At Full Chat

So was another one I stupidly bought with my own money a few months later. Bits of trim falling off I could put up with, but doors that failed to close, never mind lock, due to faulty central locking were unacceptable. With the benefit of hindsight, me and the other mugs who put our money into SEAT then were either brave or foolish. There were far better small cars on sale.

How times change. Today, the current Ibiza is one of the top superminis on the market, if not the best, considering its price, good looks, vastly improved build quality and resale value. Image isn't a problem, either - for the company or the country. SEAT and Spain might have been automotive also-rans, but as far as I'm concerned Barcelona is poised to become the new Turin, Spain the new Italy and SEAT the new Alfa Romeo. I'd go further still and say that I would currently prefer to buy and own a new car from the Spanish company rather than Volkswagen, in view of the recent and unexplained slump in the quality of VW-badged motors. And I'm not alone. Yes, I know that they're more or less the same under the skin, but just as Skoda now beats the German marque on quality, so too does the SEAT brand.

I've just driven the ageing but still desirable Leon to the launch of the 2005 Toledo. I remain mightily impressed with the Leon's looks and classy, refined driving experience, despite its low cost (from ΂£10,215), and impressive economy (up to 50mpg in real world conditions). Climbing out of the Leon into the new Toledo proved again that SEAT is improving at a pace few other car makers can keep up with. It doesn't really matter whether you like the bold lines, which are the work of British design chief, Steve Lewis. I think the Toledo - and the recent Altea, come to that - is the sort of car you'll love or hate the look of. And I suspect that will also be true of the new Leon and Ibiza, which are being worked on right now by Lewis and his team.

Design-wise, SEAT is ahead of the game, standing out from the crowd, and being acknowledged for its 'dare to be different' attitude. It's all part of the Spanish firm's plan to do in this decade what Skoda did in the last - reinvent itself, overtake several bemused rivals and become the most improved car company on the planet.