SEAT's fast Ibiza, the Cupra, is getting an engine upgrade and an upgraded interior, and it will be revealed at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. Prices here will start at under €24,000, which is a slight increase, but it's still something of a performance bargain.
Inside there are upgraded interior plastics, a new steering wheel, new instrument panel and infotainment touch screen, all of which are said to significantly improve the Ibiza's cabin ambience.
Up front, the 1.8 TSI petrol turbo gets a power increase from 180hp to 192hp, while torque rises from 250Nm to 320Nm. SEAT says that it will do the 0-100km/h run in 6.7 seconds, and run on to a top speed of 235km/h. Average fuel economy is claimed at 6.0 litres per 100km.
Also new is the addition of an XDS electronic differential lock, which reduces the tendency to understeer and improves handling characteristics - especially under fast cornering. There are high-performance brakes on the new car and the addition of the Cupra Drive Profile, which allows the characteristics of the car to be adapted at the touch of a button to suit driver preferences. This encompasses Cupra Selective Suspension, an adaptive suspension control system that lets driver's choose between comfort suspension and sport suspension and modifies the steering behaviour.
The new touchscreen includes MirrorLink, Apple Car Play and Android Auto for keeping your phone hooked up, while there is a new SEAT DriveApp, which issues the driver challenges, which are supposed to help improve driving efficiency. The system now features gesture control and has been developed with Samsung.
Sales start in early 2016.