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| Engine is cumbersome and noisy in Ibiza |
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It may be worth hanging on to check out the petrol 1.8 20VT, however, due on sale later in September. That 1.9 diesel engine, a fine piece of machinery in a larger, well sound-proofed and chunky Passat, Golf, A4 or Octavia, is a noisy, cumbersome unit in a little Ibiza. The Ibiza isn't quite as agile as some of its rivals anyway - though it's less stodgy than the closely-related Polo and five-door-only Fabia - and with this engine, it's noticeably nose-heavy. The power is undoubtedly there - and it makes for effortless progress in a straight-ish line on a motorway - but transmitting it all through the front wheels for a sharp sprint isn't as easy as it should be, with scrabbling tyres, easily-provoked torque-steer and uneven throttle response. It's fun, but not as accomplished as it could have been, and the novelty of a fast, frantic diesel could soon wear off once its limitations are exposed: no way can this car corner like, say, a Clio 182, let alone the similarly-priced MINI Cooper S. An adult all-rounder this is not, and it doesn't really live up to its Cupra billing. The petrol version promises to be the more complete small performance car.
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