The Seat Ibiza and Arona will finally receive a major update next year, as part of ongoing investment in the brand, according to interim boss Markus Haupt.

While the focus has been on the Cupra sibling brand in recent years, company chiefs have long insisted there are future plans for Seat. In late 2024 former boss Wayne Griffiths previewed an updated Ibiza and Arona that were due to arrive this year – and Haupt says a launch has now been confirmed for the two models early in 2026.

“Seat is the perfect complement to Cupra at the moment,” said Haupt at the Munich motor show. “We are present in different markets and addressing completely different customers. We are still investing in Seat, and we will launch a new Ibiza and Arona next year.

“That’s something I want to be clear on: we are still investing in Seat, because having the flexibility of addressing so many different markets given all the different regulations, is so important right now. So we have the perfect match between these two brands.”

Haupt declined to comment on specifics concerning the update, but the preview images shown in late 2024 suggested that the styling would only receive a minor makeover.

While the role of Seat has long been questioned following the emergence of Cupra as a stand-alone brand six years ago, these significant investments in its two entry-level models now suggest a role for the Spanish brand into the 2030s: as a specialist in smaller and more affordable models in conventional segments. That will allow Cupra to play further upmarket, with a focus on plug-in hybrid and electric cars. 

Before leaving the company recently, Griffiths told Autocar that the Seat Ibiza would follow the lead of the closely related Volkswagen Polo in being updated ahead of EU7 emissions regulations kicking in.

This will mean mild-hybrid petrol engines will be offered – a significant investment for smaller and less profitable cars but an important and necessary step for car makers to continue to be able to sell affordable new cars in the mass market where demand for EVs has yet to take off. 

Sales of the Ibiza and Arona both increased in the UK in 2024, and Seat grew its sales overall.

The larger Seat Ateca and Seat Leon are the other models in the brand's range after the demise of the Tarraco, and both of these are also offered as Cupra models.

It’s possible that Seat versions of the Leon and Ateca may ultimately be dropped when they're given updates of their own, should Seat’s role as a small, affordable hybrid car specialist be solidified off the back of the Ibiza and Arona updates.

Griffiths confirmed the Cupra Leon would be updated in its present form, which includes petrol and PHEV versions, to allow for production to be extended “well into the next decade”, alongside the closely related Cupra Formentor.

“The Cupra Leon and Cupra Formentor are both based on the same platform,” said Griffiths. “We will extend those well into the next decade. If we want to go into the next decade, then we're always going to have to take care of those cars and revitalise them.

"We could expect facelifts or product improvements on both to keep them going as long as we need to. But after that, the next generation of Leon will definitely be electric.”

Griffiths said the investments in the Ibiza and Arona shouldn't be seen as the Seat group backing away from EVs but representing the reality of a “need to respond to the 90% of the market that is asking for other types of drivetrains: efficient [ICE] ones, hybrids and plug-in hybrids”. 

He added: “We're not going to deviate from electrification as a direction. We don't question the objective of getting to zero emissions as fast as possible. We have to be flexible on the way and we can't be dogmatic. We can't force consumers to drive electric cars.”

The arrival of the Cupra Raval next year as a sub-€25,000 electric supermini, along with sibling models in the Volkswagen ID 2 and Skoda Epiq that Cupra is also developing, will help “democratise electromobility”, said Griffiths.

“Having smaller urban electric cars under €25,000, I think we're going to see electric cars taking off. But in the meantime, we have to offer both [ICE cars and EVs].

“We're looking to have two brands, Cupra clearly focusing on fully electric and electrified and Seat focusing on combustion. I think we have the best of both worlds currently.”