SEAT Ibiza review

Seat's Ibiza is the Spanish firm's sister model to the Skoda Fabia and the classy VW Polo. As with all Seat's the emphasis is biased towards a sporting nature with a dose of pizzazz to appeal to a younger buyer. So the new Ibiza gets a curvy instrument cluster, funky round air vents and, well, not much more to spice it up, really. It also gets a pretty firm ride that aids steering response but copes less well on town bumps. Another consequence is tyre noise that seems more intrusive than on other superminis. The seats, on the other hand, are firm and well shaped, and although legroom in the back is hardly generous, the high seating position makes this a more preferable place to travel than the Polo.

The Ibiza is also delightfully easy to drive, with power steering standard and a light, easy gearchange. The 1.2 three-cylinder engine cruises well at speed but accelerates gently; the lower-powered of the two 1.4s, with 75bhp, is better though even this never feels lively. The 1.4 TDI has recently been given a power boost, to 80bhp, but it's the 1.9 TDI 130 that's the eye-opener, with gut-wrenching acceleration in fourth gear at just a brush of the throttle. The Cupra models add even more power, the diesel offering 160bhp and the 1.8 turbo petrol unit a thumping 180bhp. Impressive as these flagships are as you move up to the more powerful models the Ibiza starts to look like a pricey proposition, and it just doesn't exude the quality of the Polo for the prices Seat asks for it.