wheels have been fitted with specific Dunlop SP10A 165/70 R14 tyres, whose materials and design result in less road friction.
To put the Ibiza Ecomotive’s 74.3 mpg economy figure into perspective, it would allow a tour from Calais to St Tropez (approximately 735 miles) on just one modestly-sized 45-litre tank of diesel.