Seat is introducing on the UK market the new Ibiza Cupra, 20 years from the birth of the performance division. The new Cupra member is available in the SC (Sports Coupe) bodystyle and has two versions. Kicking things off is the standard Cupra for £18,100, £880 less than the previous model (with DSG transmission), rising to £18,900 for Cupra Black, which is expected to be the best-selling version.
Among a series of changes, arguably the two most telling are the switch to a six-speed manual gearbox, plus, a new, even more potent engine. It comes with larger front brakes, plus Cupra Drive Profile with adjustable damping and steering, offering two modes, Comfort and Sport.
Powering the new model is a completely new engine. Out goes the previous supercharged 1.4, replaced by a 1.8 TSI pushing out an additional 12 hp, and 70Nm additional torque, up to 320Nm, across a much broader rev range of 1,450 to 4,250 rpm.
Performance is zero to 62 mph dispatched in just 6.7 seconds, before heading on to a top speed of 146 mph. Fuel economy of 45.6 mpg is available on the combined cycle.
The look has accentuated rear shoulders and exclusive 17-inch alloy wheels. The high-gloss black door mirrors and front grille frame set a contrast to the paintwork, while at the rear its broad bumper frames a substantial matt-black diffuser which incorporates the race-honed central exhaust tailpipe. Emocion Red is the standard free-of-charge paint choice.
Cupra Black, costing £800 more than the standard Cupra has black alloy wheels with red brake callipers. It also benefits from a Navigation System with 6.5-inch colour touchscreen, 3D map display, voice recognition and two SD card slots.
