What engine for New Seat Ibiza FR

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Having tested a 1.2 Ibiza and hired a 1.2 Leon, I'm sure that the 1.2 engine will be perfectly adequate for most peoples needs. That said, the 1.4 feels much much faster and is far more effortless. As others have said the 1.4 surprises almost everyone with how fast it feels.

True, I guess perhaps only the 1.0 MPI (75PS) might be a bit 'weedy.' For me personally any engine more than 100PS in an Ibiza sized car is enough power/speed wise.

I once rented a Citroen C3 (so bigger size) with a 1.2 VTi (82 PS) engine. Oh dear...nothing happens even if your foot is flat on the floor, despite downshifting when I was trying to overtake a lorry up a slight gradient.

Well I didn't think the C3 could do it, but then I saw the car (a saloon) in front do it 'very easilly' so I thought why not, tried, did make some slight gains, but couldn't do it in time before the overtake lane 'closed'

Later when I caught up (even this was a struggle) with that saloon at traffic who did the overtake so easily, I realised why, it was a Vauxhall Monaro V8.
 

rcopus

Active Member
Jun 6, 2012
270
8
Midlands
Thanks KXL, very helpful!

I have 7G-DCT in my car and I can't fault it, but the DSG sounds like it hasn't been tuned perfectly to match the 1.0 from your mini-review. In mine there are a few modes (eco, comfort, sport, manual) only the eco would shift up as early (or earlier) than 1.5k revs. Are you saying the DSG does this in all but sport mode?

I think the advantage of autos at the TL-GP (lol) is that you'll be shifting way faster than anyone in manual transmission so the extra power of the other car becomes less relevant to a degree.
By the time the guys with bigger engines or more power start to come past it's usually after you're already at or over any speed limits.

I would never get a car with less power than the 110 and definitely not small NA engines.
A dealer gave me a Kia Picanto as a loaner once, I don't have a clue what engine it had in it but it was scary on busy roundabouts (I was used to driving a 2 litre diesel Ibiza at the time) and the slightest incline would see a foot to to the floor doing nothing!
It may as well of had a cut out where the peddles are so I could do a Fred Flintstone.
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Thanks KXL, very helpful!

I have 7G-DCT in my car and I can't fault it, but the DSG sounds like it hasn't been tuned perfectly to match the 1.0 from your mini-review. In mine there are a few modes (eco, comfort, sport, manual) only the eco would shift up as early (or earlier) than 1.5k revs. Are you saying the DSG does this in all but sport mode?

I think the advantage of autos at the TL-GP (lol) is that you'll be shifting way faster than anyone in manual transmission so the extra power of the other car becomes less relevant to a degree.
By the time the guys with bigger engines or more power start to come past it's usually after you're already at or over any speed limits.

I would never get a car with less power than the 110 and definitely not small NA engines.
A dealer gave me a Kia Picanto as a loaner once, I don't have a clue what engine it had in it but it was scary on busy roundabouts (I was used to driving a 2 litre diesel Ibiza at the time) and the slightest incline would see a foot to to the floor doing nothing!
It may as well of had a cut out where the peddles are so I could do a Fred Flintstone.

I'm afraid my Ibiza does not have these drive modes (or that I didn't select it at configurator when I ordered it). I just selected Bi-Xenons, Seat Sound, and Black pack for mine. So it's always Eco in it's upshift except when in S mode. Sometimes if I decide to put significantly more gas it when the revs are say just under 2k, I would think the DSG would hold the gear a bit longer so I can make progress, but no, it will still shift up, and it would them pull (more difficutly and grumbly) in the higher gear. Give you an example, another traffic lights GP hee hee...but 30mph limit, it was 2 lanes, one lane (mine) becoming a bus lane about 50 meters ahead, so I needed to get in front of the car on my right, so on green, I lifted off brake, and 2/3 full power floored it, but in the corner of my eye saw a cyclist approaching, so I lifted off a bit (and the DSG went to D2), I 2/3 floored it again, but this time it did not shift back to D1. So I was going from 3-4 mph till about 30mph in 2nd. Surprisingly with a lot of gusto. But I would have thought with that amount of gas pedal imput, it would reshift back to 1st.
But If I put it on full Manual shift mode, I can use the paddles or the +/- on gear to shift whenever I like. Don't get me wrong, you can always overide (using the paddles to up/down shift, like your A-Class I believe). I'm not sure if the stuttering is due to the 7 speed DSG, or the 1.0 or 3 cyl or petrol engine. I guess we will only know if 1.2(7)/1.4(7)/1.8(7)/2.0 Cupra(6) DSG owners come forward if those stutter or not. However as mentioned, the 6 speed DSG (on 2.0 TDI), was silky smooth in everything it did, even at base revs.

If you are bored, there's a comparison I wrote awhile ago here: http://www.seatcupra.net/forums/showthread.php?t=434960

Doesnt your A250 7G have 211PS? Surely that does the sprint in about 6 secs and would blow away (literally and the feeling in the car) any Ibiza (maybe just not the Cupra). I have rented an A180 CDI 7G before, nice and quiet interior, didn't get how to use cruise control properly, plus that 1.5litre engine, was really weak despite 113PS.

Also Seat has a habit of 'understating' their engine performance figures. Some of their engines @'110PS' develops 120+, and some 180PS pushes close to 200 etc. Not complaining though. I feel the 1.0 pushes closer 120, if you give it good fuel. I guess manufacturers must achieve at least their badge figures with the 'least premium' fuel avaliable.

Weight of car is also important, eg...my old Leon was 1335kg, my Ibiza 1140 kg. 110PS ain't so bad on a light car. Also...the 1.0 EcoTSI (at least in the 2016 facelifted Ibiza) is only avalaible with DSG in UK. I don't know about the new 2017 one. And to completely round off the original topic of this discussion, if the 1.5 EVO came with DSG, I would get that over the 1.0 DSG
 
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