SEAT Ibiza Reference Range
The SEAT Ibiza has long held a place in the hearts of spirited value seekers and the Reference models will appeal to those looking for fun without the financial penalty. As the latest name for the entry-level variants, the Reference models are decidedly inexpensive but SEAT have endowed them with a decent range of kit.
Whats more, there are two engines to choose from. First off the blocks is the 1.2-litre petrol. Weighing in at just £8,195, this offers supermini space at citycar pricing.
| Build |  |
| Comfort |  |
| Depreciation | |
| Economy | |
| Equipment |  |
| Handling | |
| Insurance | |
| Performance |  |
| Styling | |
| Value | |
7 seconds. The top speeds a respectable 103mph, but this is a modern supermini with the commensurate safety features that all tend to add weight. If you want a quicker 1.2, wed recommend a Suzuki Bandit motorbike, but aside from that, youll not find too much to touch the little SEAT.
If youre interested in minimising your fuel bills, the £10,395 Ibiza Reference Sport 1.4-litre TDi diesel will doubtless be your weapon of choice. With a punchy turbodiesel youd expect it to feel agreeably muscular and you wont be disappointed. The engine has a delightfully elastic feel to it, the turbocharger spooling up to provide if not a gale then a stiff breeze of midrange torque.
In fact with 144lb/ft of torque on tap at an easily accessible 2,200rpm, the Ibiza 1.4TDi engine feels every bit as muscular as the powerplant in a petrol powered warm hatch.
"The Ibiza provides unequivocal evidence that looking good neednt cost the earth"
This strong torque figure means you wont need to gun the engine every time you want to make decent progress. This translates into a fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg and low emissions of just 124g/km. The Reference trim level is good for a CD player, electric front windows, a two way adjustable steering wheel, body coloured bumpers and a rear spoiler.
While safety equipment runs to ABS with brake assist, twin front airbags and front seatbelt pretensioners. The Reference Sport gains various sporty styling accessories including 15" alloy wheels. The Ibiza of today carries the effects of a facelift which edged the car closer to its newer SEAT stalemates on aesthetic grounds. Aggressive air-intakes are now evident, carved into the lower reaches of the front bumper. These evoke the ones on the SEAT Leon World Touring Car and emphasise the link that the brand is always keen to make between its production models and motorsport ventures.
Twin headlamps are also fitted as standard to all Ibizas, as are wheels of at least 15" in diameter even on entry-level models like the Reference - but its round the back where most alterations have been made. The bumper is reshaped to incorporate a mock diffuser, another nod to SEATs motorsport activities. As with all modern SEATs, the Ibiza displays its name centrally on its tailgate, below the large SEAT badge which doubles as the boot release. All the Ibizas powerplants have cropped up time and again, across the VW Group empire and tend to be solid, reliable performers.
The same can be said for many of the Ibizas interior fixtures and fittings. The window switches, the gear knob, the ventilation controls and so on are all sourced from that bottomless well thats disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it. The roofline is lower than weve become used to in Polo and Fabia variants and the rear legroom is less, but otherwise the cabin holds few surprises other than a rather novel textured plastic thats softly abrasive but not particularly great looking. Compared to its predecessor, this generation Ibiza is a dramatic improvement.
Not only is it far prettier, it also utilises its cabin space better, the engine range is far more economical and the perceived quality has been ratcheted up a good few notches. None of these factors, however, differentiate it hugely from its rivals. SEAT point to the fact that the Ibizas based around the Agile Chassis concept developed in house. This combines suspension settings tuned for the keen driver with an intelligent power steering system that not only adjusts the amount of assistance according to driving speed nothing particularly novel there but also considers the position of the wheels and how quickly the steering wheel is being turned.
Other small cars with power steering often incur pumping loss when being driven enthusiastically, that is the inability of the engine-driven power steering pump to keep up with the demands the driver places on the steering. This leads to inconsistent steering feel and the helm weighting up just when you dont want it to. The Ibiza, by contrast, uses an electric pump that runs independently of the engine to power the steering. The result? Better feedback and keener reactions when you up want to up the ante.
Value seekers have long gravitated to the SEAT brand in general and the Ibiza model in particular as its quality-to-cost ratio seems a curiously generous way of getting one over on the Volkswagen Group. The Reference models do nothing to change this opinion and now that diesel power is available for significantly less than £10,000, it would seem an act of financial recklessness not to give the Ibiza Reference serious consideration.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: SEAT Ibiza Reference range
PRICES: £8,195 - £11,025 on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-5
CO2 EMISSIONS: 124-144g/km
PERFORMANCE: [1.4TDI] Max Speed 109mph / 0-60mph 12.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.4TDI] (combined) 61.4 mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm
