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SEAT Ibiza Cupra Getting 1.8 TSI and Manual in Later 2015

The SEAT Ibiza Cupra Facelift you see above was unveiled many, many years ago, in November 2012 to be more precise. According to a media report, the hot little Spanish hatch is getting another updated later in 2015, and we have the details.
2014 SEAT Ibiza Cupra 11 photos
Photo: SEAT
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SEAT can't possible keep producing the Ibiza Cupra with the current 1.4 TSI engine. It doesn't meet Euro 6 regulations, so it needs to be phased out this fall. To be honest, we didn't expect them to have a replacement since the next generation since the Cupra is not a major seller.

However, British magazine Autocar says it has insider intel that suggests the 1.8 TSI will be adopted in the late part of 2015. For the record, that's the same engine Volkswagen dropped into the Polo GTI, which also used to be equipped with a 1.4 TSI. The twin-charger was an ambitious project where both a supercharger and a turbo were used. But it was plagued with issues, the biggest being oil consumption and unreliability.

This is surprising and very good news because not only does the 1.8 have significantly more torque to offer, but it will also arrive with a 6-speed manual. That is exactly what you want for a good, honest pocket rocket.

The output has not been confirmed and the same source states Sven Schawe, who is SEAT's director of vehicle engineering and chassis development, is negotiating with VW regarding the final output.

- Please Volkswagen, can we please have more power than you.
- No.
- But we need just 8 hp to match the Clio RS and Peugeot 208 GTi.
- No.

Even if the Ibiza Cupra receives the same engine as the Polo GTI, it's a huge improvement. The HP output will go from 180 to 192, while torque will be increased from 250 to 320 Nm (236 lb-ft). At the same time, top speed will increase, and the 0 to 100 km/h acceleration will be dealt with in about 6.7 seconds.

The Ibiza dilemma

Up until recently, we've been lead to believe that SEAT was going to launch an all-new Ibiza in 2016. But the Spanish automaker surprised us with yet another set of upgrades, minor ones. This, plus the fact that no prototypes have been seen yet suggests SUVs have been given a higher priority for now.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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