fao CK
CAR HOT HATCH OF YEAR TEST!
CUPRA...........
The ibiza cupra was back to the real world with a bang. and a crash. and a shudder of cheap plastic trim. a glance under the arches proves the ibiza is equipped with springs and dampers. but you've often got sever doubts from the drivers seat. in many ways the cupra is the most disappointing car here. for the money, you can't go faster, at least not in straight lines. and vw's generic 1.8 litre 20 valve turbo charged for is as nice as always with whooshy, addictive torque. theres loads of kit, reasonable looks and a big useful cabin. that's the limit of the praise, though reasonable in isolation, and on smooth roads, the ibiza just can't get close to the rest of the talent here. it feels wooden and disinterested, the steering is vague and completely devoid of feel, theres plenty of grip but little reward to be wrought from surfing it. torque steer is acute at lower speeds, uniquely among all the cars here and optimism results in endless, squeally understeer. i can't think of anything else nice to say, so i'll shut up.
MG ZR160
Bringing us finally to the MG ZR160. John Simisters bubbling enthusiasm on last months launch had raised hopes very high. and the yellow peril just about managed to live up to the hype. sure, underneath lurks a poorly disguised rover 25. but that doesn't matter. the bight yellow paint and distinctly mdf body kit of our test car threatened to breach the boundaries of common decency. but that dosen't matter. the cabin is black and miserable and feels a positive step back from the heady heights of the maestro. but even that doesn't matter. because this is one seriously hard core hop hatch. the biggest part of the experience is the engine. hotter versions of the k series have always been fun, but the 158bhp vvc unit in the zr is the best yet, it revs, seemingly, to infinity(well, 7800rpm), piling on speed with stead fast purpose. come to the first corner and the brakes bite hard and accurately, the car tips in enthusiastically and theres an abundance of grip. under steer is very well contained and traction is excellent; the zr actually feels like it possesses a limited slip diff, such is the level of adhesion. the back end gets involved, following faithfully until you ease the throttle, at which point it tightens nicely. and its very very fast indeed. the zr's springing is firm without being excessively hard, and like the astra and puma its very good at defusing mid corner bumps and compressions. indeed the only real criticisms are the cramp driving position and lack of much meaningful feedback through the chunky steering wheel. its more expensive than the ibiza, but the mg feels eminently worthy of the supplement.
Cuprakid i rest my case in defence of the ZR
CAR HOT HATCH OF YEAR TEST!
CUPRA...........
The ibiza cupra was back to the real world with a bang. and a crash. and a shudder of cheap plastic trim. a glance under the arches proves the ibiza is equipped with springs and dampers. but you've often got sever doubts from the drivers seat. in many ways the cupra is the most disappointing car here. for the money, you can't go faster, at least not in straight lines. and vw's generic 1.8 litre 20 valve turbo charged for is as nice as always with whooshy, addictive torque. theres loads of kit, reasonable looks and a big useful cabin. that's the limit of the praise, though reasonable in isolation, and on smooth roads, the ibiza just can't get close to the rest of the talent here. it feels wooden and disinterested, the steering is vague and completely devoid of feel, theres plenty of grip but little reward to be wrought from surfing it. torque steer is acute at lower speeds, uniquely among all the cars here and optimism results in endless, squeally understeer. i can't think of anything else nice to say, so i'll shut up.
MG ZR160
Bringing us finally to the MG ZR160. John Simisters bubbling enthusiasm on last months launch had raised hopes very high. and the yellow peril just about managed to live up to the hype. sure, underneath lurks a poorly disguised rover 25. but that doesn't matter. the bight yellow paint and distinctly mdf body kit of our test car threatened to breach the boundaries of common decency. but that dosen't matter. the cabin is black and miserable and feels a positive step back from the heady heights of the maestro. but even that doesn't matter. because this is one seriously hard core hop hatch. the biggest part of the experience is the engine. hotter versions of the k series have always been fun, but the 158bhp vvc unit in the zr is the best yet, it revs, seemingly, to infinity(well, 7800rpm), piling on speed with stead fast purpose. come to the first corner and the brakes bite hard and accurately, the car tips in enthusiastically and theres an abundance of grip. under steer is very well contained and traction is excellent; the zr actually feels like it possesses a limited slip diff, such is the level of adhesion. the back end gets involved, following faithfully until you ease the throttle, at which point it tightens nicely. and its very very fast indeed. the zr's springing is firm without being excessively hard, and like the astra and puma its very good at defusing mid corner bumps and compressions. indeed the only real criticisms are the cramp driving position and lack of much meaningful feedback through the chunky steering wheel. its more expensive than the ibiza, but the mg feels eminently worthy of the supplement.
Cuprakid i rest my case in defence of the ZR
