(Wed 20 Jan 10)

SEAT is extending its range of Ibiza hot hatches by adding a new FR TDI version, which is available to order now and will arrive in the UK in March.

At present, the sportiest Ibizas are - in reverse order of price - the Cupra Bocanegra, the Cupra and the less powerful FR. The FR TDI is different in several ways: first, it has a 141bhp two-litre turbo diesel engine rather than a 1.4 turbo petrol; second, it has a six-speed manual gearbox with a clutch pedal rather than a seven-speed DSG; and third, it's being made available in both three- and five-door forms.

On paper, the TDI is slower than the petrol FR, but not by much. Top speed and 0-62mph times are 130mph and 8.2 seconds for the three-door and 129mph and 8.3 seconds for the five-door, and you can expect pretty good mid-range performance. If you want high fuel economy and low CO2 emissions from your sporty Ibiza, these are definitely the ones to go for - the official figures are 62.7mpg and 119g/km respectively.

Climate control air-conditioning, ESP and the XDS electronic equivalent of a limited slip differential are all included in the list prices, which start at £16,465.

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