Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSI in the driving report: pressure at the base

U nter the small car in the VW group is taken over by Seat Ibiza the role of the punk. The sweeping roof line sits like a moderate mohawk, jagged beads adorn the flanks like tattoos on the upper arms. The Seat Ibiza is supposed to have a sporty effect on its viewer, and its creators promise dynamic driving behavior on top of that - and have so far been handicapped with old and sluggish naturally aspirated engines that the parent company allowed them. Now the 1.2 TSI engine with 105 PS is making itself comfortable under the hood of the Seat Ibiza, replacing the equally powerful vacuum cleaner with 105 PS.

Less consumption with more power

The advantages: Consumption reduced by 20 percent with torque also increased by 20 percent. Seat wants to have measured 5.1 L /100km for the Ecomotive variant with automatic start-stop (plus 400 euros), which corresponds to 119 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Without fuel-saving aids, consumption should level off at 5.3 L /100 km, the same applies to the variant with the optional seven-speed DSG (1,400 euros extra charge). The manually shifted gearbox is content with five gears, a six-speed gearbox could save a few tenths of a liter of fuel in everyday life, but it would mean an extra charge - which the chronically clumsy Spaniards cannot afford at the moment.

But the Ibiza also works fine with the five-speed gearbox, the proper torque of 175 Newton meters allows a spread that keeps the speed level within tolerable limits even at higher speeds in the driving report. In general, the two-valve engine stays acoustically pleasant in the background, working its way up from the lower speed without having to switch too often. So it helps the Seat Ibiza subjectively to good driving performance, the factory specifies a time of 9.8 seconds for the sprint from zero to 100 km /h.

Ibiza with a sporty claim

The comparatively low seating position underpins the sporty claim of the Seat Ibiza, as do the red illuminated instruments and the curved cockpit. However, the Spaniard does not afford more interior colors than red, gray and black, this is where punk comes to an end. The price list for the Seat Ibiza 1.2 TSI, which is available as a two-, three-door and station wagon, starts at 15,740 euros. A new direct injection engine can now also be ordered from the more sober Exeo,The 1.8 TSI with 120 PS marks the entry point from now on.

In the next issue of auto motor und sport, issue 25/2010, you can read about how the engine feels with the unusually large displacement, from the 18th November is in stores.