SEAT Ibiza Cupra unveiled
by Damon Lavrinc on Aug 30th 2008 at 10:49AM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the SEAT Ibiza Cupra.
In Europe, budget-minded pistonheads have a treasure trove of hot hatches to choose from, and SEAT will be adding another model to the mix later this year.
The Ibiza Cupra will be officially unveiled in Paris, but Seat has dropped the first few images and a handful of specs ahead of its official unveiling in the City of Light this October. The Cupra is packing a twin-turbocharged, 1.4-liter TSI four underhood, sending 178 hp to the front wheels through a seven-speed DSG gearbox. Traction control and ESP are part of the package, along with a stiffer suspension, 17-inch wheels and bolstered buckets. The exterior benefits from a new fascia incorporating massive grilles and tiny fog lamps, side skirts and a new rear bumper.
Prices and performance stats haven't been released yet, but the Renaultsport Clio 197 competitor should be priced around £16,000 when it hits dealers in Europe in December.
Gallery: Seat Ibiza Cupra
[Source: Autoblog Spanish]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Swede 11:11AM (8/30/2008)
There's a car around the holes in the grille!
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nighttime 11:13AM (8/30/2008)
nice 'stache, red baron!
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Bryan Campbell 11:30AM (8/30/2008)
no side skirts:S
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Bryan Campbell 11:31AM (8/30/2008)
Wheres The Side Skirts?
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Bryan Campbell 11:36AM (8/30/2008)
sorry about double comment..my computer being strange.
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Dahveed 1:00PM (8/30/2008)
in that big uninteresting hole are two exhaust tips.. look closer. haha see! it has some interest!
Olivier Parent 12:51PM (8/30/2008)
Sorry Seat, this is awful, the nose looks bad with those holes. Why not just take the one from the bocanegra concept? And the back: the fake diffuser is lame, and the exhaust looks like a big uninteresting hole.
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yagobal 1:55PM (8/30/2008)
Just paint it black: without the fog lights, it's exactly the same piece. Go check it.
But the photos are quite bad: the bocanegra is essencially the same car, and the photos made it look far more interesting.
FotoGenetix 1:23PM (8/30/2008)
twin turbo 1.4 haha never thought id see the day
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montoym 4:31PM (8/30/2008)
I think that's a mistake or a bad translation. If it's the same as the other TSI motors(no reason I see that it's not), it has a turbo and a supercharger, not two turbos. So, it is sort of twin-charged, but not twin-turbo.
zamafir 1:59PM (8/30/2008)
fake exhausts seem to be working fine for the IS-F. I guess i'm swayed by the 170hp and 40mpg. i'd love to see vag bring the 1.4tsi over to north america to replace their 2.5l.
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Razor1973 3:38PM (8/30/2008)
Am I the only one who likes it, then? Or the only one who wishes VWAG decided to bring their Spanish brand stateside?
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montoym 4:38PM (8/30/2008)
I think it looks good. Not great, but good. A nice competitor to the Ford Fiesta I'd think.
On a slightly related note, I saw a Seat Leon(based on the Golf, but with a fastback body) next to me the other day. I was impressed with it, looked quite nice. I wouldn't mind having one, especially the Leon Cupra R, basically a Mk4 225HP TT drivetrain in a Leon body.
http://photo.netcarshow.com/Seat-Leon_Cupra_R_2003_photo_01.jpg
flfny 5:03PM (8/30/2008)
Seat has nice looking cars, including this one. Twin turbo 1.4l sounds awsome.
I always wanted a Leon. Come over to the US Seat.
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Jake02 5:59AM (8/31/2008)
i so see a WRX in that front view...
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Sir Smokalot 9:46AM (8/31/2008)
Like montoym already said, the engine is twincharged, i.e. turbo + supercharger, this principle was first introduced in VW's poor man's GTI, the GT.
Furthermore, the 7-speed DSG will be placed in the Ibiza ecomotive, the Cupra will get the older 6-speed version.
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Korona 10:08AM (8/31/2008)
Personally I like the holes below the grille, but the car looks a bit weak from behind, not very sporty, and that exaust only makes it a bit worse. Again you cannot compare this with bocanegra.
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