Ibiza last in Test Drive Mag Supermini test

[Grant745]

Hi guys, Test Drive Mag has just done a group test of supermini's, including the new pug 207, suzuki swift, grande punto, clio, fiesta and honda jazz. They tested an Ibiza 1.4 petrol 5 door stylance, with the main criticism being the "wheezy" engine. They also said the handling wasnt great and it was noisy. I must admit that the performance in the first two gears isnt great but once your moving its nippy enough, especially on the motorway, wheezy it isnt though. Thinking of getting it revo'd, I know the power and torque improvement for the 75 bhp model is'nt great but its supposed to enhance drivability ; I dont know anybody who has had it done yet though.

I know the stylance has the standard suspension set up but its still a sharp handler, but I must admit that my 3 door sport is very noisy, road roar in particular, but its a great car to drive. The new pug 207 came in 7th...very cramped inside and too heavy in 1.4 guise for adequate performance, so its not all bad news. The new ugly Clio was top.

 

[acidstrato]

since when did revo offer remaps for NA Seat models?

does anyone have it?

 

[Grant745]

Believe it or not you can revo a 1.4 75bhp engine, check their website !

 

[DIFT]

since when did revo offer remaps for NA Seat models?

does anyone have it?

It is available for non turbo engines.

75 bhp 1.4 gets and increase of around 8-10% in toque and bhp.
£219 plus tax.
Not sure if they do trials on them, but I dont seem why not.

 

[acidstrato]

yeah i did check the website but thats quite new to me, last time i checked it was only the 1.4 PD engine

sounds interesting, as a few ppl i know have these engines but i dont want to ell them about it and then they expect the same difference as a turbo charged engine has and when they dont they blame me for recommending it

 

[yannis]

Many fellas over in Greece have Revo-ed their 1.4 ibizas. It is particularly popular with the 1.4 16valve 101 bhp engine owners.

 

[Grant745]

Do you know anybody with a 75 bhp model that has had it done ?, if so was it worth it.
Cheers

 

[sted]

the handling of the ibiza (at least my tdi sport 130) is dreadfull it just understeers whatever you do (its better with tc off but still bad) and lets be honest the interior is pretty dull. Also in my experience its not that well bolted together

also bear in mind apart from the fiesta and jazz the rest of those have been released in the past year or so and as such are likely to score higher as they are more modern

 

[Grant745]

I appreciate the TDI models are heavier at the nose end so do tend to understeer, the petrol 1.4 is just so much better than my mk4 golf gti was, it seems very agile and sharp to steer. My sport has only done 1k but nothing has fallen off or rattles yet. The interior is a bit dull but solid and the facelift has introduced a few different coloured plastics which lift it a bit, in particular the silver instrument surround. The red and black seats are a nice touch too. So its getting on a bit, but its still one of the more stylish of the superminis imo, especially from the back.

 

[Ol' Timer]

I have been given a new Ibiza 1.4 Stylance 5 door while the dealers try to find out why my fuel gauge isn't working and my reactions to it are a bit mixed.

I think it looks great from the outside, even in 5 door form, and even though this one is completely covered with advertising graphics promoting the New Ibiza. There are some nice touches like the aero wipers and mesh grilles. To be honest the interior plastics don't seem any different from my car, apart from the door cappings which seem a bit better. The steering wheel is a lot fatter than mine, which is nice.

The ride is a lot softer than mine which is to be expected and I can't see any reason to criticise the comfort. For some reason there seems to be even less body roll than mine, which is strange, unless it is the difference in weight between a petrol and diesel engine. It runs out of grip on corners much sooner than mine though. The steering is much lighter too with a bit less feel.

The real downside for me, however, is the engine. I think it is simply dreadful – really sluggish and asthmatic. When I tried to accelerate on the duel carriageway it seemed to be pulling back all the time, and revving it more didn't seem to achieve anything. I assumed it was a 1.2 at first, until I looked at the keyring, but to be honest I think the 1.2s I have tried have performed better and been more fun.

So overall I think it is a good looking, roomy, comfortable car which handles quite well but is completely let down by this particular engine.