TAKING A BACK SEAT (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 125

After the runaway success of the SEAT Leon Cupra, a hot version of the Ibiza seemed a surefire sales winner. Here was a smaller, more affordable package that looked great, had a choice of two punchy engines and was good fun to drive. Strangely, the Cupra variants of the Ibiza never really caught on and to this day there are seasoned hot hatch fans who don't really know a whole lot about them. The reason for this is the dominance in its sector of the Renaultsport Clio 182, beyond which few enthusiasts bother to look. They're selling themselves short. While we wouldn't claim the Ibiza is more fun than the hairball Renault, as a longer term ownership proposition it might just be a better bet.

Modelsword count: 9

Models Covered: (3dr hatch 1.8 petrol, 1.9 diesel [Cupra])

Historyword count: 159

This, the fourth generation Ibiza, was launched in February 2002, and for some while the quickest version you could buy was a rather ordinary-looking 130bhp 1.9-litre TDIdiesel model. For a company that had developed a reputation for sporting success,this seemed quite an odd choice and it served to cast the die that the Ibiza wasn't a particularly sporty car. SEAT tried to belatedly make amends in late 2003 with the mild FR model but it wasn't until summer 2004, over two years since the Ibiza's launch, that the Cupra models finally appeared. By this stage the Ibiza was no longer new news and the launch also coincided rather unfortunately with Renault upgrading their hot Clio from 172 to 182bhp. Timing has never been the Ibiza Cupra's strong point. Two versions were offered; a 180bhp 1.8-litre Turbo petrol or one powered by a 160bhp version of the 1.9-litre diesel. The Cupra models were dropped from the range early in 2008.

What You Getword count: 296

The Ibiza Cupra can be identified by its specially designed front bumper that incorporates a spoiler in one integrated moulding. Big air intakes direct cooling air into the intercooler and the front end also features a contrasting grille with intake slats sitting atop a honeycomb design underneath. 17-inch alloy wheels are fitted as standard with gumball 40 series tyres while at the rear end there's another smoothly integrated spoiler and a monster chromed tailpipe. The small roof spoiler that trails off the roof and the smoky titanium coloured tail light housings are deft touches, as is the fact that there's no external giveaway as to which engine your Ibiza Cupra is packing. The car's details are more knowing and better integrated than you might expect and the stylists have succeeded in making the car appear far smaller than it actually is, a visual trick that will appeal to many buyers. Inside, you'll 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 that's disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it. The interior features a red, white and black colour scheme, with the trim all black, the instruments picked out in white with red highlighting on the air vents, indicators, and stitching on the wheel, seats, headrests, gear lever and hand brake. The seats themselves feature the Cupra logo writ large into the sculpted backrest and the Cupra logo also features on the sports steering wheel. SEAT couldn't resist the inclusion of the ubiquitous metal-capped pedals. Drilled pedals, white dials, mesh front grille - the Ibiza Cupra may seem a cliche but it's a very fun one.

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