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At the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, SEAT revealed 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.
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