The SEAT Córdoba is the
saloon,
estate and
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
version of the
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spani ...
supermini car
The B-segment is the second smallest of the European segments for passenger cars between the A-segment and C-segment, and commonly described as "small cars". The B-segment is the largest segment in Europe by volume, accounting for 20 percent of ...
, built by the Spanish automaker
SEAT
A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but also headquarters in a wider sense.
Types of seat
The following are examples of different kinds of seat:
* Armchair (furniture), ...
. It was manufactured between 1993 and 2010, and was related with the second and third generations of the Ibiza.
First generation (''Typ'' 6K; 1993)
![Seat Cordoba rear 20080328](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Seat_Cordoba_rear_20080328.jpg)
The first generation Córdoba was presented at the 1993
Frankfurt Motor Show
The International Motor Show Germany or International Mobility Show Germany, in German known as the ''Internationale Automobil-Ausstellung'' (''IAA'' – International Automobile Exhibition), is one of the world's largest mobility shows. It cons ...
, and launched in the summer of the same year, penned by Italian designer
Giorgetto Giugiaro
Giorgetto Giugiaro (; born 7 August 1938) is an Italian automotive designer. He has worked on supercars and popular everyday vehicles. He was born in Garessio, Cuneo, Piedmont.
Giugiaro was named Car Designer of the Century in 1999 and inducted ...
and based on the chassis of the SEAT Ibiza Mk2.
The first generation was officially unveiled in February 1993. Its 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2.0 litre petrol engines were also found in the Volkswagen Polo and Ibiza, as was the 1.9
TDI.
Though based on the Ibiza, its extended rear overhang meant its length was close to a
Golf
Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.
Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...
, but still smaller than the
Jetta. It featured a boot space of which could be extended up to by folding rear seats.
Variants
In March 1996, the Córdoba range was extended with a
coupé
A coupe or coupé (, ) is a passenger car with a sloping or truncated rear roofline and two doors.
The term ''coupé'' was first applied to horse-drawn carriages for two passengers without rear-facing seats. It comes from the French past parti ...
(Córdoba SX), and in August 1996, with an
estate (Córdoba Vario).
The Córdoba SX was a two door coupé version of the Córdoba. It came with five engine variants: 1.6 litre , 1.9 litre
turbodiesel
The term turbo-diesel, also written as turbodiesel and turbo diesel, refers to any diesel engine equipped with a turbocharger. As with other engine types, turbocharging a diesel engine can significantly increase its efficiency and power output, ...
, a 1.8 litre 16 valve, 2.0 litre 8 valve (Cupra), which was also used in the Córdoba GTi, and a 2.0 litre 16 valve.
The 2.0 litre engines was identical to the engines used in the third generation
Golf GTi
The Volkswagen Golf () is a compact car/small family car (C-segment) produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen since 1974, marketed worldwide across eight generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates ...
. The 2.0 litre 16 valve Córdoba SX also came with 16 inch multispoke alloys, front discs, ABS, traction control and air conditioning as standard.
The model was slightly revised in 1996, with a new rear splitter which required the exhaust to be hidden, a revised front lower grill and splitter, and the leather interior which became standard. The Córdoba 16V was £1,000 more expensive at list and one second slower from 0 to 60 mph because of the added weight of the rear end.
File:Seat Cordoba front 20071119.jpg, SEAT Córdoba Facelift (1996–1999)
File:Seat Cordoba rear 20071119.jpg, SEAT Córdoba Facelift (1996–1999)
File:Cordobavario.jpg, SEAT Córdoba Vario
File:SEAT Córdoba SX.jpg, SEAT Córdoba SX Coupé
Facelift
File:Seat Cordoba front 20081125.jpg, SEAT Córdoba 6K GP01 (1999–2002)
File:Seat Cordoba rear 20081125.jpg, SEAT Córdoba 6K GP01 (1999–2002)
File:2000 Seat Cordoba Vario S TDI (12839156765).jpg, SEAT Vario
The Córdoba was facelifted in August 1999, with changes focusing on the bumpers, headlights, taillights and front grille,
as well as in the interior, with new materials and upholstery. In the engine range, the 16 valve ABF engine was replaced with a 1.8 litre Turbo engine and joined the Cupra range.
The SX was no longer available in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, and limited numbers are known to exist in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. A ...
in
RHD format. The estate variant "Córdoba Vario" dropped the "Cordóba" and now simply used the nameplate "Vario".
Motorsport
Rally
The
Córdoba WRC was SEAT's official rally car in the
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
from to . It featured a 2.0 litre turbocharged engine and achieved a total of three podiums.
Rallycross
A Cordoba has also been used in the
FIA World Rallycross Championship
The FIA World Rallycross Championship (official abbreviation is World RX) is a rallycross series organised by the FIA in conjunction with series promoter Rallycross Promoter GmbH (founded by Red Bull and KW25). From the inaugural season in 2014 ...
. Danish driver
Dennis Rømer contested the
2014 World RX of Germany, finishing 40th out of 41 entrants in the heat stage. To date this is, and most likely will remain, the only time a Cordoba has been used in World Championship
rallycross, however, the
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spani ...
has been used as a manufacturer entry.
Rebadged versions
![Volkswagen Derby](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Volkswagen_Derby.jpg)
The contemporary Volkswagen Polo Classic (saloon) and Variant (estate) were
rebadged
In the automotive industry, rebadging is a form of market segmentation used by automobile manufacturers around the world. To allow for product differentiation without designing or engineering a new model or brand (at high cost or risk), a man ...
versions of the SEAT Córdoba Mk1 and Córdoba Vario respectively, and were not based on the
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car (B-segment) produced by the German car manufacturer Volkswagen since 1975. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, and estate variants throughout its production run.
History
...
hatchback.
FAW-Volkswagen
FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., Ltd. is a joint venture between FAW Group and Volkswagen Group which manufactures Audi and Volkswagen marque passenger cars for sale in China. It was founded on 6 February 1991.
FAW-VW is headquartered in the so ...
, Volkswagen's partner in China, manufactured the Córdoba Mk1 under the Volkswagen Citi Golf name between September 1994 and 2001. The Citi Golf had the same exterior as the pre-facelift Córdoba and the 1.4 litre ''
ABD'' engine was standard paired to a 5 speed manual gearbox. When it was new back in 1995, pricing was 240,000 yuan (35,640 USD - October 2020 exchange rate).
In Mexico it was rebadged as the Volkswagen Derby. In 1995, it was imported from Spain, but the model of 1996 was assembled in the Volkswagen de México assembly plant in Puebla, Mexico. In 1998, the Spanish-made
Polo Classic was introduced in Mexico as the new Volkswagen Derby.
The Volkswagen Polo Classic was also sold in the Philippines from 1996 to 1999, and in South Africa from 1996 to 2002.
Engines
Second generation (''Typ'' 6L; 2002)
![2003 SEAT Cordoba S 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/2003_SEAT_Cordoba_S_1.4_Rear.jpg)
The second generation Córdoba was presented at the 2002
Paris Motor Show
The Paris Motor Show (french: Mondial de l'Automobile) is a biennial auto show in Paris. Held during October, it is one of the most important auto shows, often with many new production automobile and concept car debuts. The show presently take ...
, as the four door saloon version of the
SEAT Ibiza
The SEAT Ibiza is a supermini car that has been manufactured by Spanish car manufacturer SEAT since 1984. It is SEAT's best-selling car. The Ibiza is named after the Spanish island of Ibiza and was the second SEAT model to be named after a Spani ...
Mk3 hatchback, featuring a boot capacity of , which could be increased to by folding the rear seats. No estate or coupé versions of the second generation were developed.
The Córdoba Mark II shares its chassis and engines with the
Volkswagen Polo Mk4
The Volkswagen Polo Mk4 is the fourth generation of the Volkswagen Polo supermini car produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen. It was marketed from early 2002 to 2009 in most countries except Argentina and the USA. It was manufactured in So ...
and
Škoda Fabia
The Škoda Fabia is a supermini car produced by Czech manufacturer Škoda Auto since 1999. It is the successor of the Škoda Felicia, which was discontinued in 2001. The Fabia was available in hatchback, estate (named Fabia Combi) and saloon ( ...
Mk1 and Mk2.
In Mexico, Córdoba production continues in the Volkswagen de México Puebla assembly plant. It has the four cylinder 2.0 litre engine combined with a five speed manual or an optional six speed
Tiptronic
The modern usage of the automotive term manumatic denotes an automatic transmission that allows the driver to select a specific gear, typically using paddle-shifters, steering wheel-mounted push-buttons, or "+" and "-" controls on the gear sele ...
transmission.
Saloons based on successful hatchbacks very rarely become a sales success in Europe after the turn of the 1990s, and the SEAT Córdoba had done little to change that. It is to SEAT what the
Jetta and Vento were to
Volkswagen
Volkswagen (),English: , . abbreviated as VW (), is a German Automotive industry, motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a ...
, what the
Belmont was to
Vauxhall
Vauxhall ( ) is a district in South West London, part of the London Borough of Lambeth, England. Vauxhall was part of Surrey until 1889 when the County of London was created. Named after a medieval manor, "Fox Hall", it became well known for ...
and what the
Orion was to
Ford
Ford commonly refers to:
* Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford
* Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river
Ford may also refer to:
Ford Motor Company
* Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company
* Ford F ...
.
The Córdoba was officially withdrawn from sale in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
in February 2006, and shortly was removed from SEAT UK's official website. In other European countries, sales ended in 2009. Production officially ended in November 2008.
Engines
Sales and production figures
The total production per year of SEAT Córdoba cars, manufactured in SEAT and other Volkswagen group's plants, is shown below:
1,034,465 Córdoba have been produced overall.
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Seat Cordoba Coupe
Córdoba
Subcompact cars
Sedans
Touring cars
Front-wheel-drive vehicles
2000s cars
Cars introduced in 1993
Cars of Spain
Station wagons