Seat has unveiled the hot hatch and green eco warrior of the Ibiza range. The sinner is the Ibiza Cupra, the saint the Ibiza Ecomotive – and they arrive less than six months since the range was launched.

Seat Ibiza Cupra: the lowdown

The Ibiza Cupra has a 176bhp 1.4 TSI twin-compressor engine; it’s the same turbo- and supercharged engine as in our long-term test VW Golf, mated to the VW Group’s seven-speed DSG twin-clutch ‘box operated through steering wheel paddles.

No performance claims yet, but that power output should put it on a par with the Mini Cooper S. Seat claims the new Ibiza is lighter than the old model, and the smaller engine should make for better handling, insiders claim.

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The sporty version of SEAT’s new Ibiza has broken ‘three’! The SportCoupé now joins the five-door model that was launched at the recent Madrid Motor Show.

It has the same front end as the five-door, but at the rear the shape is much more distinctive. Engine options will include a 1.6-litre petrol motor delivering 105bhp, with diesel buyers offered a choice of 1.4 and 1.9-litre TDIs. The smaller oil-burner will form the basis of an ultra-efficient ECOmotive version, which SEAT claims will emit only 99g/km of CO2. That would be low enough to put the model in road tax band A, and mean owners wouldn’t have to pay anything for their annual disc. This car is also equipped with a seven-speed twin-clutch DSG transmission – which was first seen in parent company Volkswagen’s Golf – to boost performance and economy. Read more »