First Drive
Seat Ibiza Ecomotive
Test date 05 October 2007
Price as tested £10,995
What is it?
The most compact car in Seat’s range, and the first to get the carbon-conscious Ecomotive treatment.
Rather than adopting an expensive hybrid powertrain, stop-start or regenerative braking, the engineers have used a set of cheap and practical efficiency measures: improving the Ibiza’s aerodynamics, reducing weight, remapping the ECU and lengthening the gearing.
The result is a stylish competitor to the VW Polo BlueMotion that can emit as little as 99g/km of CO2, the lowest in its class, yet costs no more to produce than the standard Ibiza.
What’s it like?
The 40psi, low-resistance 165/70 Dunlop tyres that help lower fuel consumption also reduce the Ibiza’s cornering ability and allow early (if progressive) understeer on sharper bends. There is no noticeable deterioration in ride quality, however.
The tweaked 1.4-litre TDI unit spins freely and is refined all the way to its 4500rpm redline. The extra fuel efficiency appears to have been found without any power loss, except possibly some low-down torque; the unit only begins to pull strongly above 2000rpm.
Although the gearing is taller, the top speed of 110mph is still achieved in fifth and on flat roads the car will pull steadily in this gear from about 50mph.
Should I buy one?
UK specifications have not been confirmed, but will not include the air-con fitted to our Spanish test car, which would add another 5g/km of CO2 and take the vehicle out of road tax band A (currently free).
With diesel at £1 a litre, the Ecomotive should be the default choice for budget motoring if it’s sensibly priced. At an expected £10,500, it will be.
Ed Keohane
First drive data
How much?
- Price as tested £10,995
- Price as tested £10,500
How fast?
- 0-62 mph 12.8 sec
- Max speed 110 mph
How big?
How thirsty?
- Combined 74.3 mpg
- CO2 emissions 99 g/km
Engine
- Layout 3 , 1422 cc
- Max power 79 bhp at 4000 rpm
- Max torque 144 lb ft at 2200 rpm
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