Recently, JOE’s Oisín Collins was invited over to Barcelona to check out the all-new SEAT Ibiza Cupra. Here’s a look at how he got on.
It’s great when you know the other blokes who head off on these foreign press trips. This time around I was heading out with Dave Humphreys from The Engine Room Show podcast (available over here) and Paddy Comyn from SEAT Ireland (the first man brave enough to let me near a press car). There was a nice relaxed atmosphere to the trip and it didn’t feel like you were being secretly judged by anyone. So opening up the car and giving it a good proper test on the tight twisting roads of Barcelona’s mountains was extremely enjoyable.
We landed ahead of the other journalists who were coming in from UK and other various parts of Europe, so Dave and I had a good hour to ourselves in the new Ibiza Cupra. The first thing I did, after adjusting the seat and setting the air-con to full blast, was to head to the beach – sure what else would you be doing in Spain when it’s 16-18C outside?
Straight away I could tell that this car comes from a strong racing pedigree. Cupra does stand for “Cup Racing” after all. The slightest touch of the throttle projected the car forward like a prize winning racehorse forcing its way out of the gates, but the car’s crisp steering and solid brakes gave you the peace of mind that it wouldn’t tear off into a bush – or off a cliff in our case. I also had the car’s XDS electronic transverse differential lock to thank for that.
The car tested was a stunning red 1.4L TSi with a 7-speed DSG transmission, and I have to say, it looked seriously good sitting on the beachfront. I took note of anyone who had a good stare. Nearly everyone did. That’s thanks to the car’s design. SEAT is a Spanish brand with German engineering under the hood, so you get a gorgeous muscular and powerful body with great driving abilities and a no nonsense interior. It also sits on some pretty slick rims…
I was equally impressed with the noise the car makes. On my way to the beach I had to pass under a tunnel, so needless to say I lowered both front windows, dropped the car down a gear, and gave it everything it had to offer. It sounded phenomenal inside the tunnel, just as good on the exit and the when the turbocharger kicked in I found myself smiling like a smug so-and-so who just won the lottery.
After the hour, I made my way to meet back to base in order to meet up with the other two Irish lads, and after a brief press conference (the brief ones are always the best) we had a light lunch and it was back into the car.
This time around Dave and I took the same car – you may remember seeing us in the Ibiza Cupra video, last week – and we took off for a good long spin. The DSG gearbox is jaw droppingly quick and gear changes are made in a few hundredths of a second. The flappy paddles are a nice touch and they allow you to move up or down a gear if necessary without having to take a hand off the wheel. You can also change the gears by simply pushing the gear stick up or down, but that’s not half as fun as the flappy paddles.
The 1.4L TSi engine cranks out 180bhp and the car has a top speed of 228kph, although we didn’t actually test that one out (or at least that’s what we told Paddy) and it only produces 139g of CO2 per Kilometre, which is pretty impressive for a car of its spec. The Ibiza Cupra only sips on 5.9 litres of fuel over 100 km and after a full day driving with two young(ish) motoring journalists behind the wheel, the fuel gauge had barely moved.
The only bad thing I’d have to say about the car is that the rear seat isn’t overly spacious. If you’re a wide, 6ft bloke like myself then you might find that you’re a tad squashed in the back, but having said that, when are you going to be sitting in the back? That’s one for your mates to worry about.
The Ibiza Cupra will be coming into Ireland around June and it will cost roughly €23,000. It’s the perfect car for anyone who’s looking to upgrade to something that’s fun to drive, enjoyable to look at and not so expensive that you have to re-mortgage your house.
Definitely one of the more enjoyable cars I’ve had the pleasure to drive.
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