Skip advert
Advertisement

SEAT Ibiza Toca review

Hailing from the middle of the range, the SEAT Ibiza Toca offers lots of kit for not too much cash

SEAT Ibiza Toca
Overall Auto Express Rating

3.5 out of 5

Find your SEAT Ibiza
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Customers got an average £1000 more vs part exchange quotes
Advertisement

The SEAT Ibiza Toca is a fine way to get a very well-equipped, moderately priced SEAT Ibiza supermini. It looks good and drives well but the engine option SEAT offers with this trim lets the side down.

A 2012 facelift helped cement the fourth-generation SEAT Ibiza’s place towards the upper end of the competitive supermini market. The SEAT Ibiza Toca version adds to its value proposition with a generous haul of equipment.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Stylish, fun to drive and reasonably priced, the Ibiza lines up against supermini rivals like the Ford Fiesta and the Volkswagen Polo, which shares the Ibiza’s platform.

Based on the popular SE trim, mid-range Toca spec features extra standard equipment, including SEAT’s touchscreen Portable System – a small cassette box-sized unit attached to the top of the dash. Controlled via a five-inch touchscreen, it includes satellite navigation, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming connectivity, a Micro SD card for music storage, and the trip computer functions.

On top of this, the Ibiza Toca comes with air conditioning, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, electric door mirrors, electric front windows and electronic stability control.

There are exterior changes, too. Front fog lights with cornering function and an upgrade from 15-inch to 16-inch alloys help the Toca stand out visually from lower-spec S and SE variants.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Standard kit carried over from entry-level variants includes LED front, rear and daytime running lights, body-coloured door handles and mirrors and an optional Convenience Pack featuring automatic headlights and windscreen wipers.

Above the Toca – depending on the body style chosen – FR, Cupra and FR Edition trims offer eye-catching exterior additions such as a body kit, alloy wheels, nice touches inside, and extra kit.

2012 SEAT Ibiza interior

(SEAT Ibiza Toca interior not shown)

Advertisement - Article continues below

Customers are also spoilt for choice when it comes to selecting their preferred Toca model, as this trim is available with the full range of Ibiza body styles, from the five-door hatchback to the three-door SC coupe and the practical ST estate.

Despite the wide range of set-ups, each incarnation of the Seat Ibiza is good to drive and looks great. Compared with the VW Polo, it’s rather fun to drive on the open road and even around town, making it a great real world choice, even if it does trail the Ford Fiesta.

The Ford’s superiority is largely down to the slightly firm suspension on the Ibiza which, although it’s part of the sporty package and was softened in a recent update, doesn’t improve the handling sufficiently to make the comfort compromise worthwhile.

In Toca trim, you’re limited to one engine choice, the 84bhp 1.4-litre petrol unit. This gets the three-door car from 0-62mph in 11.8 seconds with a top speed of 110mph. It manages to emit 139g/km of CO2 and combined economy of 47.9mpg.

It’s a fairly well rounded unit, with enough power for most people, but it’s no match for the 1.2 TSI offered on other Ibizas when it comes to performance. The running costs are slightly higher as well, which further holds Toca trim back, highlighting the limitations of the single engine choice.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars can expect to be paying roughly £10 more per year, a although the biggest gas guzzlers will fare the worst
26 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years
Upcoming Audi models - four-way image
News

Huge Audi new car blitz to bring us 9 models in 2 years

After a quiet few years, the German giant is gearing up for its biggest product onslaught to date
25 Mar 2024