New prestigious international recognition for the design of the SEAT Ibiza
- The awarded prize is part of the German Design Award, the most significant and prestigious award organised by the German Design Council
- This is the 3rd prize the German Design Council has awarded the new SEAT Ibiza
- The 5th generation of the SEAT Ibiza represents and important step forward in SEAT’s design evolution
- This award shows SEAT has been successful in its goal to produce a young and fresh look with a mature and balanced design
Martorell, 29 November 2017. - The new Ibiza most certainly has the best design SEAT has ever produced in the A0 segment. Solid proof of this is how successful the SEAT Ibiza has been in numerous international design contests. The most recent, and it’s fair to say it won’t be the last, is the “Winner, Excellent Product Design Transportation” prize at the German Design Awards organised by the German Design Council.
On top of purely aesthetic criteria, such as design quality, its image or brand value, the German Design Award panel has also taken many other things into account when awarding this prize to the SEAT Ibiza. Among many, ones worth pointing out include general concept, level of innovation, ease of use, functionality, practical value, sustainability, eco-quality, profitability, quality and technical excellence and even manufacturing systems. The German Design Award has been one of the most respected design awards in the world and has enjoyed great prestige since 2012 as well as being the main international prize for the German Design Council. It’s designed to recognise unique, innovative and high quality design trends in the field of international design.
“The Ibiza represents the culmination and maturity of our SEAT design DNA. A language that began in 2012,” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Design Director at SEAT. “We have given it the most perfect proportions and we have put a special emphasis on its volume and surfaces to create an excellent three-dimensional effect that makes an impact on even the most critical and demanding eyes. Its sculptured shapes and its personality can be appreciated in each detail.”
The bodywork is beautifully sculpted thanks to the skilful combination of sharp lines and smooth surfaces. The double lateral blisters, a typical SEAT design, give the car an extra three-dimensional edge, while at the back, the rear lights wrap around the car, interacting with the rear blisters, demonstrating a unique design and giving great aerodynamic performance. The strong and clear lines of the boot and bumper increase the perceived width and create a wide, monolithic look with the rear reflectors bringing the car closer to the ground.
The interior boasts perfect proportions and an improved sense of space and comfort. The painstaking selection of materials means more elegant and quality perception. There’s been a clever organisation of the different functional areas, elevating the console to improve ergonomics and safety. The quality in each detail has been take care of to the extreme in a way that ends up giving the appearance of belonging to a superior segment.
To sum it up, the 5th generation of the SEAT Ibiza represents confirmation of the new design philosophy of the brand that began in 2012 that is even more mature, characteristic and expressive. It shows that a high volume car can be both attractive as well as being functional on a day to day basis. At SEAT we firmly believe that we have created a modern car that respects the heritage of previous generations and managing at the same time to take its image to new heights.
The German Design Award is divided into two main categories (Excellent Product Design and Excellent Communication Design). In this year’s edition, there have been more than 5,000 entrants, selected for direct nomination from its very own German Design Council or one of its founding members. The German Design Council already awarded two prizes in September to the 5th generation SEAT Ibiza at the 2017 Automotive Brand Contest; one in the Exterior Volume Brand category (2017 Automotive Brand Contest “Winner”) and the other in the Interior Volume Brand category (2017 Automotive Brand Contest “Best of the Best”).
As well as being a fantastic award, all of these prizes from The German Design Council help recognise the high level of international prestige of the team that developed and designed the new SEAT Ibiza, one of the three fundamental pillars of the Spanish brand together with the Ateca and the Leon.
