No typo - A 3cyl and two 4cyl engines ranging from 70-105hp with an available 7 speed DSG.

http://jalopnik.com/375059/2009-seat...-forward-gears

Puts the lower end GMT900s to shame. lol

 

I don't understand. How does a European econo box put a US truck platform to shame?

 

I wondered the same at first. Then I thought about how this little crapbox has a 7 speed dsg and GM is still putting 4 speed autos in 40 k trucks.

 

That's not a bad looking car. (Seat's have historically been boxy and ugly.) It's too bad they will never be exported here.

 

But those 'crappy' 4 speeds get the best in class fuel economy and are generally as good for towing or general driving as any competitors 5/6 speeds so where is the real problem?

 

True. Throw one of those 7-speeds in a GMT.900 and see how long it lasts. I'd give it a few hours at best!!!

It's a lot harder to engineer a cost effective 7-speed transmission for a TRUCK then it is a 1,800lb car...

 

The number of speeds isn't as important as the final gear as that's what your cruising with most often...

 

Best in class? Depends on the model I guess. I just saw a test of 4 new 4x4 suvs in MT where a Tahoe ran the same times as a 6 speed Expedition that was 400lbs heavier and had 20 fewer hp, and then it got the same observed fuel econonomy as the 300lb heavier Sequoia which was 2 seconds faster to 60 and like a second and a half faster 1/4 mile. Also it's towing capacity was 3-4,000lbs lower than it's competitors. It was rated last due in part to it's 4 speed auto. They said the 4 speed didn't just hurt it at the drags but on mountain roads too because the ratios are too tall and it it struggled to find the right gear.

 

Anyone bother looking at the concept the Ibiza is based on?

http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2008/03...-official.html

I just love saying the name... Say-ot Ee-bee-thah

 

Must have rev range going from 0 to 3000 like a Semi.

 

<insert DOHC - irs - awd - paddleshift inferiority complex here>

K.I.S.S has no business on something as serious as Al Gore's Intrawebs!

 

Did the GM/4 speed units get beat in economy? No. Does a difference of 2 seconds in 0-60 matter in fullsize SUVs? No. Who drag races fullsize BOF SUVs? True there is a difference in towing but how big of a difference?

 

There's no problem with a Tahoe being slow, but it shouldn't be matching the fuel economy of Sequoia with that performance and weigh difference. It should be putting it to shame.

 

But that fact that it does, with competitors who presumably have more gears (I don't know the other SUV's specifics); I think is an achievement for GM, and an embarrassment to the competition in and of itself.

I agree though, adding two more gears to the 900's will definitely give them a leg-up on the competition, imo.

 

That MT test was inherently flawed in my opinion. If they are going to test a 56K Sequoia, why not test it against a GMC Yukon Denali? Dollars to Dollars.