SEAT introduced a facelifted version for the third-generation Ibiza lineup in 2006, four years after the model's launch, slightly improving the car's look.
The Spanish carmaker had to stay in the back, behind its much famous sibling Volkswagen Polo. Both vehicles stood on the same platform, the PQ24, as their Czech sibling, Skoda Fabia. Strangely, the carmaker didn't include a facelift when they changed the engines for the 2005 Euro 4 emission standards, but they did it one year later.
From the outside, there were not too many visual changes for the car. At the front, the carmaker changed the bumper with a more aggressive-looking one. An A-shaped center grille flanked by two clusters for the fog lights replaced the simple, horizontal one from the 2002 model. Its profile remained virtually unchanged, while at the back, the bumper lost its body-colored protective stripes.
Inside, the carmaker left almost everything as it was, except for new colors and upholstery on the options list. The base trim level featured a three-spoke steering wheel, while the top trim level received steering-wheel buttons for the sound system, which were available only with specific CD players.
Under the hood, SEAT removed the naturally aspirated 2.0-liter unit from the list since it was the slowest seller in the range. It expanded the turbo-diesel offer, which proved to be more successful thanks to their fuel efficiency, but deleted the non-turbocharged 1.9-liter oil-burner.