1987 Seat Malaga 1.5 GLX 1.5
Summary:
Full Of Promise That Was Not Delivered On
Faults:
Power windows packed up soon after delivery.
Central locking always tempramental - either totally non-functioning, or operating only on some doors.
Cold start problems - stalling.
Poor air-con performance.
Minor gauges in middle of instrument nacelle not lit - design fault on all Malagas rather than peculiar to this unit.
General Comments:
I was enticed into buying this Spanish product owing to its claims of vivacious performance from its System Porsche engine and six-year anti-corrosion warranty. It looked quite good too, with its Giugiaro penned lines atop what was essentially a Fiat platform.
The Seat range came into Singapore at a time when Japanese cars were going up in price, owing to an appreciating Yen, so the Malaga was competitively priced at time of purchase. However, the maxim of getting what you pay for fully supports this car.
The electric convenience features (power front windows and central locking) were a nightmare from new, with very intermittent operation, despite repeated visits to the agent's workshop. Very humourous to have a power window down when a tropical monsoon is blowing!
The much promised performance was also not fully delivered on thanks to the acute cold start performance of the engine. It would never run cleanly until at least five minutes had passed - and all this in Singapore, where night temperatures hover around 25 Celsius!
The final straw came when a taxi ran a red light and creased the Malaga - thankfully no one was injured, but the resultant damage, though repairable, just compelled me to sell the car, rather than endure its "charms" for much longer.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know
Review Date: 19th May, 2004