“It looks mint and goes like stink!” SEAT re-enter the supermini hot-hatch market with their latest Ibiza Cupra. Bigger engine, more torque, more horsepower and plenty more character than the old model. Can the Cupra compete with the likes of the Ford Fiesta ST, Peugeot 208 GTi, Vauxhall Corsa VXR and MINI Cooper S? Read on to find out...

There’s something innately brilliant about proper hot-hatches like the Ibiza Cupra. It’s still amazing that such a small package can deliver wondrous performance while balancing its duties with navigating city centres and supermarket car parks. It is just so easy to live with. The Ibiza Cupra is an absolute riot to drive. The car sticks to the tarmac like glue and the 1.8tsi engine will prove to be a bit of a gem for the younger generation of drivers. Older drivers might have to do a bit of adapting; hot-hatches have changed. Legends like the 205GTi and Mk1 Golf GTi had a nice linear powerband, due to the naturally aspirated engines, but this new breed all use turbochargers. It’s not as much about maintaining momentum through the bends as it is about torque-ing your way out of them and strangling the turbo’s sweet-spot. You’ve got 180hp to play with in the Ibiza Cupra but, more noticeably, you’ve got 236lb-ft of torque which is available between 1,450-4,200rpm. Yes, this does mean you’ve got plenty of pulling power once you’re going but be wary of the momentary nothingness while you climb to 1,450rpm and don’t feel the need to hold a gear above and beyond 5k rpm, there’s nothing there either - I’ve checked. Fortunately that mid-range thwack takes you from 0-60mph in just 6.7 seconds - perfect for merging onto the dual carriageway after socialising with other hot-hatches in McDonalds car park. Don’t feel obliged to test the 142mph top speed though, young’uns, just take the manufacturer's word for it...

As a motoring journalist I feel obliged to follow suit and bellow: ‘oh well they’ve fitted an electrical diff to mimic a mechanical diff by braking the front wheels - it’s all just a gimmick, a facade, a farce!’ In reality, this electric differential is a triumph, sorry fellow journalists. Named he ‘XDS electronic differential lock’, it is a standard feature on the Ibiza Cupra although on the mechanically identical Polo GTi it is a £245 optional extra. Brakes are impressive too - the plentiful power is well harnessed by the front discs which are now 310mm in diameter, up from 288mm in the previous model. The car does have two very different characteristics; comfort mode for pootling and sport mode for sport-ing. Hitting the sport mode button does two things, firstly it stiffens the electronically adjustable dampers by about 20% and secondly it tightens the steering rack. The difference is blindingly obvious in corners where the Ibiza refuses to even lean, nevermind roll, thanks to the firmer suspension - without Sport mode the Ibiza is guilty of swaying in the bends rather worryingly. Yes, the Ibiza Cupra is a great car for a B-road jaunt through the countryside but pick your route carefully because once you’re in sports mode, hitting even the smallest of potholes at pace is a particularly traumatic experience.