The SEAT Ronda was a milestone in SEAT's history. It was SEAT's first new model as an independent brand and therefore sported the new "S" logo from day one. And it was also the first one named after a Spanish town… (read more)
Launch: June 1982
End of production: 1986 (75 CLX: summer 1984)
Number built: 177,869 (total Ronda)
Price: 863,179 Pts.
Petrol, 4 cylinders in-line
Position: At front, transversal
Bore x stroke: 80 mm x 71.5 mm
Capacity: 1.438 cc
Valve gear: Overhead valves, push-rods and rocker arms
Carburettor: 1 Bressel 32
Max. power: 77 HP at 5600 rpm
Max. torque: 112.7 Nm at 2800 rpm
Top speed: 160 km/h
Drive: Front-wheel drive
Gearbox: 5-speed manual, plus reverse
Clutch: Dry single-plate
Front suspension:
Independent, McPherson. Coil springs, hydraulic dampers and anti-roll bar
Rear suspension:
Independent, transverse leaf spring and hydraulic dampers
Steering: Rack and pinion
Front/rear: Discs/drums
165/65 SR-14
Body: 5-door hatchback, 5 seats
Length/width/height: 4010/1650/1400 mm
Wheelbase: 2450 mm
Weight: 880 kg
The SEAT Ronda was a milestone in SEAT's history. It was SEAT's first new model as an independent brand and therefore sported the new "S" logo from day one. And it was also the first one named after a Spanish town (together with SEAT's Panda Marbella version, launched a few months earlier).
The Ronda project started in 1981, when SEAT began a new chapter as an independent manufacturer. At SEAT’s Technical Centre in Martorell, three future new models were planned, with the internal codes S-1 (in 1984 it would be the new SEAT Ibiza), S-2 (the Ronda) and S-3 (the Malaga).
The first one to see the light of day was the Ronda, launched in June 1982. It was a thorough restyling of the previous SEAT Ritmo, made with the collaboration of Italian designer Rayton Fissore.
On the outside, the front end, front and rear bumpers, and many details, such as the door handles, wheel rims and rear window frame (it remained the same as the Ritmo on the first units), were new. Inside, the dashboard and cabin were also brand new. In addition, the Ronda was better-equipped in general.
For example, one innovative technological gadget fitted in the Ronda was the Econotronic. It is a microprocessor control fuel consumption economizer, developed at SEAT’s Martorell Technical Centre and patented by SEAT.
What did not change at first was the engine range, which remained the same as the Ritmo. Thus, the launch range of the Ronda was formed by the 65 CL (1,197 cc and 64 HP), 75 CLX (1,438 cc and 77 HP, with air conditioning in option) and Crono (1,592 cc and 95 HP), in addition to the Diesel 1.7, all of them with 5 gears. The powertrain line-up was completely revised in April 1984, when the Ronda got the modern SEAT System Porsche engines, which were also to power the S-1 and S-3 projects, the Ibiza and the Malaga, respectively.
In November 1982, a Ronda Diesel became the 5 millionth car built by SEAT since 1953. Of these, about a fifth had been exported. From April 1983, the Ronda would become the first SEAT exported through SEAT's own dealer network, thus starting the brand’s full deployment in Europe.
This unit of Ronda 75 CLX, painted in metallic green, was registered in Barcelona in May 1984. Therefore, it corresponds to one of the last units powered by the 1,438cc engine (originally from the SEAT 1430 and then also fitted in the SEAT Fura Crono), before the arrival of the SEAT System Porsche engines. This Ronda joined the SEAT HISTÓRICOS Collection around 2014 and was fully restored to celebrate the Ronda’s 40th anniversary in 2022.