First look: all-new Seat Ibiza - Introduction

With the new Ibiza, Seat has been able to cast off the straitjacket imposed by the Volkswagen Group's old platform-sharing strategy and deliver a supermini that lives up to the brand's brief.

The new Ibiza - the third to emerge under Volkswagen ownership and the fourth overall - is no longer a Polo in flamenco dress but a car in its own right.

The Group's latest way of doing things is to produce a series of platform parts, called modules, which its various companies - Audi, Seat, Skoda and VW - can dip into.

This gives each brand freedom to develop more individualistic models, and Seat has seized the chance.

The new Ibiza looks well on the way to being the kind of 'sporty, lively, design-driven' car expected of Seat.

Those of you who studied our online coverage of last month's Geneva motor show will instantly recognise how closely it sticks to the Bocanegra concept car, widely regarded as one of the stars of the event (click 'Concept spawns SportCoupe' on the left to view).

That concept car and the new Ibiza are the work of Luc Donckerwolke, a name that will be familiar to Lamborghini owners: he is the designer responsible for the Gallardo and Murcielago.