SEAT has now released its Ibiza Cupra in production ready form following the prototype's unveiling back in April.
Exterior
Available in three-door guise only, the Ibiza Cupra remains virtually unchanged from the prototype. A new front grille sits alongside standard bi-Xenon headlights and new air intakes. Round the back, a new bumper houses a matt-black diffuser and trapezoidal exhaust outlets. LED rear lights also feature. New 17-inch alloy wheels have been added; as have enhanced styling lines up the side.
Interior
Marking the Cupra's position as the flagship Ibiza, a high-spec interior has been fitted. A sports steering wheel sits in front of uniquely styled two-colour leather sports seats. The Cupra also receives all-new infotainment. Based on SEAT's Portable System that debuted in the Mii city-car, the removable system features satnav, Bluetooth, a Micro SD card slot and voice activation. Users can also personalise their system using uploaded photos.
Other standard equipment goes over and above the current FR range-topper and includes climate control and automatic wipers.
Mechanicals
The Ibiza Cupra uses SEAT's 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, which has direct injection and both a turbocharger and a supercharger; all of which is mated to a DSG gearbox. Resulting output sits at 180hp and 250Nm of torque; giving the Cupra a 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds, a top speed of 228km/h and a respectable 47.9mpg fuel economy figure (5.9 litres/100km).
Chassis tweaks, lowered suspension, sports brakes and an XDS electronic differential improve handling over the standard model; while ESP and a five-star Euro NCAP rating reassures safety conscious users.
Anything else?
SEAT Ireland has no plans to market the new Ibiza Cupra, though if you took out your cheque book in a SEAT dealer we doubt they'd turn you away. It'd cost about €25,000.