Two of SEAT’s biggest brands will be removed from the UK market due to a lack of interest from the British car buying public.
The diesel variants of the SEAT Ibiza and Arona will no longer be available meaning that the 1.0 litre petrol version of both will be the only option available to those who want to hear the sound of a roaring engine.
The move from the Spanish brand follows in the footsteps of many other car manufacturers who are deleting the diesel versions from their smaller car line-ups. Only the extremely popular Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa retain a diesel entry in their supermini portfolio. SEAT’s stablemate Skoda has made similar moves making it Kamiq petrol only earlier this year.
The Ibiza is SEAT’s best-selling car and has been on the market for 36 years after being launched at the 1984 Paris Motor Show. Now in its fifth iteration, the Ibiza has consistently achieved sales close to the 200k per annum mark. The Arona is a mini crossover SUV and has been on the market since 2017.
Speaking to Autocar a SEAT spokesman said: “We continually review our vehicle line-up to ensure it’s reflective of market trends and customer demand. As such, we’ve streamlined our Arona and Ibiza model ranges to allow us to better focus our offers to meet current and future demand for these vehicles.”