SEAT Ibiza : SEAT SUNSHINE
Can driving SEAT's Ibiza supermini bring a taste of sunny Spain to suburban England? June Neary gets behind the wheel…
`Oh, we're going to Ibiza' or so the song says. Well, I think I'm a bit long in the tooth to spend my holiday clubbing, so I opted for a test drive in SEAT's latest Ibiza instead. This sunny supermini is said to reflect the party spirit of its namesake - though you have to take a long hard look at the Ibiza in the metal to be convinced of the fact. Having said that, this is as much a compact family car as it is a supermini, so I think it's a model that will suit buyers of any age. After all, you're never too old, or too young, to have fun.
The latest Ibiza incorporates a huge number of improvements. I won't list them all, but naturally, the visual tweaks are the most prominent. The car comes in a basic five-door bodystyle and has also been designed to work as a three-door `Sports Coupe' which looks lower leaner and meaner. The five-door is 80mm longer than the old Ibiza's 3,970m and much bigger inside while the 292-litres of boot space is very impressive for a supermini. The car also features a wider front and rear tracks to give it a foursquare, planted stance on the road while the body structure is extremely rigid to enhance the driving dynamics. Although superminis are generally known to be town cars, thanks to power steering and retuned suspension, my entry level 1.2-litre seemed just as at home through the country lanes as it did on the one-way system. It's a good all-rounder, even when it comes to the weekly trolley dash. As you'd expect, you won't have a problem parking the Ibiza. However, you might think you'd have bit of trouble cramming the weekly shop in the back. You'd be wrong - it's a piece of cake. Lift the tailgate and you'll find impressive reserves of space (before folding the rear seat). When it comes to rear passenger space, there's enough to comfortably accommodate two adults. Golf and
Astra customers might find the cabin a little narrow but otherwise, there shouldn't be too many complaints, even if you're travelling four-up.
Compare the new Ibiza's cabin to that of its predecessor and you'll find it's undergone many changes. There's a real upmarket feel, giving the impression that you're in a much more expensive car. In pursuit of better ride and handling, the suspension has been re-tuned and the standard power steering set-up given more feel. Both are improvements I found you could really feel, once out on the road. The result is that even the entry-level 1.2-litre version I tried feels good to punt along twisty secondary roads. On the move around urban areas, the Ibiza's more natural habitat, the car remains as nippy and manoeuvrable as its predecessor. So then, it's fun to drive. Safety too, seems to have been a Spanish development priority. Amongst the many passive safety features, you'll find standard twin front airbags, side impact protecting door bars, the very latest crumple zone technology, seatbelt pre-tensioners and doors that can still be opened after a very heavy impact. Other reassuring features include a high level rear brake-light, advanced bifocal headlamps, a collapsible steering column and front seats equipped with reinforced bases to prevent occupants from 'submarining' beneath their seatbelts.
The range starts at around £9,000, so the Ibiza would certainly suit my pocket. The Ibiza's engine range holds few surprises for anyone familiar with this model's predecessor. The 1.2-litre 12-valve petrol engine opens proceedings as a budget option with 69bhp and above it sits an 84bhp 16-valve 1.4. Things start to get a little sportier with the 1.6-litre petrol as its 104bhp helps it from standstill to 60mph in 10.5s and on to a 126mph top speed. It's an engine that has to be worked hard to give of its best but the noise as the revs rise is far from unpleasant with a purposeful, sporty note. Of more interest are the diesels. The ECOmotive has an old fashioned 1.4-litre 3-cylinder direct injection diesel but the star of the show is the 1.6-litre common-rail unit that combined lively performance with its excellent economy. The sporty models that are so integral to the Ibiza's persona are powered by the 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine which uses a supercharger and turbocharger to extract 148bhp in the FR or 178bhp in the Cupra. The brand has reverted to good old S, SE and Sport after its dalliances with the Reference and Stylance nonsense that buyers struggled to understand. The basic specification includes a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, speed sensitive power steering, electric front windows, remote central locking and an MP3 compatible stereo with AUX input. No air-conditioning but the SE models get that and it's still a handsome haul for a bog standard supermini. The Sport models have sports suspension, sports seats and bigger alloys than the SE. All Ibizas have a five-speed manual gearbox as standard but an exciting option is the seven-speed DSG twin clutch gearbox, a bit of high technology of the type that's not routinely seem on a supermini. Hot Cupra and FR models top the Sport Coupe range along with the stylish Bocanegra version of the Cupra.
SEAT has certainly put a lot of effort into making its latest Ibiza a class leader. Although my lifestyle would probably force me to choose something a little larger, this is my kind of car and given half a chance, I could definitely live with an Ibiza.
