Test: Seat Ibiza 1,0 TSI Xcellence

Seat had the opportunity to be at the forefront of the concern when designing the new Ibiza. Even before the Volkswagen Polo, it is available with a completely new design base - a revised, updated and smaller platform on which the first products of the Audi A3 and VW Golf groups were created, and then a number of other models. Seat's Leon and Ateca also use a modular cross-engine puzzle (MQB) as their base. Ibiza is a harbinger that soon all four VW brands will completely revamp their range of small family cars. Ibiza has not lengthened compared to the previous one, the height also remained unchanged, but added in width. Apparently, these changes can only be noticed if you add up the last two Ibizas. After all, they don't differ much in design. This is also a family-style novelty, but changed enough not to be missed. Perhaps someone will only be bothered by the emphasized "Hofmeister loop", as the designers call the inverted contour of the rear of the side glass surfaces, first used by BMW. Until now, it usually always broke at the junction of the tailgate and the third (triangular) window, and in Ibiza it turns up already at the last fifth tailgate. But this novelty seems to add dynamism to Ibiza's simple moves, and they also used the trick of concave and convex surfaces on the sides to keep the shape from being too boring.

With the Xcellence package, the tried and tested Ibiza is a suitable starting point for a good first contact with the interior. With this outfit, the interior features some parts of the dashboard, rose gold door and seat trims, and a hue of body polish. Such a choice definitely promotes well-being or otherness, which is otherwise the "quality" of most competitors, where the inside is usually "reigning" black plastic. The center screen is also large enough, but too low, so the driver has to look away from the road a little while watching it. Near both verticals are touch buttons and two rotary buttons that help us find the menu we want faster on an eight-inch screen (at an additional cost, which is standard on a five-inch screen). Although in recent years the entire automotive industry has avoided the use of dedicated control buttons, and Seat is one of the vanguards of this movement, the author is not sure if this is a good decision when considering safety. touch the selected place on the screen with a touch of your finger. But this is already a question for discussing a holistic view of car safety, and in Ibiza the situation is the same as in many other cars. In general, the screen size for the class to which it is still included is the best in terms of conveniently finding individual menus or accessories that are already included in standard equipment (for example, a six-speaker multimedia system, Bluetooth connection, AUX and USB connectors ).

Maybe someone else will ask about digital technology in meters. Well, that kind of modernity wasn't on the Seat for Ibiza (it should have been), for starters it will probably only be reserved at an additional cost in the new Polo. But round sensors are clearly visible, and on the central screen you can select data at the request of the driver. There are no comments on the ergonomic design, the driver seems to find everything in the right place. There are also several buttons on the steering wheel spokes, and in order to operate active cruise control with an additional lever on the steering wheel, the driver must have a well-developed sense of finger control. Another important ingredient for creating a good experience in an Ibiza cabin is space and ease of use. Thanks to the wider body, this primarily contributed to giving all passengers a corresponding feeling of spaciousness; especially those in the first place get the feeling that they are sitting in an older car, but in fact this is also true for the taller ones in the back seat, as they also cannot complain about the knee room.

The tested Ibiza proved to be in all respects even at the wheel. The modern three-cylinder turbocharged engine is also in trend - far from diesels. In the version with 115 “horses”, we met him in the editorial office on some other cars of the Volkswagen concern. Aside from the occasional muffled characteristic noise of three-cylinder engines, we have little to complain about. Due to the lighter weight of the larger vehicles it has been installed in in our previous tests, an Ibiza driver finds it to be the more jumpy version. It seems useful that we can let it run at as low a speed as possible (when its consumption is also expected to be lower), and then it can spin exemplary and fast. In the most powerful version with a liter engine, the usual six-speed manual transmission also comes to the fore, its lever provides good traction, but not everything is good with accuracy, sometimes there are problems with too fast gear changes. In the test, motorization was satisfactory, but something else needs to be added: in addition to a solid average consumption in normal use, it can also be much higher - if we make the engine run at higher rpm while driving faster.

This is of course quite simple, given the good dispositions of Ibiza - an excellent chassis. This Ibiza (although it didn't have the sportier FR brand) grips the road well, slightly larger wheels (an inch over stock) don't make a huge difference to fairly solid ride comfort, but the difference in cornering speed is hard to spot. However, the handling is very impressive, contributing to a good driver feel when turning the steering wheel, as well as a beautiful leather-wrapped steering wheel. Thus, the Ibiza claims to be one of the best in its class when it comes to driving pleasure.

The Xcelleneca hardware seems to be pretty well chosen (what Ibiza offers in a lower tier with the Style label is otherwise satisfactory). Seat has taken an interesting approach (but it's not the only company using this tactic) as the richest equipment is available at the same price as ours and with the FR label. This may be the perfect way for most clients, but it would be interesting to try the FR version, which also has a button labeled Drive profile that we can use to adjust the operating mode, and this can also affect changes in damping. , the responsiveness of the engine or the operation of the automatic transmission. This is not available for Xcellence as an accessory and includes opening, starting or locking the vehicle with a key in your pocket or wallet. Of the useful gadgets that our tested Ibiza had and that had to be selected and paid for (which made the car a little less than four thousand more expensive), we certainly could have missed something, but if I had to choose, I would definitely opted for the package with the Full LED label, which enriches Ibiza with a wonderful addition and turns night driving into a less demanding feat. The price of the Media System Plus (with an eight-inch screen, voice control and an additional USB port) also seems quite acceptable, and for many people with a fairly modern Connectivity Box smartphone (device at the bottom of the center console) for wireless charging and with a GSM signal booster) ...

The safety of Ibiza is at a fairly high level, so we can also expect a top score from a test crash. Already as standard, Ibiza offers emergency braking and vehicle traffic control. On "our" Ibiza, instead of the usual cruise control, they installed active cruise control, which could only be achieved with a combination of an automatic transmission with two clutches.

Ibiza offers many other interesting things, but the buyer will definitely have to pay close attention to the offer, as there is something unusual or a trap in it. I'm curious that Seat is offering a “special” price on the list, which is only valid for those who choose to buy with funding (but even here, Seat is not the only one taking this approach). The promised extended warranty (6plus) terms also seem a little vague, but Seat's free help promises a lot.

text: Tomaž Porekar · photo: Saša Kapetanovič

Ibiza 1.0 TSI Xcellence (2017)

Basic data

Base model price:	16.428 €
Test model cost:	20.258 €
Power:	85kW (115 KM)
Acceleration (0-100 km / h):	9,3 with
Maximum speed:	195 km / h
Mixed flow ECE:	4,9l / 100km
Guarantee:	2-year unlimited mileage general warranty, up to 6-year extended warranty with 200.000 km limit, unlimited mobile warranty, 3-year paint warranty, 12-year rust warranty.
Systematic review	Service interval 15.000 km or one year. km

Cost (up to 100.000 km or five years)

Regular services, works, materials:	1.139 €
Fuel:	5.958 €
Tires (1)	1.228 €
Loss of value (within 5 years):	7.232 €
Compulsory insurance:	2.675 €
CASCO INSURANCE (+ B, K), AO, AO +	4.185 (
Calculate the cost of auto insurance
Buy up	€ 22.417 0,22 (km cost: XNUMX €)

Technical information

engine:	3-cylinder - 4-stroke - in-line - turbocharged petrol - front transverse mounted - bore and stroke 74,5 × 76,4 mm - displacement 999 cm3 - compression ratio 10,5:1 - maximum power 85 kW (115 hp) at 5.000 – 5.500 rpm – average piston speed at maximum power 9,5 m/s – specific power 55,9 kW/l (76,0 hp/l) – maximum torque 200 Nm at 2.000 3.500-2 rpm – 4 camshafts in the head (timing belt) – XNUMX valves per cylinder – common rail fuel injection – exhaust gas turbocharger – charge air cooler.
Energy transfer:	the engine drives the front wheels - 6-speed manual transmission - gear ratio I. 3,769; II. 1,955 hours; III. 1,281 hours; IV. 0,973; V. 0,778; VI. 0,642 - differential 3,798 - rims 7 J × 16 - tires 195/55 R 16 V, rolling circumference 1,87 m.
Capacity:	top speed 195 km/h – 0-100 km/h acceleration 9,3 s – average fuel consumption (ECE) 4,7 l/100 km, CO2 emissions 108 g/km.
Transportation and suspension:	limousine - 5 doors - 5 seats - self-supporting body - front individual suspension, leaf springs, three-spoke wishbones, stabilizer - rear axle shaft, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, stabilizer - front disc brakes (forced cooling), rear disc, ABS, mechanical parking rear wheel brake (lever between seats) - rack and pinion steering wheel, electric power steering, 2,6 turns between extreme points.
Mass:	empty vehicle 1.140 kg - permissible total weight 1.560 kg - permissible trailer weight with brake: 1.200 kg, without brake: 570 kg - permissible roof load: e.g.
External dimensions:	length 4.059 mm - width 1.780 mm, with mirrors 1.950 mm - height 1.444 mm - wheelbase 2.564 mm - front track 1.525 - rear 1.505 - driving radius, e.g.
Inner dimensions:	longitudinal front 870-1.110 mm, rear 590-830 mm - front width 1.460 mm, rear 1.410 mm - head height front 920-1000 mm, rear 930 mm - seat length front seat 510 mm, rear seat 480 mm - luggage compartment 355 l - handlebar diameter 365 mm - fuel tank 40 l.

Our measurements

T = 27 ° C / p = 1.028 mbar / rel. vl. = 55% / tires: Michelin Energy Saver 195/55 R 16 V / odometer status: 1.631 km
Acceleration 0-100km:	9,9s
402m from the city:	17 years ( 133 km / h)
Flexibility 50-90km / h:	9,0 / 15,4s (IV/V)
Flexibility 80-120km / h:	11,2 / 22,1s (Sun./Fri.)
test consumption:	6,9 l / 100km
Fuel consumption according to the standard scheme:	4,9 l / 100km
Braking distance at 130 km / h:	65,2m
Braking distance at 100 km / h:	38,9m
AM table:	40m

Overall rating (352/420)

• Seat has lifted the Ibiza at least half a step to a car that really only remains in its class in terms of length, and in many ways is already knocking on the doors of the lower middle class, perhaps also affordable.

• Exterior (14/15)

  It is distinguished by its simplicity of form, which immediately places the Ibiza in the Seat family, no longer than its predecessor.

• Interior (110/140)

  The centerpiece of the car is the interior, beautifully designed, spacious enough, with a large boot, modern accessories for good communication.

• Engine, transmission (53
  
  
  / 40)

  The new three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine is a very acceptable engine, sufficient for most driving conditions, the chassis provides a sovereign and comfortable ride, excellent handling.

• Driving performance (59
  
  
  / 95)

  There are no problems with the position on the road, also in terms of braking and stability, Ibiza has achieved a fairly wide track.

• Performance (29/35)

  The engine impresses with its agility at low speeds and fuel consumption varies significantly with driving style.

• Security (40/45)

  Thanks to some innovations in the active area, Ibiza has received even more.

• Economy (47/50)

  If necessary, it can be very economical, the basic equipment is rich, but accessories for the car can significantly reduce the cost.

We praise and reproach

large central touchscreen, fewer control buttons

impression of solid quality and comfort of materials in the interior

convenient location on the road

open space

sufficiently powerful, maneuverable and economical engine

double bottom in the trunk

infotainment touchscreen could be positioned slightly higher, more in the driver's field of vision

it is difficult to get the mobile phone out of the phone compartment

gear lever precision