SEAT IBIZA 1.4 TDi
Although
SEAT Have Assiduously Cultivated A Sporting Reputation, Cars Like The Ibiza 1.4TDi Diesel Make Up Most Of Their Sales. Andy Enright Reports
Positioning yourself as a manufacturer of dynamic sporty vehicles has many advantages. Not only do you get to leather the expense account with various motorsport escapades but you also enjoy the trickledown of that image from your flagship sporty models down to the more prosaic vehicles lurking at more attainable positions in the range. For every Cupra model SEAT sell, theyre banking on selling a number of models like the Ibiza 1.4TDi, a car thats at the sensible end of the scale.
The Ibiza is a very likeable car. Voted What Car? magazines Car Of The Year 2003, the latest 1.4-litre TDi strengthens an already formidable model line up. Although the same engine can be yours for less in a
Skoda Fabia, many will prefer the cheekier styling and youthful joie de vivre of the Ibiza.
| Build |
 |
| Comfort |
 |
| Depreciation |
 |
| Economy |
 |
| Equipment |
|
| Handling |
|
| Insurance |
|
| Performance |
|
| Styling |
|
| Value |
|
Priced from £9,200, it looks good value, especially in a marketplace where attitude is conspicuous by its absence. Diesel rivals like the
Ford Fiesta,
Citroen C3 and
Vauxhall Corsa may be very accomplished cars but they all lack a little something in charisma; a quality the Ibiza seems to have oozing from every orifice. With a punchy 75bhp turbodiesel powering the compact Ibiza, youd expect it to feel agreeably muscular and you wont be disappointed. The engine has a delightfully elastic feel to it, the turbocharger spooling up to provide if not a gale then a stiff breeze of midrange torque.
In fact with 144lb/ft of torque on tap at an easily accessible 2,200rpm, the Ibiza 1.4TDi engine feels every bit as muscular as the powerplant in, say, a
Peugeot 206GTi. This strong torque figure means you wont need to gun the engine every time you want to make decent progress. This translates into a fuel economy figure of 61.
4mpg and low emissions of just 124g/km. Available in Reference and SX specification, the Ibiza 1.4TDI looks an attractive package and one that will doubtless convert more customers to the charms of Ibiza ownership. Dont mistake it for the 1.
4-litre petrol version, which also boasts 75bhp, as the diesel is a far superior package. Credit for the styling goes to ex-
Alfa Romeo stylist Walter da Silva, who arrived in Barcelona just in time to make this third generation model his own. Even if you didnt know his origins, you might guess them from the way the bonnet lines point into the prominent
SEAT S on the front grille (much like the triangular Alfa V-shape). Or from the way the instrument dials have been individually recessed into the dashboard.
Unlike both the Fabia and the SEATs other in-house platform-sharing cousin, the VW Polo, theres no entry-level SDI diesel option. SEAT instead opt for this vastly superior 1.4-litre TDI. The Reference trim level may be the entry-level but it doesnt fare too badly in terms of equipment which includes tinted glass, a body-coloured rear spoiler, a six-speaker CD stereo system, electric windows, a split-folding rear seat, electro-hydraulic power steering, a pollen filter and twin front airbags and ABS.
"The Ibiza 1.4TDi engine feels every bit as muscular as the powerplant in, say, a Peugeot 206GTi "
SEAT describe the TDi diesel as a true technological jewel, this a reference to its advanced electronically controlled pump injector system. We wouldnt go quite that far. For a start, its a diesel thats noisier than normal, a legacy perhaps of the fact that VW Group engineers have still to embrace the common rail technology now featured by virtually everyone else. Still, you cant deny that their alternative chosen route is effective when it comes to performance.
The 1.4-litre engine feels a good deal stronger than its modest capacity would suggest and is well up to the cut and thrust of the British motorway system. Should you want to travel quicker still in your diesel, SEAT can oblige in the shape of the TDI100 and TDI130 models or even the TDI160 Cupra. The TDI100 will reach 118mph and it takes 10.
8s to reach 62mph from a standstill. Far more important than that is the impressive 240Nm of torque thats on offer between 1,800 and 2,400rpm the increment we all use for most overtaking manoeuvres. In most cases, you dont even have to drop down a gear to get past that swaying artic. By the same token, around town, cog-swapping is kept to a minimum.
As for fuel consumption, well expect to record 44mpg on the urban cycle, 69mpg on extra urban driving and 56.5mpg as a combined figure. Priced at just over £13,000, the TDI130 FRs top speed is 129mph and rest to 62mph showing of 9.4s looks tempting, but for most the 1.
4TDI will be quite enough. The SEAT Ibiza 1.4TDi isnt a particularly sporty supermini but its styling and cheeky image allow it to mop up sales of those who feel a
Skoda Fabia or a
Volkswagen Polo is just that little bit too staid. In the Volkswagens Group network of niches, sub-niches and micro-niches, the Ibiza 1.
4TDi offers a welcome breath of fresh air for anybody looking for a car thats sensible without being invisible. Expect more awards this way soon.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: SEAT Ibiza 1.4 TDi
PRICE: £9,200 - £10,600 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 124g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 107mph / 0-60mph 13.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 61.4 mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm
<< Back to SEAT car reviews
<< Back to car reviews homepage
Find New & Used Cars in the UK |
New & Used SEAT Cars For Sale UK
