After the recent announcement of a much-needed price reduction throughout the ranks of Spanish newcomer Seat’s local product lineup, the opportunity to scoot around in a Ibiza 1,9 TDI Cupra 3-dr, which now costs R187 620, became a bit more interesting.
First of all, Volkswagen’s first attempt at a turbodiesel performance supermini, the 96 kW Polo 1,9 TDI offered a nifty combination of thrust (courtesy of 310 N.m) and thrift (6,15 litres per 100 km), but apart from its three-door configuration and four swanky rims, it was just another plain old Polo – and hardly a hot hatch light car.
However, the Seat Ibiza Cupra also has three-doors, and a 1,9-litre TDI engine, but it utilises a variable geometry turbocharger and intercooler to produce 118 kW and 330 N.m of peak torque at 1 900 r/min. More importantly, it really looks the way a hot supermini should. Just look at those racy rear light clusters with their light grey backgrounds and silver-rimmed bezels, the sporty front and rear spoilers, star-design double spoke 16-inch rims, highlighted front brake callipers and the shiny lettering on the black front door window trims that proudly proclaim this Spanish steer a Cupra.
Once you look inside, you’ll notice the sporty white dials in the instrument cluster, the red stitching that accentuates the sporty seats (thankfully as comfortable as they are handsome), gear lever and handbrake trim. But, ooh, don’t look too closely at the fascia and the finer detail of the dashboard bits – it really is a bit low rent for a car that will set you back about R190k. Furthermore, that Alana pull-out radio/CD unit looks like it was manufactured when a Flock of Seagulls brought out their first album and the black-on-grey LCD (temperature and interior fan speed) readout, in the letdown section, is reminiscent of that on an early ‘80s gameboy console.
Yes, I realise that this is a hot-blooded little kickass hatchback that appeals to performance hungry non-conformists, but when the central locking engages at pullaway, it sounds as if a handful of loose change is rolling around inside the driver’s door. And, as nice as the small three-spoke steering wheel is to hold, the same can’t be said of a pesky plastic-on-plastic rattle in the steering column.