The SEAT Ibiza might already be six years old, but it's still the most youthful car built on VW Group's A0 platform, shared with the Polo, A1 and Fabia. Not wanting to let its fans down, the automaker has decided another updated for the recently facelifted supermini was in order.
The changes target the Ibiza FR model, the sharply dressed trim level that sits between the normal model range and the Cupra. The 150 PS 1.4-liter TSI turbo which was a favorite with FR buyers has been swapped out by another, newer 1.4 TSI. This features something called "Active Cylinder Technology" or ACT for short. Basically, trick VW technology first offered on the Polo BlueGT cuts fuel to cylinders 2 and 3 when the engine is under light loads, drastically reducing fuel consumption.
The downside is the new 1.4 TSI with ACT makes only 140 PS and is 0.2 seconds slower to 62 mph (100 km/h), taking a 7.8 seconds. The upside is that this is one of the most efficient petrol engines you can buy in any class. CO2 emissions are also down to 109 g/km, which makes it cheap to tax.
Another big change is that the FR 1.4 TSI is now only available as a manual, while the old version came standard with DSG in Britain. This could be the real reason why the car is ever so slightly slower. But again, there's a huge upside to this car. Because they ditched the expensive automatic, the standard 1.4 TSI ACT FR 140 PS is also £1,015 cheaper than the 150 PS car it replaces.
Prices in Britain have already been announced. SEAT dealers will take orders right now and deliver the good this June:
Ibiza SC 1.4 TSI ACT: £15,320
Ibiza 1.4 TSI ACT: £15,870
Ibiza ST 1.4 TSI ACT: £16,570
SEAT has also unveiled a new FR Edition model today. It also features the new ACT engine, but offers a lot more trim and features, seemingly stolen from the Cupra. For £600 extra, the model adds red seatbelts, red brake calipers, titanium-colored 17-inch alloy wheels, matching colored door mirrors, climate control and dark tinted rear windows. It's available as a 3-door SC from £15,920 or £16,470 for the 5-door body style.
With such a big price difference between the FR 1.4 TSI and the Cupra, which is about £19,000, we'd pick the highly efficient ACT engine any day, but the DSG transmission option would have been nice to have. Full photos of the new Ibiza FR Edition and a cool explanation of the 1.4 TSI ACT engine can be found below.
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. Full profile
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