 |
'It depends on the price.' That was what we reckoned after a couple of hours behind the wheel of the Ibiza FR. That it was fast, we'd established. Quite nice, we'd agreed. In need of a six-speed gearbox, certainly. But whether it was ultimately any good or not, a colleague and I figured, would depend entirely on how expensive it was. I won't keep you in suspense: it costs £13,500, and that is pretty respectable for a turbocharged, 148bhp supermini of the Ibiza's calibre.
 |
The FR (which stands for Formula Racing, by the way), is currently the fastest Ibiza in the range. It arrives in the UK in March 2004, powered the VW Group's ubiquitous 1.8-litre turbocharged engine. A Cupra-badged car will follow later, boasting 178bhp, but for now, the FR is the speediest little Seat. And speed it most certainly has. Though the 8.4sec 0-62mph time isn't outstanding, the 134mph maximum is pretty swift, and the FR has impressive pull from low-revs, courtesy of big lumps of turbo-induced torque (162lb ft is generated at just 2,000rpm, which is why a sixth gear would be handy for fuel-saving on motorways). It has captivating overtaking pace and remarkable in-gear flexibility.
 |
Speed is not, however, the only ingredient required to make a good hot hatchback. A hot hatch should be engaging and entertaining. I'm thinking Clio Cup, Mini Cooper, even the old Fiesta Zetec-S. But against those cars, the FR doesn't really deliver. Oh, sure, its suspension has been stiffened by 25 percent on the front and 10 percent on the rear. The front anti-roll bar's diameter has been increased by 5 percent too, so there's a 15 percent reduction in body-roll over boggo Ibizas. But to be honest, those changes don't really do the biz.
|
