It’s fair to say that the VW Group has taken a public pasting with Dieselgate, but the group has already made major progress with alternatives to diesel. Small turbocharged petrol engines have been making their appearance in all manner of vehicles, from the Seat Ateca SUV to the VW Up city car. But what happens when you take away the turbo?
What you are left with is 74bhp produced by the three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine. You also only have 70lb ft of torque so is that enough to get this small hatchback to actually move at all?
One of the joys of turbocharging is the big thrust it gives lower down the rev range, and naturally that is noticeable here by its absence. You need to keep this engine working hard all the time if you want to keep up with faster traffic – damn them and their turbos whistling happily away.
Seat Ibiza 1.0 MPI 75
It’s going to take 14.7sec to reach 62mph so you, and those behind you, had better not be in a tearing rush as you accelerate down that on-ramp. But the five-speed manual gearbox is a delight to use and the engine even sounds good, with that three-pot thrum to keep you entertained. It’s actually remarkably refined, whatever you ask of it, impressively so.
In SE trim, the Ibiza handles joyously, with sharp steering, and a balance that means you feel confident chucking it around. The softish suspension also delivers a very pleasing and comfy ride, untroubled by huge amounts of lateral force, a force that this engine simply can’t produce.
This SE trim gives you a 5in infotainment screen, multi-function steering wheel and more, like air con and leather for the wheel. There is a lower S trim but we’d suggest the small increase to SE is well worth it. The overall trim is hard-wearing and smart and it’s generally more stylish than the competition.
The small hatchback sector is a very high-pressure environment for manufacturers, so applause is due to Seat to have somehow produced such a great upgrade for its latest take on the Ibiza. And it’s great that it’s offering models across a wide price range.
But we have to say we’d not be tempted by this entry point. It’s just not quick enough for the modern, impatient road network we have to drive on. There is another point though. The more powerful, turbocharged version, the 1.0 TSI 95, would only cost you another £595, with both in SE trim. Add in the fact that the more powerful version will use less fuel and have lower emissions and you have a classic case of where lowest price doesn’t offer the best value for money.
