SEAT IBIZA FR
SEATs FR Series Is A Model Line That Sits Below The Fiery Cupra Models. Mind You, The Ibiza FR Will Be More Than Enough For Many - As Andy Enright Reports
Women are capable of utilising all sorts of cunning tricks to disguise the actualite. Push up bras, slimming underwear, make-up, towering heels and hair extensions can often lead us simple men to think weve landed something a good deal hotter than it ends up being. A similar deal can occur with warm hatchbacks. They look alluring and promise a good deal but in the harsh light of day, they can often come as a bit of a disappointment.
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SEATs Ibiza FR is one such model that has some substance beneath the slap.
Formula Racing (FR) is, in effect, SEATs sports diffusion line, sitting below the fiery Cupra models, broadly equivalent to how sporty
Ford ST models are a notch down from RS versions. That said, theres nothing second rate about the Ibiza FR. With 150bhp petrol or 130bhp diesel engines (both priced at £12,950) to punt it up the road, the Ibiza FR is a long way from the usual warm hatch stereotype which consists of a car with all of the sporty accoutrements but fitted with a gutless engine that will be shredded away from the lights by a skip lorry. The traditional reason for offering these warm hatch models has been because the sportier versions are often off limits to younger drivers because of their punitive insurance ratings but manufacturers have twigged that in offering the same safety, security and repairability as the top models, insurance ratings can be kept manageable with a worthwhile engine on board.
The Ibiza FRs powerplant is more than just worthwhile. With the turbocharged 150bhp petrol engine to call upon, its capable of notching off the all important sprint to 60mph in a respectable 8.1 seconds and itll then run onto a top speed of 135mph. Using the same engine fitted to the entry-level
Audi TT, the Ibiza FR can even manage an average of 46mpg which means that younger drivers wont feel the pinch every time they give the accelerator a quick prod.
The diesel fares even better with super-thrifty 55mpg average fuel consumption but the 0-60mph time increases by a second. The diesel and petrol cars cost exactly the same amount to buyers are left with an intriguing dilemma of which to choose. The handling on both cars has been sharpened up to cope with the additional poke, the FR featuring stiffer coil springs, a beefier front anti roll bar and revised rear axle mounts.
"With a 150bhp engine to punt it up the road, the Ibiza FR is a long way from the gutless warm hatch stereotype"
Easily distinguishable by its titanium coloured double five-spoke design 16-inch wheels, the Ibiza FR uses the same smoky metallic colour on the wing mirrors, headlights and tail lamps, giving the car a definite edge over its lesser brethren. The front bumper is FR specific and has a honeycomb finished mesh over the grille intakes while the rear bumper reveals a chromed exhaust. Black and red FR badging on the door pillars will let those who arrive next to you at the lights know their rightful place. The interior has had a sporting makeover too, with a metallic finish on the instrument binnacle, centre console, air vents, gear knob and glove box handle.
The steering wheel, gear stick gaiter and the handbrake lever are trimmed in leather with grey stitching and the sports seats are also finished in a metallic effect fabric. The Ibiza has long proved that that looking good neednt cost the earth. Briton Steve Lewis was responsible for most of the Ibizas lines, but the final refinements were undertaken by Walter deSilva, the man responsible for the Alfa 156 amongst others. Suddenly the reason why the rear doors dont uglify the car significantly becomes apparent.
Much of the interior design was undertaken by Simona Falcinela another who jumped ship from Alfa to work for
SEAT. The cars details are more knowing and better integrated and hes succeeded in making the car appear far smaller than it actually is, a visual trick that will appeal to many buyers. Inside, youll spot a number of VW Group parts, reappearing like old faces at a school reunion. The window switches, the gear knob, the ventilation controls and so on are all sourced from that bottomless well thats disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it.
Compared to its predecessor, this generation Ibiza is a dramatic improvement. Not only is it far prettier, it also utilises its cabin space better, the engine range is far more economical and the perceived quality has been ratcheted up a good few notches. None of these factors, however, differentiate it hugely from its rivals. SEAT point to the fact that the Ibizas based around the Agile Chassis concept developed in house.
This combines suspension settings tuned for the keen driver with an intelligent power steering system that not only adjusts the amount of assistance according to driving speed nothing particularly novel there but also considers the position of the wheels and how quickly the steering wheel is being turned. Other small cars with power steering often incur pumping loss when being driven enthusiastically, that is the inability of the engine-driven power steering pump to keep up with the demands the driver places on the steering. This leads to inconsistent steering feel and the helm weighting up just when you dont want it to. The Ibiza, by contrast, uses an electric pump that runs independently of the engine to power the steering.
The result? Better feedback and keener reactions when you up want to up the ante. The SEAT Ibiza FR may not be the most exciting hatch around but its probably the hottest of the warm hatch crop. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, its not supposed to. If your budget wont stretch to a fully fledged pocket rocket, this is no mean substitute.
There are no tricks to this Formula and no artifice. It does exactly what it says on the tin.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: SEAT Ibiza FR
PRICES: £12,950 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 7-13
CO2 EMISSIONS: 138-190g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.8 20V T] 0-60mph 8.1s/ Max Speed 135mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDI] (Urban) 42mpg (Extra Urban) 67mpg (Combined) 55mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm
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