Seat Ibiza Cupra – grown up hot hatch

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Seat Ibiza Cupra

Given that the Seat Ibiza Cupra shares the same engine and chassis as the VW Polo GTI you would expect a similar drive, however Seat have made their own mark on the Cupra and it is hard to tell that these two cars share 99% of their DNA.

First of all the Cupra is much faster than the Polo, Seat’s engineers have fettled with the Turbo and fuel injection systems to up the power from 148bhp (Polo GTI) to 177bhp and the torque rises from 162lb ft to 181lb ft. So the Cupra is much quicker of the mark and has a more lively feel to the drive. This is borne out by a 0-60mph time of 7.3 seconds and more importantly a 30-70mph time of 7.1 seconds, this is a fast car without doubt. In addition this 4 cylinder 1.8 unit from VW has been soldieing on in one form or another in VW’s and Audi’s for over 20 years and is a well proven and unburstable unit as long as basic maintenance, particularly oil changes has been carried out,just look at all those high mileage Golfs and Audi 80’s still running around!

Somehow the gearbox and brakes seem slicker and stronger than the VW Polo also so it looks like Seat’s engineers have been busy in that department also. It has tobe said however, that compared to cars like the Clio 197 or Ford Fiesta ST, then the Seat trails the leaders of the pack when it comes to handling, although better than the Polo GTI. Driven in isolation this is still a sharp handling car with accurate steering and sharp handling but the ride comfort is poor with the Ibiza seeming to find every bump in the road and the harder the Ibiza is driven the less feedback seems to be available from the steering. Realistically though, away from the test track, most drivers would be unlikely to reach the limits of the Cupra’s handling and while not the best handling car at the limit in its class its certainly not the worst either!

The exterior styling of the car is sexier than the Polo with an injection of Spanish flair although the interior is rather sombre even gloomy but looks well made with sporty seats and decent trim with the centre of the dashboard angled toward the driver BMW style and neat stitched leather steering wheel with white dials. This car really appeals to younger drivers but as always remember to try and find a cheap young driver insurance quote prior to making any buying decisions.

In terms of running costs this high performance car from Seat has an insurance rating of group 15, which for a sports hatch with 177bhp is about average. A combined economy figure of 35mpg is good and we knowfrom personal experience that on a long motorway run keeping to speed limitswill easily return in excess of 40mpg. A list price of #14425 before discounts is a major attraction for this car undercutting many rivals however its retained value over 3 years is only around 41% which is less than average for this class with cars like the Skoda Fabia and Fiesta ST retaining around 50% of their value. This all adds up to a cost per mile of around 45p.

In summary the Seat Ibiza Cupra is a middle of the road hot hatch, not as staid as the Polo GTI, but not as exciting as a Renaultsport Clio 197. However it offers good value for money, plenty of power and decent handling, making it a good buy both new and second hand.

Peugeot 207 GT Turbo – boy racer special

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Peugeot 207 GT Turbo

A small hatchback with brilliant handling,a great engine (shared with Mini Cooper), generous kit and a practical boot. Thats how most motoring journalists would sum up the 207 turbo, but lets take a closer look at this hot hatch and find out why its so popular particularly with the maxpower crowds (note if you are a young driver it is essential you get a young driver insurance quote prior to making an offer on a 207 turbo!)

From new the Peugeot 207 GT Turbo cost around 14,000 pounds, this reasonably low price was an obvious attraction to this cars target market – young high performance drivers, by offering plenty of performance for relatively little money. A 1598cc engine developing 150bhp at 5800rpm and even more importantlya good slug of low down torque with 180lb ft from an amazing 1400rpm.Combine these impressive performance figures with a combined fuel economy of over 40mpg and you begin to see what an attractive ownership proposition this car is.

In terms of handling the Peugeot 207 GT Turbo does not disappoint either, the 207 will hang on in corners long aftermany competitors have slid off into the scenery! Tons of grip and a well balanced chassis mean that the 207 will put a smile on any keen drivers face and keep it there!

The 207 evolved from the top selling Peugeot 206 and there are many improvements in this new model including:-

• improved interior space and greater comfort provided by increased legroom and greater range of adjustment in drivers seat and steering wheel
• Turbocharger to increase power and driveability – combining an 8.2 seconds 0-60mph time with plenty of low down muscle formore relaxed driving
• increased levels of kit including alloy wheels, air conditioning/climate control, CD player, electrically folding mirrors and part leather upholstery as standard
• 5 star rating in Euro NCAP safety tests – one of the safest cars on the road, the 207 Turbo is eqipped with six airbags, tyre pressure sensors, anti lock brakes and stability control

So, a great fun car but what about running costs? Well we have alreadymentioned the 40mpg plus economy and other costs are reasonably low also with insurance falling into an amazing group 9. Maintenance costs over 3 years are estimated at £649 and when fuel costs, depreciation, servicing, tax and insurance are taken into account the real cost of ownership works out at 40p per mile which is about average for a sporty hatchback. Depreciation is the stumbling point for this car, heavy discounting by Peugeot for fleet buyers result in poor second hand values, this is badnews for new car buyers, but great news for second hand bargain hunters, at 3 years old a 207 turbo is worth only 40% of its original forecout price or around £5000! A true performance car bargain for real world motoring.