Thursday, 10 November 2011

SEAT IBE. Dynamic concept car

Who said driving sustainably had to be uninspiring? Meet the SEAT IBE: the first zero-emissions sports coupé for the electric age.

SEAT sets a firm course for electro-mobility with the SEAT IBE dynamic concept car, a clear vision of a super-compact sports coupé for the urban mobility of the near future. The prototype version of the SEAT IBE was presented at the Geneva Motor show; since then its design, technology and interior have been further developed in a new dynamic concept. At show in Paris is its interior, which is incredibly spacious and versatile for this vehicle format, as well as an innovative concept for individualised connectivity and infotainment.

Fun to Drive

Driving fun and dynamics are at the forefront with the SEAT IBE, as is clearly evident with just one look at the red paintwork of the concept car. The little sports car is low and wide, with powerful proportions and a concentrated gaze delivered by the razor-sharp lines of its LED headlamps. With its short body length of only 3.83 meters, it is the ideal fit for the urban mobility of the young and young at heart. And the SEAT IBE perfectly combines its sports car character with innovative technology. The all-electric drive facilitates local zero-emissions driving fun, while the powerful motor with 75 kW (102 hp) and the low weight delivered by intelligent mixed-material construction guarantee refined performance.

The city dash from 0 to 50 km/h takes only 3.6 seconds; within 6.6 seconds, the IBE has reached 80 km/h, and after only 9.7 seconds it arrives at 100 km/h. This impressive performance is a function not only of the powerful off-the-line characteristics of the electric motor, but also the low weight of the SEAT IBE, which tips the scales at only 1,100 kilograms. Intelligent lightweight engineering is the key, as well as the proven technological efficiency of aluminium and steel in its construction.

Designing the Future

Alongside the technical concept, the design of the SEAT IBE also points to an exciting future. Its athletic styling and clear, precise lines indicate the next evolutionary step in the SEAT design DNA. Style elements with unmistakable character - reduced to the minimum but perfectly executed – demonstrate the strategic quality of SEAT design in the development of future model generations.

New Generation Infotainment

SEAT offers a solution of compelling logic for the demands of the mobile generation for connectivity and infotainment. The basis is the owner’s individual smart phone – such as an iPhone. Nowadays, these devices are more than just communications centres for phone and e-mail; they store their owners’ contacts and their music selection, they can navigate, receive traffic updates from the internet... the list goes on. The number of functions available today is virtually inexhaustible.

In the SEAT IBE, the driver can use a wireless application to connect a smart phone to the IBE and conduct an on-line check of the car's systems, including the battery and a trip computer display. An album or a song can be selected from the smart phone and heard on the car's sound system by pressing the “drag to car” option. The dash screen and the steering wheel touch controls simplify operating and navigating the integrated infotainment menus.