SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra road test
A compact, small hatch packing 178bhp and an F1-style paddle shift DSG gearbox should be about as exciting as pocket rocket hot hatches get. Yet, somehow, the Seat Ibiza Bocanegra just doesn’t manage to ignite keen drivers’ passions in the way previous quick Ibizas have. The 1.4-litre turbo- and supercharged engine produces more than enough power, covering 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and recording a top speed of 140mpg. However, the Bocanegra, which is Spanish for ‘black mouth’ in honour of a previous Seat of the same name and blacked-out front grille, simply doesn’t feel that quick. A Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 is only a little brisker but feels much livelier. Some of this is down to the Seat’s seven-speed DSG direct shift gearbox with twin clutches. It’s too civilised in normal conditions for a peppy pint pot hatch, but when you want you want it to zing, it falters and dithers about which gear to be in. On top of this, the 1.4-litre engine doesn’t even sound especially sporting. At least it’s easy to drive in town and on the motorway.
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A compact, small hatch packing 178bhp and an F1-style paddle shift DSG gearbox should be about as exciting as pocket rocket hot hatches get. Yet, somehow, the Seat Ibiza Bocanegra just doesn’t manage to ignite keen drivers’ passions in the way previous quick Ibizas have. The 1.4-litre turbo- and supercharged engine produces more than enough power, covering 0-62mph in 7.2 seconds and recording a top speed of 140mpg. However, the Bocanegra, which is Spanish for ‘black mouth’ in honour of a previous Seat of the same name and blacked-out front grille, simply doesn’t feel that quick. A Renault Clio Renaultsport 200 is only a little brisker but feels much livelier. Some of this is down to the Seat’s seven-speed DSG direct shift gearbox with twin clutches. It’s too civilised in normal conditions for a peppy pint pot hatch, but when you want you want it to zing, it falters and dithers about which gear to be in. On top of this, the 1.4-litre engine doesn’t even sound especially sporting. At least it’s easy to drive in town and on the motorway.
Read the full SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra road test
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