SEAT Ibiza FR TDI review
by David Finlay (26 April 2010)
SEAT's line-up of sporty Ibizas has been completed with the introduction of the FR TDI. The most obvious difference between this car and the FR, Cupra and Cupra Bocanegra which have been on sale since 2009 is the fact that it uses the Volkswagen Group's very fine two-litre turbo diesel engine in 141bhp form, rather than the 1.4 TSI petrol unit provided, with various power outputs, in the other cars, but there are some other points of distinction too.
The FR TDI is, for example, the only one in the range available in five-door form (though you can also have a three-door SC version), and it has a six-speed manual gearbox rather than the seven-speed twin-clutch semi-automatic DSG found in the petrol models.
Despite looking very similar to them, it feels quite different. Although the TDI engine produces less power at full chat than the 1.4 TSI, it produces a lot more at very low engine speeds, so it's much easier to overwhelm the chassis in slow corners. The answer to this, of course, is to make sure that that doesn't happen, and for that reason the TDI rewards good driving considerably more than the almost idiot-proof petrol cars.
The TDI is nearly 80kg heavier than its stablemates, and it's fair to assume that all of that extra weight sits at the front end. There are pros and cons to this. One definite pro is that it makes the steering heavier - that might sound like it could be a problem, but my main criticism of the Cupra has always been that the steering is too light. In the TDI it's slightly meatier, though not to the extent of requiring unreasonable effort, and in my opinion it makes the car a lot more enjoyable to drive.
However, the extra weight also gives the brakes more to do. I have never felt that the Cupra was underbraked - even when whupping its ass round a race circuit for a track feature - but even in much calmer driving on public roads I occasionally felt that the TDI was nearing the limit of its slowing-down ability. Just a slight upgrade in the braking system would make a world of difference.
Less definably, the nose-heaviness has an effect on the general handling. It's not that you're likely to get into trouble with understeer or anything, but the FR TDI seems less precise and slightly trickier to place on the road than the Cupra. It's also considerably noisier, especially from a cold start, when it makes the most fearful racket.
Price-wise it's a fraction cheaper than the Cupra, and nearly £1000 more expensive than the slightly quicker petrol FR, at £16,430, but it's in a lower insurance group, its official combined fuel economy is vastly better at 61.4mpg, and CO2 emissions of 123g/km make it a lot cheaper to tax.
In the context of other sporty Ibizas it therefore makes reasonable financial sense, and its ability to surge forward when the revcounter needle is pointing at less than 2000rpm is a diesel-specific joy in itself. But the braking and handling issues, mild as they are, mean that if you really want to have fun in an Ibiza you'll still be better off with a petrol engine.
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