Cupra Ibiza exterior and interior exposed ahead of GIMS 2018 debut

Here are the first images of the first Cupra model – the Cupra Ibiza, courtesy autopista.es. Seat says that the car is still a concept, but things look nearly production-ready.

The first-ever Cupra Ibiza is essentially the performance variant of the fifth-gen Seat Ibiza that arrived early last year. It swaps Seat logos with the new Cupra logos, and features diamond-shaped grille inserts, distinctive rear spoiler, twin exhaust tips and a rear diffuser. It looks like Cupra has used carbon-fiber trim for some parts to enhance the styling.

For the interior of the Cupra Ibiza, Cupra has used premium materials like Alcantara and leather. The most important change here is the usage of a virtual instrument cluster, a feature unavailable in the Seat Ibiza. It's probably the 10.5-inch display borrowed from the sixth-gen VW Polo.

According to the Spanish publication sharing the first images, the Cupra Ibiza sports the latest VW Polo GTI's 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine that develops 200 PS and 320 Nm of torque. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine is coupled to the 6-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The Cupra brand will make its official debut on 22 February, 2018 at a media event. The Cupra Ibiza is likely to have its official unveiling here. Its public debut is confirmed to take place at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show next month.