Yes, my 1.2 (70PS and Three Pots of Fury, mua-ha-ha-ha!

) does have a very long 1st (and 2nd) gear that makes it very perky off the mark. Plus all that noise adds to the special effects. It's the same on the Polo 1.2 55PS (why
do Volkswagen still use that engine? I mean really, in the Fox --- what's that all about?!) I used to drive: when I test drove a 1.4
Ibiza, it seemed a bit sluggish getting going, but that's only because it's engine isn't as responsive around those speeds. It's around the higher speeds where the 1.4 makes a difference (for instance, I find that the 1.2 has a strange "dead zone" around the 60mph mark when accelerating hard: too high for 4th, too low for 5th...).