When SEAT introduced the second facelift for the Ibiza’s second generation, Volkswagen granted it with one of its best four-pot engines on the market: the 1.8-liter turbocharged unit.

Sometimes, the 1999 Cupra was also known as the Ibiza MK3, and it is easy to understand why. Its look was way different than the 1993 Ibiza. Also, it gained many technological improvements when compared to that one. The second facelift allowed the Spanish carmaker to keep the car on the market until 2002, which was longer than the regular lifespan of a vehicle built in the ’90s.

The Ibiza Cupra didn’t follow any particular design language. It showed a front fascia with curved headlights on their inner side and a nose-like trim in the middle of the grille, which sported the SEAT badge. Its bumper featured a flowered apron with horizontal slats and round fog lights on the outer side. Unlike its less-powered versions, the Cupra featured flared wheel arches both front and rear and a roof spoiler on top of the tailgate.

Inside, the carmaker took its inspiration from the tuning community and installed white dials in the instrument panel with red needles. A set of drilled aluminum pedals and a thicker steering wheel were part of the package. Its front bucket seats with high bolstering offered better side support during high-speed cornering.

Under the hood, SEAT installed a 1.8-liter turbocharged engine which provided thirty more horses than its predecessor. A five-speed manual gearbox was the only option for this small-segment pocket rocket.