Seat Ibiza Cupra (2009) CAR review

Ex-Lamborghini designer Luc Donckerwolke added some much-needed dynamism to the latest Seat Ibiza, and now the Cupra is here to give it the punch to match the promise served up by those aggressive creases and angular headlights. It’s also incredibly important because it shares its underpinnings with the forthcoming Polo GTI, yet beats it to market by half a year, maybe more.

What engine powers the Seat Ibiza Cupra? Is it a 2.0-litre turbo?

It’s just a 1.4-litre, but don’t get too despondent. Why? Because it's a 1.4TSI nestling under the Ibiza’s snout, so it's a supercharged and turbocharged firecracker that delivers 177bhp and 155lb ft. That’s good enough for a 7.2sec dash to 62mph and a credible 140mph top end while turning in 44mpg and emitting just 148g/km CO2 – performance that’s on a par with the Clio 200 in a package that’s far, far cleaner.

The Cupra also comes with a seven-speed DSG paddleshift gearbox as standard, a first in the hot hatch segment. When you consider that the Golf GTI has to stick with the six-speeder due to its small power advantage, yet weighs over 150kg extra, you suddenly realise what a potent package this is shaping up to be.

How does it drive?

So far we’ve only be able to try the Cupra on track, but first impressions are very good. The engine is smooth and linear, pulls from nothing and yet, despite its civilised manners, still feels punchy at either end of the rev range. The gearbox, too, expertly walks that tightrope between daily driving manners (yes, honestly, we did find time to pootle in between flat-out blasts) and satisfyingly fast, clean shifts when you’re really gunning it.

>> Click 'Next' below to read more of our Seat Ibiza Cupra first drive