Review of the new SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra

A little bit of individuality can go a long way in a hot hatchback. Fans of these ballistic runabouts are constantly trying to out do each other with a bigger spoiler, a more lurid paint job or a higher power output, so it makes sense for manufacturers involved in this market to innovate off-the-peg ways for their customers to draw attention to themselves. SEAT's Ibiza Bocanegra is precisely that. It's the car for people who find the normal 177bhp SEAT Ibiza Cupra too low key. There are no mechanical differences but the Boc looks to power ahead in the style stakes.

If you buy this car, people will ask you what Bocanegra means. They may then go on to query how it became attached to the hottest version of SEAT's supermini. Well, here's the gen. In 1975, SEAT launched the 1200 Sport. It was based on Fiat underpinnings, as all SEAT models were back then, but with bodywork sourced from NSU in Germany. Significantly, it's widely credited as being the first unique SEAT-designed model. The distinguishing feature of this 2+2 coupe was a plastic nose section that looked like it had been masked-off with black tape. This gave rise to the Bocanegra nickname that would become associated with the 1200 Sport. Bocanegra means 'black mouth' in Spanish.

Car manufacturers like to remind us of past glories and without too much heritage to call upon, SEAT reprised the Bocanegra name for a 2008 concept car. That model had a characteristic blacked out front-end similar to the 1200 Sport's and it went down a storm at the Geneva motorshow. Now SEAT customers can get their hands on something very similar in the shape of the Ibiza Bocanegra.

The previous generation versions of the Ibiza Cupra had a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, so fitting a 1.4-litre turbo unit to the latest cars might look like a retrograde step to some. In reality, this 1.4 is a highly advanced piece of kit that has already surfaced in a number of other Volkswagen Group products. Badged TSI, as SEAT's turbocharged petrols tend to be these days, it's actually turbocharged and supercharged, helping it to a maximum power output of 177bhp. That's roughly the same total as the old 1.8T engine managed in the old Ibiza Cupra and while the Bocanegra's 0-60mph sprint time is 0.1s slower than that car's at 7.2s, the supercharger boosts its low range torque to far superior levels. More noteworthy still is the fact that the Ibiza Bocanegra has the excellent DSG twin-clutch paddle-shift gearbox as standard.

"The Bocanegra package comes in at £700 over and above the price of a standard Ibiza Cupra"

The 1.4 TSI twin-charge engine works on the principle that even modern turbochargers take a while to get into their stride and inserts a supercharger into the mix that can boost performance at low engine speeds while that happens. With turbo and supercharger working in tandem, maximum torque is produced over a much wider section of the rev range, giving the car greater flexibility. In a compact front-wheel-drive car like the Ibiza Bocanegra, the engine has added benefits in the shape of its light weight. This reduces the forces acting on the front wheels while they're working at important jobs like deploying the power and steering.

From the moment the curvy lines of the Ibiza Sport Coupe three-door were unveiled, hopes were high regarding what the Cupra derivative would look like and in the event, SEAT has left little room for disappointment. The standard Cupra specification is striking in itself but Bocanegra takes things a stage further. The car lives up to its name with a 'black mouth' created by blacked-out sections of the bumper and grille surround and black honeycomb mesh over the air-vents. There are more black inserts at the rear, surrounding the enormous centrally-mounted exhaust.

The interior of the Bocanegra continues on the racy lines of the outside with sports seats carrying an embroidered 'B' logo and upgraded trim materials that look a bit like carbon fibre. These are welcome additions in the Ibiza as in the standard models, its cabin doesn't really have the wow-factor of the exterior lines, despite being very well put together. This isn't one of the roomier superminis around that the moment but the Ibiza three-door does leave the practical stuff to the five-door car, so it's free to focus on looking good. In practice, there's space for a couple of rear seat occupants on short journeys and the boot is reasonable but not spectacular in size.

The Bocanegra package comes in at £700 over and above the price of a standard Ibiza Cupra. As we've said, it's mechanically identical so whether you deem it worth shelling out for or not depends on whether you like the 'black mouth' styling or not. It's a significant sum to pay for some styling upgrades on a £16,000 hot hatch but if a bloke down the road has got the Cupra, the satisfaction of one-upping him might make it seem worthwhile.

SEAT is rightly proud of the twin-charger engine in the Ibiza Cupra but that is by no means the extent of the car's technological innovations. Standard fit on all models is the XDS electronic differential system which uses the stability control functionality to mimic the action of a mechanical limited slip differential. Even more impressive, however, is the fitment of the DSG twin-clutch automatic gearbox as standard. This is a highly unorthodox move in a hot hatch but the DSG system with its wheel-mounted paddle shifters is about as slick as automatics get. Factor in this technology and the Bocanegra looks like decent value compared to rivals but the Cupra is still likely to be a more popular pick.

Further advantages of the 1.4 TSI engine's small capacity come at the pumps where the Ibiza Bocanegra can return over 44mpg. It's unlikely that you'll see these kinds of returns if you use the car's performance potential on a regular basis but it's good to know that economical progress is a possibility. Emissions of 148g/km are also very competitive for the class.

If you tell people you drive a SEAT Ibiza Bocanegra, it's unlikely it will mean much to them. The reference to a mid 70's SEAT coupe, known as the 'black mouth' because it looked like it had been dipped nose first in a tar pit, will be lost on everyone bar a few anoraks. It all makes the idea of paying £700 for a series of hot styling upgrades on the already smouldering Ibiza Cupra seem questionable. Ultimately, people who love the Bocanegra look will buy it and they'll get a reassuringly high-tech hot hatchback into the bargain.