Seat Ibiza FR TDI first drive

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SEAT’s UK sales, are on a high – an all-time record year last year with 29,987 new car customers has been followed by a 36.4 per cent increase to nearly 15,000 units in the first five months of this year.

An expanded SEAT business and fleet sales team is now pushing their products into areas of the new car market they haven’t really explored before being traditionally a retail brand with youngish customers with demand driven by their Touring Car successes.

SEAT is the Spanish arm of the Volkswagen Group and first came to the UK market in 1985 so 2010 is the brand’s 25th anniversary here. The sporty brand now has a wide range of models to offer. There is the Leon family sized five door hatchbacks, the higher roofed Altea and Altea XL five door hatches cum MPVs, the D-segment Exeo Saloon and roomy Sports Tourer (estate) and the large Alhambra MPV.

But it is the longest serving model range, the famous Ibiza with three door SC and five door versions, plus the soon to arrive ST estates, with a wide range of petrol, diesel and ECOmotive engines, at very competitive prices that still account for well over half of the brand’s UK sales and is SEAT’s best selling model range worldwide.

Ibiza prices range from £9,350 on-the-road up to £17,245. Engine sizes range from aged 1.2/1.4/1.6 petrol units through to the fiery latest VW Group 1.4 TSI petrol, to 1.4 and 2.0-litre TDI but there are many versions and many states of tune ranging from 59 to 178bhp of power.

To go with this power unit line-up there is a wide range of specification levels depending on the engine and body style chosen, E, S, Ecomotive, SE, Good Stuff, Sport, Sport Black, FR, Cupra and the hugely entertaining 178bhp Cupra Bocanegra.

I have just had a very entertaining week driving the Ibiza 5-Door with the new FR (Formula Racing) specification powered by the impressive 2.0-litre, 141bhp TDI engine. Price is a competitive £16,840.

For the potential fleet and company car customers the high performance diesel engine has low CO2 emissions of 123g/km which allows for a First Year road tax cost of £0 and then £90 for year two onwards. Benefit-in-Kind company car tax is an attractively low 13 per cent. With these figures fleet managers can no longer discourage company cars drivers from having a hot performance supermini sized car. There is no downside as far as the purchase price, road tax or BIK taxes, insurance is not prohibitive at 8E/19E. It’s still easy on the fuel - officially 60.1mpg in the Combined Cycle and 54.5mpg during my test driving covering all types of motoring. Top speed is 130mph and 0 to 62mph takes 8.2 seconds.

The Ibiza FR SC three-door model is also available with this engine, price £16,430. However if petrol power is the choice then the impressive 1.4-litre, 146bhp TSI petrol engine with the twin clutch DSG auto transmission with paddle shift priced at £15,520. Top speed is 130mph, 0-62mph takes 7.7 seconds, average fuel consumption is 44.8mpg, CO2 emissions are 146g/km, VED is £125, BIK company car tax is 18% and insurance groups are 11E/22E.

For me of all the FR Ibiza versions the five door, 141bhp variant, or as SEAT calls it the 2.0 TDI CR, makes the most sense because of the low taxes, much better fuel economy, the pure performance and driveability the turbodiesel unit offers and the more user-friendly five door body style. It isn’t totally perfect because fifth and sixth gear ratios are relatively high so gear changes are more frequent than I like in a diesel powered car, and in fact the car will not run smoothly below 50mph in sixth gear. With the impressive maximum torque of 236lb ft (320Nm) from 1,750rpm, in a five door hatchback of this size, there should be lots of response in high gears making it a more memorable drive. It means lots more gearchanging but the pay-offs are the low official CO2 emission figures which of course bear fruit when it comes to low taxes.

Low and mid range acceleration are strong thanks to the torque, free revving and relatively quiet turbodiesel unit. Thankfully the many gear changes are slick and precise; the steering is very accurate and precise giving good feedback and loads of front end grip. On smooth motorways the ride comfort is just about OK but main and side roads with poorer surfaces and potholes bring out the worst in the ride control and comfort. Most SEAT models, sporty or not, are known to give a firm ride. The Ibiza FR is no different, worse in fact because of the faster speeds being used and the fitment of low profile tyres.

In addition to the hot performance the Ibiza FR looks ‘hot’ as well, definitely it wears a sporty coat of distinctive styling extras including specific style bumpers, front honeycomb grilles with chrome surround for the main one in the centre of the face, silver coloured door mirrors, 215/40 tyres on bespoke 17-inch alloy wheels, twin exhaust pipes and FR badging.

Inside it is just as sporty with a bespoke instrument display carrying the FR logo, sports steering wheel with a flat bottom to the rim, but oddly not having any steering wheel mounted controls. Sports front seats with stitched upholstery carry the FR logo.

Standard specification of course includes ESP stability programme and traction control with anti-lock braking and brake assist. There are front, side, head and thorax airbags, split folding rear seat, hill hold control, electrically operated windows and heated door mirrors, a good sound system with six speakers, cruise control, trip computer, remote central door locking and low tyre pressure warning.

In the front space is impressive for what is classed as a ‘supermini, Fiesta, Corsa and Peugeot 207 for example. The rear legroom is just about enough given the five door Ibiza is just over four metres in length not much shorter than a VW Golf. By choosing the five door bodystyle rather than the three door option makes this new addition a more family and business user friendly potential hot seller for SEAT.

MILESTONES. SEAT Ibiza 2.0 TDI CR FR 5-Door. Price: £16,840. Engine/transmission: 2.0-ltre, four-cylinder direct injection turbodiesel, 141bhp, 236lb ft of torque from 1,750rpm, 6-speed manual. Performance: 130mph, 0-62mph 8.2 seconds, 60.1mpg (54.5mpg actual), CO2 123g/km, VED road tax £0 First Year rate then £90 per annum, BIK company car tax 13%. Insurance group: 19E. Boot space: 292-847 litres. For: High performance, low running costs and taxes, good fuel economy, attractive purchase price, sharp handling, well equipped. Against: High fifth and sixth gear ratios dull the full potential of the impressive torque.

Miles Better News Agency – Girlracer Magazine

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