Currently reading: New 1.8 TSI engine for Seat Ibiza Cupra
Revised version of Ibiza hot hatch set to ditch 1.4 engine and auto gearbox in favour of a 1.8 and a manual when it's launched later this year

A more potent version of the Seat Ibiza Cupra will be on sale by the end of the year.

The facelifted model is set to mark a significant shift from the current car by getting a larger, more powerful engine along with a six-speed manual gearbox instead of the automatic-only existing model.

The revised Ibiza Cupra is set to adopt the same 1.8 TSI engine as its Volkswagen Polo GTI sister car, which has also been recently revised. That car ditched its 177bhp 1.4 TSI and automatic gearbox in favour of the new 1.8 TSI and manual gearbox for its facelift, something that will be repeated on the Ibiza Cupra.

The Polo GTI’s 1.8 TSI produces 189bhp, but the power output of the Ibiza Cupra could eclipse that. Sven Schawe, Seat’s director of whole vehicle engineering and chassis development, told Autocar that negotiations with parent firm VW were ongoing about just how powerful they could make the new Ibiza Cupra.

The facelift to the Ibiza Cupra will also bring with it the changes and improvements seen on the rest of the range, including subtle styling tweaks, minor updates to the suspension and an interior that comes with a new infotainment system and materials with a higher perceived quality.

There is no word on any dynamic changes to the Ibiza Cupra, however, although the standard range has had its spring and damper rates revised.

The facelifted Ibiza Cupra will mark a swansong for the current generation of the Spanish supermini, with an all-new model in development for a launch currently scheduled for 2017.

Read Autocar's review of the Seat Ibiza facelift

 

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Car review

The Seat Ibiza Cupra is fast and green, but is it fun - and in a crowded field of hot superminis, does it do enough to stand out from its rivals?

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Daniel Joseph 2 June 2015

Back to the future...

Being a bit of a dinosaur, and sceptical about the longevity of these new-fangled highly stressed small capacity engines and complex DSG gearboxes, I applaud this move. This reminds me of one of my very favourite cars, the Mk2 Golf GTI 1.8 16V...happy days!
xxxx 2 June 2015

VW limitations

you think that's bad I'd like an A3 Sportback with a petrol engine bigger than 1.4 but the 1.8 only comes with DSG and 4 wheel drive
TegTypeR 2 June 2015

You have to wonder why the U

You have to wonder why the U turn by VW on the fitment of the DSG boxes to all of these smaller warm / hot models.

Is it that the market didn't like them after all and wouldn't be railroaded in to going down the semi auto route?

catnip 2 June 2015

TegTypeR wrote: You have to

TegTypeR wrote:

You have to wonder why the U turn by VW on the fitment of the DSG boxes to all of these smaller warm / hot models.

Is it that the market didn't like them after all and wouldn't be railroaded in to going down the semi auto route?

Similarly, I wonder how sales of the current RenaultSport Clio compare with the previous, manual model.

benanderson89 7 June 2015

catnip wrote: TegTypeR wrote:

catnip wrote:
TegTypeR wrote:

You have to wonder why the U turn by VW on the fitment of the DSG boxes to all of these smaller warm / hot models.

Is it that the market didn't like them after all and wouldn't be railroaded in to going down the semi auto route?

Similarly, I wonder how sales of the current RenaultSport Clio compare with the previous, manual model.

The new Clio RS is selling very poorly. Websites that track the number of registrations, such as HowManyLeft, show only 531 Clio 200s on our roads. 531 since 2013 is quite a disaster.

The Kia Cee'd GT and Pro_Cee'd GT have actually outsold it by nearly 200%.