Firestyle Magazine Issue 4 - Summer 2016 | Page 41

on my car suggests is a sporty derivative and Seat have tweaked and uprated the suspension and steering to give it a more sporty feel. It did not detract from the comfort and handling aspect. One feature that I was not particularly enamoured with was the amount of road noise that was transmitted back in to the vehicle. The tyres possibly were the reason for it, also 17 inch wheels are never really conducive to the driver/ passenger comfort but still it was one of those features that that I suppose you would have to learn to live with. The engine in my particular FR derivative was a diminutive 1-litre or 999cc, a 3-cylinder derivative that was producing an amazing 110bhp but what most impressed me was Seat has taken the brave step of introducing their brilliant VAG DSG 7-speed gearbox. This would have been unheard of a few years ago to have a 7-speed auto in a 1-litre, 3-cylinder car, but trust me it works and it was a delight to drive, no discernible gear changes at all and it always seemed to know where and when to change gear. Features associated with this small engine vehicle are a 102g/km for CO emissions which puts the vehicle in to the very low Band B for excise duty, they claim 64 mpg on the average figure and I managed to achieve mid-50s which I found to be excellent in the amount of motorway and town driving that I encountered during a 450 miles sojourn with the vehicle. The vehicle would managed to get to 62mph in a quite respectable 9.3 seconds and a top speed where legal is 122mph. All in all the new Ibiza FR is a vehicle that would give you economics but will also enable you to have the FR sporty looks and feel. The cost of the basic vehicle will be £16,640, however the very nice people at Seat have introduced several options to the vehicle including a rear view camera which really does make life a lot easier and ally this to the rear parking sensors, you now have a vehicle that you can manoeuvre in to the smallest and tiniest of parking spaces and that has to be a bonus. Seat’s come with 12-months road tax, a 3-year or 60,000 miles mechanical warranty, 12-year body warranty and a 2-year Seat service mobility which is valid in over 30 countries in Europe and adjacent countries. 41