FR = Just cosmetic - Right ?

John Young

Active Member
Sep 15, 2018
99
15
I understand the FR badge is basically cosmetic and a little firmer suspension. Is this right ?

I ask as I am very impressed with the performance of my FR. Its the 1.2 FR and 110 bhp but it seems genuinely quite quick and I have had quick cars in the past (Nissan 200sx)

Are the engines on the FR models tinkered with / tuned at all compared to non FR or are all the ibiza's the same
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
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I understand the FR badge is basically cosmetic and a little firmer suspension. Is this right ?

Pretty much. I have the same car as you. 110hp is 110hp. The FR doesn't get 'special' 110hp! I agree that it's not slow but I would hesitate to call it fast. Especially when the torque curve and gearing is so difficult to make use of.

First gear is next to useless as it hardly gets you moving before the power drops like a stone. problem is that if you don't hold it in first gear for ages you end up below the power band in second!

And the power is very low in the rev range compared to typical petrol cars, revving it is a waste of time. Plus the ECU seems to alter how the engine responds so it doesn't always give you the power you expect it to. This is the first car I've had that behaves this way. You often have to put the foot to the floor to wake it up and get it going.

It's a very usable set-up for poodling around with good power for the size of the car but it's not really a great driver's car. The engine response is peculiar, you do not get enough feedback from the chassis and the suspension is not predicable enough and is often unsettled. It's a shame as the steering is accurate and the actual levels of grip pretty high.

A sports car is about communication. It's not about ultimate speed or grip but about feeling the relationship with the car and the Ibiza just doesn't talk to you enough. It's not a sports car.
 
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John Young

Active Member
Sep 15, 2018
99
15
No its certainly not a sports car but it does surprise you - well it did for me anyway.

I find the car handles very well and find the suspension firm but not hard and it handles bumps well but you are right the engine does deliver power low down in the revs and I find its better to get up the gears rather than revving in one to long as you say it drops off like a stone but once in the higher gears like 6th it still pulls well on motorways. I was on a dual carriageway the other day plodding along going past a van and a car was coming up behind me so I just accelerated a bit in 6th to pull in and let them past and I noticed they seemed to be slowing behind me. It was not them it was me I doing 85. I was shocked how quick I had got there
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
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I find its better to get up the gears rather than revving in one to long as you say it drops off like a stone but once in the higher gears like 6th it still pulls well on motorways.

Yes, for daily driving it's brilliant. There is so much power low down that you have to change gear much less. I don't find the suspension too hard around town. Sure, it's firm and with it being a small car it'll bob around over bumps but it's not uncomfortable.

The flip side is that it doesn't settle very well at speed. It's slightly under-damped so looses composure too easily. I'm really surprised Seat didn't get this right.
 

John Young

Active Member
Sep 15, 2018
99
15
Yes, for daily driving it's brilliant. There is so much power low down that you have to change gear much less. I don't find the suspension too hard around town. Sure, it's firm and with it being a small car it'll bob around over bumps but it's not uncomfortable.

The flip side is that it doesn't settle very well at speed. It's slightly under-damped so looses composure too easily. I'm really surprised Seat didn't get this right.

So how long have you had your car ?

What about MPG - I came from a Citroen Cactus diesel and that was amazing on fuel. I could easily get 80mpg on a long run and others had got more... but the Seat which of course could never match that is not bad at all and at least I have a rev-counter now something the Cactus missed :blink:
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Do you have the 17 inch Tagus rims 215/40 R17s? As long as they are between 'normal and komfort' pressures, they are ok...

I would comment on mpg on my 110PS Ibiza also, however, just realised mine is the 1.0 EcoTsi with 200Nm @ 2k rpm, i suspect the 1.2TSI has max Torque lower down the band..@ 1.4k...probably why on paper 1.2TSI is faster to accelerate than the 1.0TSI, and possibly slight knock in economy compared to 1.0.
 

John Young

Active Member
Sep 15, 2018
99
15
Do you have the 17 inch Tagus rims 215/40 R17s? As long as they are between 'normal and komfort' pressures, they are ok...

I would comment on mpg on my 110PS Ibiza also, however, just realised mine is the 1.0 EcoTsi with 200Nm @ 2k rpm, i suspect the 1.2TSI has max Torque lower down the band..@ 1.4k...probably why on paper 1.2TSI is faster to accelerate than the 1.0TSI, and possibly slight knock in economy compared to 1.0.


Yeah I noticed when I did my tyres there was different pressures for comfort etc... first time i have seen that on a car. I think I set them for comfort. My wheels are 16"

There are loads of engines available on these cars over the years :drive1:
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Yeah I noticed when I did my tyres there was different pressures for comfort etc... first time i have seen that on a car. I think I set them for comfort. My wheels are 16"
There are loads of engines available on these cars over the years :drive1:
Ahh you haven't had the pleasure of high pressures (from the transport they were 40PSI) and 40 profile tyres!
 

camelspyyder

2 SEAT-er
Jun 26, 2014
1,305
175
I'd take the 1.2 over the 1.0 manual anytime. Half the gear changes required with that different torque curve and its easier to make smooth changes with the 1.2 as well.
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
It's hilarious that a 1.2 is being talked about as the 'bigger' engine! ;0) Changed days indeed.

I've had my car just over a month and I'm getting around 50mpg ish. I should point out though that I don't drive for economy, if you know what I mean? ;0)

As an aside, there were questions a while ago about whether or not the FR is lower than other Ibizas. My eldest son has a 2017 Ibiza 1.0 ecomotive SE Tech and I said that it has the same ride height as my FR. However, my other son has just bought a 2015, pre-facelift 1.4 Toca SC and it is higher. I haven't measured it exactly but it's a fair bit, maybe 30 or 40mm?
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
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I may have made it up, but I think I remember reading in the specs back in 2014 when SWMBO bought her Ibiza, that the Ecomotive also had lowered suspension to improve the aero performance. So an FR and an Ecomotive may look a similar ride height when compared side by side
(but for different reasons!)
 
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camelspyyder

2 SEAT-er
Jun 26, 2014
1,305
175
It's hilarious that a 1.2 is being talked about as the 'bigger' engine! ;0) Changed days indeed.

I've had my car just over a month and I'm getting around 50mpg ish. I should point out though that I don't drive for economy, if you know what I mean? ;0)

As an aside, there were questions a while ago about whether or not the FR is lower than other Ibizas. My eldest son has a 2017 Ibiza 1.0 ecomotive SE Tech and I said that it has the same ride height as my FR. However, my other son has just bought a 2015, pre-facelift 1.4 Toca SC and it is higher. I haven't measured it exactly but it's a fair bit, maybe 30 or 40mm?

Yup, the TOCA has the SE suspension which is a lot more compliant in my view. However its sooooooo slow. :(
 

Mr Pig

Active Member
Jun 17, 2015
2,614
906
What is the TOCA ?

Very timely. The Toca was special addition with bigger alloys and a few toys. Seat seem to have sold a ton on them, my son has just bought one and I got a drive in it tonight.

Not impressed :0( The 1.4 84 ps engine is a bit of a dog. Not much in the way of power anywhere in the rev range, doesn't even feel like it has the power it says it has. The suspension is very unrefined. It's ok around town but wind it up and the car's all over the place. It feels like an older car. Maybe I'm being harsh but I wouldn't buy one. The difference between it and the face-lift cars is significant.
 

John Young

Active Member
Sep 15, 2018
99
15
Crikey that is quite under-powered

When I got my car there was a 1.4 Ibiza which was 140 bhp but £1000 more expensive and after asking on here some said they are unreliable it was 2016 model like mine.

So far with my car I am very happy with it. Its very nice to drive, very responsive and quick and seems well screwed together. I have only had one creak inside (from plastic covering dials) but nothing else. My last car creaked and squeaked inside a fair bit and it was brand new. Also love how the exhaust has a nice little rasp to it which surprised me as its only twin pipes at the rear for show I think
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Oh the dual pipes left exhaust are real...I know, coz I have to clean them alot, as soot builds up on the bottom tips, both the bottom tips! Plus condensation comes out of them! Unlike the New Mk6 Ibiza, where the chrome pipes are fake.

At least on mine, 1.0 TSI, cold start exhaust is a lot louder...
 
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