SEAT Ibiza 5dr Range : IBIZA UNCOVERED

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Looking for a stylish, well-built supermini but don't want to pay the earth? The latest SEAT Ibiza could well answer the call as Andy Enright reports.

SEAT's Ibiza is a longstanding favourite in the supermini sector. It delivers Volkswagen build quality for less and now features distinctive, edgy styling. Beneath the sharp suit is some advanced engineering while perceived quality has been tightened up.

Designers call it `common look and feel.' It's a concept that has gained currency in car design whereby customers will know straight away when they see a new product who it is made by. You wouldn't mistake an Aston Martin for anything else, nor would you have any difficulty identifying a Porsche divested of its badging. Alfa Romeo, BMW, Audi and latterly Ford have all subscribed to strong family looks but the one brand more than any other that has taken this ethos and run with it is SEAT. It's not a universally popular philosophy. Some question the logic of making the most expensive car in a range share so many design cues with the cheapest, but marketing gurus swear by the brand building potency of establishing this strong visual identity. Look at the SEAT range and you see exactly that, the Leon, Toledo and Altea all sporting similar lines now the Ibiza has fallen into line as well. The Ibiza's design stems from yet another show car, this time the Bocanegra design study from which the wraps were pulled at the 2008 Geneva Show. Although much of that car's excess has been toned down, it's still apparent that the Ibiza is one of the more adventurously styled superminis. In fact, there's an argument for the SEAT corporate look suiting this model better than any other product in the line-up. Snoop beneath and there's some radical engineering as well. 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.

"Comfort, refinement and an overriding big car feelâ€¦."

The previous Ibiza's driving experience won praise from all quarters and this car continues that approach. It remains impressively composed in corners and the sharp steering makes it easy to spirit about the place. The Sport models feature firmer suspension but even here, the ride isn't harsh and the things that shine through after a stint in an Ibiza are its comfort, refinement and the overriding big car feel. These are qualities we'd more readily associate with Volkswagen's Polo than SEAT's Ibiza but they're highly desirable ones none the less. The FR and Cupra models are firmer still, adopting a more hardcore approach. The Ibiza runs on the Volkswagen Group's latest small car platform dubbed the `agile chassis'. It comes in the basic five-door bodystyle and as a three-door `Sports Coupe' which looks lower leaner and meaner with design cues more obviously lifted from the Bocanegra concept car. 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. The interior of the Ibiza is an upmarket affair with some nice trim finishes and good amounts of space front and rear. The sparky design of the outside isn't really carried over internally and the dash follows a more conservative feel that veers towards style rather than fashion. The colour scheme might be a little grey for some tastes but the Ibiza always feels a quality product when you spend time sat in it. The trim level range is more conventional than we've become used to from SEAT. The brand has reverted to good old S, SE and Sport for the mainstream cars 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. As well as the option of the seven-speed DSG transmission, the Ibiza features a number of other features more normally found in more upmarket vehicles. There's a Hill Hold Assist feature to prevent rollback during hill starts, front fog lights with a side illumination function to light the verge when cornering and combined auxiliary and USB connectivity so that you can plug in an iPod, a Zune, a Walkman or whatever kind of music player or data storage facility you own. The Ibiza's competent but ultimately, unexceptional engine range doesn't pull any rabbits out of the hat in terms of economy or CO2 emissions but the Ecomotive model does. Let's start with the standard versions. The 1.6-litre unit manages 42.8mpg and 160g/km, while the 1.4 and 1.2-litre petrols pump out 149g/km and 139g/km respectively. These aren't bad showings but buyers intent on keeping costs down will want the 76.4mpg Ecomotive with its 98g/km emissions. The ordinary 1.6 TDI is only slightly worse with 67mpg and 104g/km. The signs look good for this current SEAT Ibiza. The shape seems to hang together well, there's a reassuring commitment to technology and the basics seem to be in place for a decent driver. What is particularly refreshing is that the interior appears up to par. For a long while SEAT and Volkswagen interiors were virtually indistinguishable. Then for some time SEAT cabins were deliberately made a good deal more low rent in order to justify the price differential between Volkswagen and SEAT models. The interior of the latest Ibiza is functional but not obviously built down to a price. The competition in the supermini market is white hot and a car that is blandly competent across the board isn't going to cut it. While the Ibiza's styling gives it an edge, it needs more in the engine department if it's going to dent the public consciousness. Until then, it's a work in progress.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: SEAT Ibiza range
PRICES: £8,995-£16,695 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-15 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 98-160g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.6] 0-60mph 10.5s/ Max Speed 116mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6] (combined) 42.8mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags and side, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/heightmm 4034/1693/1428