I'm quite a fan on the SEAT Ibiza, in fact I own one (2006 Ibiza FR) so I was rather excited when I heard news that SEAT are making changes to it's Cupra range. These include a 1.8 litre TSI engine in place of the former 1.4 and will come with a 6 speed manual instead of a DSG setup. This is good news for drivers as it looks like the Cupra will definitely be more a drivers' car.
With the new upgrades this means an increased power output of 189 bhp which is not as fast as some it's rivals but it's certainly not far off. However it puts the Cupra on par with the Fiesta ST which is very much the small hot hatchback to beat despite turning 3 years old this year. However it will be faster than the Fiesta with a top speed of 146 mph and will beat the ST to 62 mph as well, with a time of 6.7 seconds. It's marginal but it's certainly an advantage. The ST keeps it's bragging rights when it comes to fuel consumption though as the SEAT is only able to muster 45.6 mpg compared to the ST's 47.9, but that does not make it any less impressive and again it's a marginal difference.
The new Cupra will be £18,100 for the base model but there will be another version on offer, the Cupra Black priced at £18,900. The Black will offer black alloys (natually) with red calipers, Sat Nav on a 6.5 inch screen, 3D map display, voice recognition and 2 SD card slots. This is on top of the standard model's generous selection of features which include bi-xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, tinted windows, climate control and cruise control.
Both models are available in SEAT dealerships now. Right, I'm off to ring SEAT so whether they can do a straight swap for my 10 year old Ibiza FR....