SEAT Ibiza review

With its striking looks, the SEAT Ibiza has no problem turning heads. Available as a three-door SportCoupe, practical five-door or ST estate, the stylish Spaniard has proved a sales success thanks to its sporty good looks, practicality and low running costs.

To find out just how good it is, our German sister publication Auto Bild put it through its paces in the ultimate road test. After a gruelling 100,000 km reliability marathon in less than two years, the Ibiza was taken apart and put under the microscope. The results showed that it had actually improved with age.

Read the full report and find out what the experts found when they took the Ibiza apart, piece by piece.

Styling

The SEAT Ibiza was designed by an international team led by Luc Donckerwolke who previously led the design team Lamborghini. It's available in three distinct bodystyles to ensure there is a model to suit everyone. The practical five-door Ibiza mixes taut design with a practical, spacious cabin. Meanwhile, the three-door SC gets a sloping coupe-like silhouette. Boot space means the five-door or even more roomy estate ST are great choices for growing families. What's more, all versions offer a range of small, economical engines - sourced from the extensive Volkswagen Group stable.

Interior

The low driving position is comfortable, while the gearlever feels firm, and slick to use. But the best news is that even eco-friendly Ecomotive versions are as much fun to sit in as high-performance FR and Cupra models, such is the attention to quality. Those in the front will find plenty of space, but back seat passengers will not feel they've drawn too much of a short straw.

Driving and performance

You could never accuse the Ibiza of being anything less than a fun car to drive, and all models offer a good mix of agility and secure road-holding. All the engines impress, while FR and Cupra models - whether petrol or diesel powered - feel very quick. Road holding is good, and the power assisted steering offers plenty of feel. Crisp suspension, fitted to all models, definitely adds to the driving experience, making the Ibiza one of the most driver-oriented cars in the supermini class. But it's not just about outright performance, all Ibizas are good at suppressing wind and road noise, helping make long motorway journeys pass without fuss.

MPG and economy

The Ibiza is designed to appeal to younger buyers, so prices start quite low and it's well-equipped, including the option of a clever dock on the dashboard in which to integrate an aftermarket sat-nav unit. The 1.2 TDI diesel Ecomotive boasts astonishing 80.7 mpg fuel economy, but even the non-Ecomotive version with the same engine returns 72.4 mpg. The highest performing 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol Cupra's 44.1mpg rating is impressive too. Couple that with fairly low insurance rates - and strong residual values - and the SEAT Ibiza is an inexpensive car to run across the range.

Practicality

The three-door SC's boot is slightly smaller than the five-door's 292-litre space, but both will comfortably swallow a week's worth of shopping, or a pushchair. The roomy Ibiza ST, meanwhile, offers a whopping 430 litres of load space - making it more than ample for most families. All versions offer split folding rear seats to improve versatility. There's a small cubby hole just behind the gear lever, plus deep door pockets, and a lockable glovebox.

Safety and reliability

The SEAT Ibiza has a five-star Euro NCAP rating, front and side airbags, and anti-lock brakes as standard. But the crash test performance is not the only impressive ingredient in the Ibiza's armoury... The car also shares many of its mechanical parts with other vehicles in the Volkswagen Group, such as the Volkswagen Polo.