Monday 1st September 2008

Seat Ibiza Cupra

New hot Ibiza gets twin-turbocharged engine

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Seat has released pictures of its new twin-turbo Ibiza Cupra ahead of the Paris Motor Show. The 1.4 TSI Volkswagen engine has 180bhp and the Cupra also gets the new seven-speed DSG sequential-shift gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifts.

The controversially-styled Ibiza gets larger 17" alloy wheels, large air vents at the front, bigger bumpers and a centrally-mounted trapezoidal exhaust pipe. Inside there are sports seats and aluminium pedals.

The suspension is lower and stiffer and the Ibiza gets stability control as standard. No word on prices yet but expect to pay around £16K to £17K. The car will be available from the end of the year.

 

 

[Truckosaurus]

Is it really a twin-turbo engine or the same as the Golf and using both a supercharger and (single) turbocharger.

[madrob6]

How big is this thing? It makes those 17" wheels look tiny!

Is it just me or does the front look like the new Impreza?

[boolay]

I can't begin to express how awful I think that looks

[bradmitchell]

i cant begin to express how deluded Seat must be to try and jutify 17 grand for a 1.4 litre ibiza. Good luck with that Seat....

[Cerberus90]

why does a 1.4 need a seven speed gearbox?

and I wonder if those air vents will actually help cooling at all, or if they'll just create more drag than if they weren't there.

[clonmult]

bradmitchell said:

i cant begin to express how deluded Seat must be to try and jutify 17 grand for a 1.4 litre ibiza. Good luck with that Seat....

Whilst I tend to agree, its a 180bhp 1.4 litre ...

And how much were the 1.5 liter turbo F1 engines?

[Beefmeister]

Surely this is the twincharger engine? i.e. Turbocharged and supercharged, not twin turbo?

[MrTappets]

What an ungainly mess. Could be quite a good engine, tho price seems on the steep side.

[MrTappets]

Actually looking at what's written it would seem likely to be the twincharger engine. Doesn't TSI stand for Turbocharged Supercharged Injected, or did i just make that up?

[muppet42]

I've seen the adverts with that awful lime green one and this one, even with a bodykit looks terrible. It's so badly proportioned, which is odd as the Ibiza of old has usually been quite tidy looking.

Wonder if it's a good car underneath the "car crash would make it look better" body. Or maybe I'm being too harsh

[JPKerr]

MrTappets said:

Actually looking at what's written it would seem likely to be the twincharger engine. Doesn't TSI stand for Turbocharged Supercharged Injected, or did i just make that up?

Well if you did just make it up it sounds a good one to me congratulations well done.

[sean19]

Looks awful!

[bazking69]

Echo alot of the above thoughts. Good engine aside, who is going to spend 17k on:
a) A Seat Ibiza
b) A car that ugly

[nivlac]

saw the new ibiza at the motorshow and it looked shocking, i wondered if it was possible to make it look any good with some sporting additions. i now conclude the answer is NO.

[LuS1fer]

I can't see that those looks will sell many. I think it's the "arze has dropped out of my trousers" look at the back that really seals it. I also think Seat will struggle at that price level - it's the equivalent of a Polo isn't it?

[btdk5]

LuS1fer said:

I can't see that those looks will sell many. I think it's the "arze has dropped out of my trousers" look at the back that really seals it. I also think Seat will struggle at that price level - it's the equivalent of a Polo isn't it?

You could get a golf for 16-17....

That is so much money for a 1.4 litre, poor mans version of a VW.

[Antj]

Most will only be interested int he diesel Cupra, that was the biggest seller last time.

I'm surprised the figures on price are 17k when the last one was just 14k. It seems strange as the mk5 Ibiza has been cheaper than most of the mk4's it has replaced. I am assuming the DSG is the thing thats pushing that price up a bit.

I'll wait till we see official figures from SEAT before i believe that 17k figure as i don;t see it fitting in the range considering the Leon FR is only 18k!!!

Just reads more like Autoexpress style journalism, ie they saw a picture and made the rest up.

[Alex]

It would be more correct to say "twin super-charged."

[Saabstudent]

Antj said:

Most will only be interested int he diesel Cupra, that was the biggest seller last time.

I'm surprised the figures on price are 17k when the last one was just 14k. It seems strange as the mk5 Ibiza has been cheaper than most of the mk4's it has replaced. I am assuming the DSG is the thing thats pushing that price up a bit.

I'll wait till we see official figures from SEAT before i believe that 17k figure as i don;t see it fitting in the range considering the Leon FR is only 18k!!!

Just reads more like Autoexpress style journalism, ie they saw a picture and made the rest up.

Ouch!
From an Auto Express journalist...

G

[TEKNOPUG]

Alex said:

It would be more correct to say "twin super-charged."

Only if it had a pair of superchargers.....