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First drive: SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.

First drive: SEAT Ibiza Cupra
Changes afoot for SEAT's B-segment hot hatch - is it the new class benchmark?

   



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SEAT Ibiza Cupra

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5

SEAT adds a bigger engine to the Ibiza Cupra and junks the DSG gearbox in the process. With a small increase in horsepower and a huge leap in torque, the new Ibiza Cupra is an extremely competent supermini-based hot hatchback. It might even be the new class leader, if you're the sort of person who values comfort over ultimate driving thrills...

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: SEAT Ibiza Cupra
Pricing: starts at £18,100
Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol
Transmission: front-wheel drive, six-speed manual
Body style: three-door hot hatch
CO2 emissions: 139g/km (VED Band E, £130 annually)
Combined economy: 47.1mpg
Top speed: 146mph
0-62mph: 6.7 seconds
Power: 192hp at 4,300- to 6,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm from 1,450- to 4,200rpm

What's this?

The new SEAT Ibiza Cupra. And yes, it looks just like the old one. There's very little to visually differentiate this 2016MY Cupra from what has gone before, which isn't necessarily bad news as the compact SEAT has always been a looker. So check out the LED daytime running lights (now standard fit), the 17-inch Cupra alloys, model-specific front and rear bumpers, a centre-exit exhaust and black detailing for the door mirrors and front grille. A note on that exhaust: the real pair of tailpipes peeks out from the trapezoidal opening and it's the only clunking design detail on the car; otherwise, it's a sharp-suited little machine that's easily the match or the better of other vehicles in its class.

The standard UK colour will be Mediterranean Blue, while non-metallic White and Emocion Red (£250) will be the first options for Ibiza Cupra buyers. Splash out £530 and you can have a metallic shade, although these are silver, black, grey, white and, er... grey again. So no bright, youthful colours are offered, presumably intended to make the SEAT seem more premium and upmarket - we saw the same thing when the current Leon Cupra was launched and we lamented a lack of excitement in the paint palette then. Oh well.

Inside, the cabin is improved no end and there's a bit more standard kit, adding on to what was already a pretty comprehensive equipment list. Enjoy bi-Xenon headlights with adaptive front lighting, Bluetooth, DAB, climate control and a five-inch colour touchscreen as part of the new additions, while Full Link (supporting Google Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and MirrorLink) is thrown in if you go for the Ibiza Cupra Black at £18,800. It's a fine cabin in terms of the space and quality, although aesthetically it's pretty safe - only the flat-bottomed Cupra steering wheel, bespoke dials and Cupra seats really lift it. Opt for the Navigation System (£580) and you get a bigger 6.5-inch touchscreen with voice control as well; you can have this without nav as the Media System Plus upgrade alone (£240), and either way the big colour screen provides some visual interest for the centre console. Incidentally, the Cupra Black seems auspiciously good value, as it adds satnav with the bigger screen along with Full Link, black 17-inch alloys and a few other aesthetic tweaks.

The big change for 2016MY Ibiza Cupra comes under the bonnet. Gone is the old super- and turbocharged 1.4-litre engine with its DSG gearbox and in comes a 1.8-litre turbo-only TSI, complete - in the UK, at least - with a six-speed manual transmission alone. This is a revision recently carried out by Volkswagen on the cousin to the Cupra, the Polo GTI, and it sees the SEAT's power increase by 12hp to a maximum of 192hp, while torque swells considerably from 250Nm previously to a peak of 320Nm now; and that's available over a wide 1,450- to 4,200rpm band, too.

This means the 2016 Cupra, available in three-door 'SC' guise only, is two tenths quicker for 0-62mph at 6.7 seconds and goes on to a 3mph higher top speed of 146mph, while preserving the 139g/km CO2 emissions of the 1.4. It is marginally worse on combined fuel economy, at 47.1mpg compared to 47.9mpg before, but in reality that sort of saving will hardly be noticeable.

How does it drive?

Superbly well, not just in comparison to its lacklustre twin-charged predecessor but also when stacked up against the best offerings from rival manufacturers. Two-stage (Normal and Sport) adjustable dampers are part of the Cupra's Drive Profile settings and that means in its more focused mode it's a rabid little machine. The steering is precise and positive, thanks to the inclusion of the XDS electronic diff lock, while the brakes - enlarged from 288mm front discs previously to 310mm stoppers now - bite impressively and strongly on a regular basis. The engine is far better in terms of power delivery and noise than the old 1.4 unit, and the six-speed gearbox is perfectly fine. So when you want to go quickly, the Ibiza Cupra can deliver a thrilling drive and it does so while simultaneously putting a smile on its driver's face; the Ford Fiesta ST might be just a gnat's sharper again, but you couldn't really complain about the SEAT's involving chassis.

Where it scores most highly is for refinement, because - like the bigger Leon Cupra - for all its sporty leanings, the Ibiza Cupra is actually a pleasant motorway cruiser. In Normal mode, despite its short wheelbase and 1,185kg kerb weight, the softer dampers allow the Ibiza to coast smoothly along, with an underlying firmness always present thanks to its big alloys. Yet it never crashes or bounces like the Fiesta ST, which makes it a more pleasant vehicle to live with on a day-to-day, heavily-trafficked basis.

So in terms of sheer entertainment, the revised Ibiza Cupra is up with the more powerful, more expensive competitors in the form of the Vauxhall Corsa VXR Performance Pack and Peugeot 208 GTi by Peugeot Sport - and some distance ahead of its demure Polo GTI relative - while its handling is almost (but not quite) as impressive as the Ford Fiesta ST's. Yet, when it comes to comfort and refinement, the Ibiza is second only to the Polo GTI, eclipsing all else in the class. Therefore, while we'd still marginally prefer the Fiesta ST for its supreme dynamics, you could make a very sound case for saying the SEAT is the better all-rounder that does not sacrifice too much by way of driver involvement.

Verdict

This could be the car to finally wipe the smug smile off the Ford Fiesta ST's face. It's almost as enjoyable to drive hard as the Fiesta, if admittedly not quite as scintillating, yet it's far more comfortable when cruising along a motorway with its adaptive dampers in their softer setting. With a huge spec list and decent looks, the Ibiza Cupra deserves its place near the very top of the B-segment hot hatch pile.

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Exterior Design

4 4 4 4 4 Interior Ambience

4 4 4 4 4 Passenger Space

4 4 4 4 4 Luggage Space

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Safety

4 4 4 4 4 Comfort

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Driving Dynamics

4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.5 Powertrain


Matt Robinson - 23 Nov 2015



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2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.



2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 

2016 SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Image by Matt Richardson.
 






 

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