- NEW MODEL NEWS – SEAT IBIZA FR EDITION
THE SEAT Ibiza FR is certainly a car that fires on all cylinders – well, most of the time.
That’s because there’s a new 1.4-litre TSI ACT engine in the performance supermini, due to hit the streets this summer.
And while it has four cylinders it actually only needs to use a couple of them at once, saving fuel – up to a litre over 60 miles – in the process.
The way it works is by shutting off the second and third cylinders at low engine speeds, re-activating the cylinders when more torque is required.
Upshot is a car that can blast from 0-62mph in under eight seconds, yet can still officially return a Combined 60.1mpg.
The 140PS ACT – that stands for Active Cylinder Technology – petrol engine replaces the 150PS 1.4 unit in the Ibiza range, offering near identical performance.
It takes 0.2 seconds longer to hit 62mph, but delivers 12.2mpg better economy and 30g/km less CO2 – down to 109g/km.
Available with a manual transmission only, the standard 1.4 TSI ACT FR 140PS is £1,015 cheaper than the model it replaces, which came with a DSG auto gearbox as standard.
A new FR Edition sits above the standard FR in the Ibiza line-up and adds stuff like red seatbelts and brake callipers, titanium-coloured 17-inch alloys, matching coloured door mirrors, climate control and dark tinted rear windows.
It costs from £15,920 in three-door SC body style while the five-door version is £16,470.
The 1.4 TSI ACT engine is also available in standard FR trim in all three body styles – SC, five-door and ST estate, with prices from £15,320, £15,870 and £16,570 respectively.
All models are due to arrive in early June.
