VW Polo GTI vs SEAT Ibiza Cupra: Blood Brothers
Ever the platform sharing masters here are two takes on the VW group's hot hatch template
Volkswagen group's 'Twincharger' engine, found in both the VW Polo GTI and SEAT's Ibiza Cupra, employs both a supercharger and a turbo - an approach previously reserved for only the most exotic aftermarket tuned cars. Okay the engine only has as 1.4-litre capacity, but with two blowers working in tandem there's virtually zero lag, plus high torque from low engine speeds and increased power at the top end. The result? 180hp at 6,200rpm, 184lb ft of torque from a mere 2,000rpm and, courtesy of some clever engine mapping, an impressive 47.9mpg combined fuel economy.
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Shoehorned into either supermini with its seven-speed DSG, the VW Group believes it is the ideal recipe for a contemporary hot hatch. Comfortable yet committed, both come with consummate specs plus a reputation for durability the envy of most rivals. But which is the family favourite?
SEAT's Ibiza Cupra was the first to arrive in the UK, launched in October 2009 alongside a 150bhp FR version and the limited edition Bocanegra Ibiza (essentially a cosmetically-tweaked Cupra). Very well equipped, all Cupras came with a sports suspension (5mm lower than the FR) plus the seven-speed DSG gearbox with paddle shifters, climate control, cruise control, ESP with XDS electronic differential lock, split-folding rear seats, 17-inch alloys, Bi-Xenon headlights, LED running lights, rain-sensing wipers and electric folding mirrors. The original asking price for SEAT's three-door Cupra was just £15,995, whilst the £700-dearer Bocanegra version boasted black nose treatment, a red-stitched bespoke interior and 'B' logos.
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Facelifted in 2012 - and claiming some Lambo design cues - the otherwise understated three-door Ibiza is now known as the SC model, with the Cupra version weighing in at£18,765. However you do get adaptive Bi-Xenon headlights, LED running lights, tinted rear windows, drilled aluminium pedals, 17-inch alloys, a large single trapezoidal exhaust backbox and special Cupra sports seats. A popular £340 Winter Pack includes heated front seats, headlamp washers and a height-adjustable passenger seat, whilst metallic paint is a £450 option. Since the Ibiza Cupra went on sale in 2009 SEAT has sold a total of 1,467 examples.
In contrast the jazzier three- and five-door Mk5 VW Polo GTI looks every bit a mini Golf GTI. Launched in July 2010 as a three-door model, a five-door version became available in 2011.
With identical performance figures (0-62mph in 6.9 seconds) it too possesses the XDS it too possesses the XDS diff-aping system for improved handling and traction; the GTI also sits 15mm lower than a standard Polo. The Golf GTI-like styling extends to the deep front spoiler with honeycomb grille, red brake calipers, flat-bottomed steering wheel, tartan sports seats and gloss-black centre console trim; whilst the standard spec is nearly as impressive as the SEAT's with a small rear diffuser, a pair of chrome-tipped exhausts, foglights, tinted rear glass, Bluetooth, air conditioning, electric heated mirrors, cruise control, rear parking sensors optional LED running lights and of plenty of GTI badging. The standard 17-inch Monza Shadow alloys are the same as those fitted to the Golf GTI. Asking price for the three-door was £19,730, with the five-door model just £620 more. Since the first-generation Polo GTI was launched in 2002 over 5,000 Polo GTI models have been sold in the UK, including 1,360 Mk5 versions.
At this point pedants will exclaim that there is of course a third sibling in this family, the blander-styled Skoda Fabia vRS. Yes - it's better value new, but back-to-back it isn't quite as rewarding to drive as the VW or the SEAT. And the looks are, well, a bit frumpy.
Between them the Polo GTI and Ibiza Cupra have given their supermini rivals - the Abarth 500, Clio Renaultsport, Fabia vRS and Suzuki Swift Sport - some pretty serious competition. Possessing a more upmarket feel, impressive build quality and gutsy performance, sales of both have been strong - even though they won't be the first hot hatch choice for many a PHer. A degree of kindred kudos imbued from their bigger brothers - the Leon Cupra and Golf GTI - has certainly rubbed off and, love it or loathe it, that DSG gearbox is perceived as a strong selling point by many would-be buyers.
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Fundamentally of course they share the same engine, gearbox and chassis, as SEAT was very happy to elaborate: "The Ibiza and Polo GTI are linked - aside from the drivetrain they share the same PQ25 chassis. However, the Ibiza is designed, developed and manufactured at SEAT's Martorell facility just outside Barcelona. So, while it's fair to talk about parts sharing between the two cars, the differences are almost innumerable."
VW however were more reticent: "We wouldn't comment on our sister brands' products or the relationship between them, because while we know our own products we are less familiar with those of our sister brands." Perhaps SEAT is slightly happier about the relationship than Volkswagen? Its Polo GTI is manufactured and assembled completely independently at Pamplona, in Spain.
A hint of real rivalry between the sister companies then, and it's the same story from a styling perspective too. Volkswagen's boxy Polo is unashamedly a mini Golf GTI - it even has the same alloys. From a distance it's actually possible to confuse the two.
SEAT's Ibiza, on the other hand, is confident to plough its own furrow, with styling that - nose aside - differs noticeably from its Leon Cupra big brother. And the incorporation of a few tasty Lamborghini styling cues - like those sloping side creases, a big rear diffuser trim and a trapezoidal backbox - give the Ibiza a more contemporary appeal. The Ibiza's front-end is a tad tame though - the Polo boasts a more aggressive face - but from the car behind, the snarling SEAT looks more impressive. It's a similar story in the cabin as well - traditionalists will prefer the Polo's red-piped, GTI-badged retro vibe, whilst the Ibiza's more youthful 'F1'-logo'd approach woos a younger audience. And it is better equipped as standard too.
Get behind the wheel however and the differences diminish considerably. Fortunately both rivals come with VW's excellent XDS 'eLSD' which, in conjunction with the ESP, maximises traction and responsiveness when cornering. As a result both cars lap up bumpy and winding B-roads with aplomb, throwing away much of their soft image and delivering a rewarding, if not outright thrilling, drive. A good deal of these cars' natural tendency to understeer is removed and acceleration - identical in both - is easily a match for the competition. But switchable traction control means you can still happily spin the wheels if a momentary childish streak overtakes you.
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The SEAT has a slightly firmer ride than Polo and the chassis feels marginally stiffer, but handling-wise it's hard to spot any significant difference on the road - although the SEAT does possess a more focused feel. Sadly though, the paddle-shift DSG transmission isn't optional - so complete control of the revs isn't easily achieved. Downchanges can feel momentarily delayed too. And one final thing - at high speed both contenders braking would benefit from an initially stronger bite.
So which to buy? If your hot hatch has to have five doors them the Ibiza obviously isn't for you; and with a facelifted VW Polo GTI due very soon the undecided would be wise to wait a few months before making a decision. There might even be a Polo R in the pipeline? The cheapest Ibiza Cupras are now under £10,000 though, which makes for pretty appealing value; whereas the earliest Polo GTI will set you back at least £11,495. And with identical running costs and very little difference in depreciation the judgement for most buyers will simply boil down to brand appeal. Traditional Volkswagen, or sexy SEAT? Either way you'll have a quick, competent and desirable hatch that rewards in all situations.
Interested? Search Volkswagen Polo GTI & SEAT Ibiza Cupras on PH Classifieds
VOLKSWAGEN POLO GTI
Engine: 1,390cc 4-cyl
Power (hp): 180@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@2,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG
Kerb weight: 1,269kg
Top Speed: 142mph
0-62mph: 6.9secs
MPG (NEDC combined): 47.9
CO2: 139g/km
Price: £11,495 to £20,350
Manufactured: 2010-on
Love it: Practical performance in a compact package
Loathe it: It's a poor man's Golf GTI, right?
Spotted:2012 Polo GTI three-door, £12,750
SEAT IBIZA CUPRA
Engine: 1,390cc 4-cyl
Power (hp): 180@6,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 184@2,000rpm
Transmission: 7-speed DSG
Kerb weight: 1,259kg
Top Speed: 142mph
0-62mph: 6.9secs
MPG (NEDC combined): 47.9
CO2: 139g/km
Price: £9,795 to £20,080
Manufactured: 2009-on
Love it: Dare to be different styling, more focused than the Polo
Loathe it: Go on, give us a manual version...
Spotted:2012 SEAT Ibiza Cupra, £10,977
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Photos: PrimeExposures
Really? I understood these 1.4 twin-charged engines had a reputation for lunching themselves on a regular basis and due to the complexity were quite pricy to repair...?
Edit:
I suppose a reputation for reliability can be a long way different from the reality, whatever VW paid their marketing people in the 80's and 90's it clearly wasn't enough given how long the perception that VW = reliable has persisted despite actual real-life evidence!
Not so awesome was the horrible VW service organisation, and the horrible oil consumption. I wouldnt dare to buy one again, even though me and my wife really loved it as a daily driver (it was nice at the 'ring to, but best at 8/10ths on twisty roads
)After the first couple of bits I realised that this must have been written by someone who has not owned or used either of these cars at great length...
Also id like to point out that these cars along with the Fabia VRS are almost identical and that if anyone ever manages to get it over 40MPG in real world use then i question why they bothered buying a car of this nature as they are clearly not using it for its real purpose...
I worked for VAG so have been given the joys of all of these cars on several occasions and drove them collectively for about 2.5 years in total. Real world after 10k on the clock at 70mph on the motorway you'll get maybe 35MPG if your lucky and running super unleaded as your meant to.... If you hyper mile it you may see over 40MPG but 47.9 not until hell freezes over....
I averaged about 28 MPG across all of my cars.... I did a mix of local around town and long motorway journeys i.e. going to see family, going to Le Mans and 3 trips to Monaco yet the MPG never came through... In my opinion the only way you will achieve the 47.9 mpg is to drive it like you parked it... in other words drive it like your a 90 year old granny who doesn't break 30MPH and doesn't know what's outside a 5 mile radius of her home... enough said on fuel...
Build quality...
The Seat has the worst interior of all the cars and the build quality isnt as good as the Skoda or the VW. Now the VW is heads and shoulders above the other 2 for build and feel but id say the Skoda is second as yes its basic looking and its boring but everything is well bolted together and it feels solid. The Seats dash looks a little cheap and the air vents are prone to breaking. Also the Seat was the only one i had which had to go back due to a squeaky dash and door panels after 2000miles which was accredited to them not being fitted properly... Bad times for the Spanish production team.... The feel of the dash in the Seat is similar to the Skoda.. Its ok but you wouldn't really notice it other then when prodding it as you think it looks cheap but then get a pleasant surprise that it doesn't fall apart on touch even though it looks like it will.
The engine...
Its great for its power delivery and its ability to do almost anything from any rev but try typing Burning Oil (with the relevant car afterwards) or something similar into the google box and it'll tell you something different...
Burning oil likes it out of fashion from as low as 1300miles (lowest i heard while working for VAG) and VAG not knowing what to do or how to get things sorted...
In the end the response was to issue a notice to all dealers saying that they must inform all customers that the car must be run on super unleaded and that all brand new cars, the customer is to be made extra sure that they understand etc...
Styling....
The Seat looks ok but I would personally not call it a looker... Same with the Polo just more of the same from VW... AS for the Skoda well its plain and doesn't shout out or look much different from a normal family car but then its a Skoda so what do people really expect....
In all great little cars but if it was my money id buy the Skoda as yes it doesn't look at cool but really who cares... Its as fast as the others and it will corner just as well as you or any other normal driver would notice. The only person who would really notice is a racing driver or someone who has all 3 cars and a track at their disposal for a day or 2. The interior is ok nothing wow but its works and it works every time which i think is more important than how it looks.
Now before you all bash me for being Anti Seat im not... The Leon Cupra is one of the best cars ive had, in fact id go as far as to say its better than the golf due to prices and driving experiences etc... In all im a big VAG group fan and love Jap cars as well...
Anything which breaks the norm and stands out and that could be from any manufacturer...
Driving it like a GTI should be driven as you say- ie like you stole it- and that is occasional, it will return mid 30's yes. But how often can you do that? I buy reasonably powered cars as I like to know I have the power should I occasionally need it and I did like the styling.
My mate work high up in VW and has told me that less than 5% of 1.4 twincharger burn oil. Once again, the internet blows things out of proportion..
Chris Harris on twitter reported that his Audi S4 DSG gearbox had given up the ghost and that is cost, as Cilla would say " a lorra lorra money" to fix. From a man who sheds hardly a tear at a Ferrari service this came as a surprise .... Chris please tell more.
With an S4 you should budget in a few large costs, but for these super mini cars? They have the DSG, and a turbo and a supercharger. For the 2nd, 3rd or 4th owner that does not sound ideal to be honest. Better to go for the simplicity of a Lupo Gti.....
I worked for VAG Group covering all manufacturers within their remit in the UK so Audi VW Seat Skoda etc etc i even got to work a a Lambo project!
you are right 5% of all VW's burnt oil.... but what about the 9% of Seats the 5% of Skodas the 4% of Audi's.... It wasn't an over night issue for them and they still have the problem today although its getting better... so yes the internet will be full of complaints as people like to complain and no one ever goes out of there way to say how good something was but thats life...
In regards to my comments on driving style etc... I understand that you may want the power there when you want it but why not buy the slightly slower cheaper option which will still have a good amount of power to over take etc yet would be cheaper to run, insure, tax etc etc or are you someone who buys for looks and badges only?
Ill be honest, on the motorway i drive beyond the speed limit like most people in the outside lane and i do push the limits in regards to losing my license when the opportunity arises and the road is clear. I personally think that if you buy a car like this you must expect to be hounded by other high performance car users who want a bit of fun on the road. Im not saying that it has to be dangerous or that you have to play ball but if your not going to use it to its full potential then why bother? im not saying it has to be everyday and every journey but if your spending all that money why drive it like every other person out there in there boring astras and focus's (thats not a jibe its just general cars). Also i buy cars on what they do for me, as in, how can i make my commute more fun/ whats going to put a smile on my face today etc after all what is better than a hard b-road blitz after a stressful day at work? or chomping a stretch of motorway which you know well and is clear at over 130? answer nothing as long as you don't hurt or endanger anyone else.
In every car ive owned i found out for my self just how fast it will go (in every gear so i know which gear i need to be in for a corner and where the power is) and at what point the back end over takes the front end... Call it stupid if you wish but for me its about knowing what happens when good times go bad as if i hadnt done these exercises I would have met a grizzly end in my BMW 328 as i wouldnt of known what to do when i had a rear blow out at well over a 100MPH....
Im lucky enough to be rally qualified so i can handle a car but with this comes a level of expectation from cars and the drivers of other said cars as i expect that if you are going to pay over 100k for a porka turbo you can drive it and not get caught out etc when the time comes (its doesnt have to be a porka turbo it could be a clio 172 or a Focus ST), like wise if you've bought a 1.0 Fiat 500 you dont care about speed and just want a cool looking car which will get you back and forth and not offend anyone along the way...
Can someone from VW give a cost on replacing the following
1. DSG gearbox
2. Supercharger
3. Turbocharger
on one of these supermini's ? Just out of interest.
I do like the concept of the twincharged engine, but it is a very complex and heavy solution to a problem which could be much better managed by a modern twin-scoll turbo, higher static CR and direct injection. But dues to VW for being different in this respect.
My folks were just in the market for a Fabia VRS, but I raised caution on the engines and following a bit of research they were completely put off and bought a 1.2 TFSI Polo R-line instead. Not quite a warm as the GTI, but probably the better car for the majority and certainly for them!
Can't see there being many of the GTI's, VRS's and Cupra's left in future without lunched engines which is a shame as obstensively they're nice cars.
When the car worked (and when the dash wasn't rattling) it was a brilliant car, but never again.
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