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IBIZA UNCOVERED

Models Covered: (3/5 dr hatch 1.2, 1,4, 1.8, 2.0 petrol, 1.9 diesel [base, Reference, Reference Sport, Stylance, S, SE, SX, Sport, FR, Cupra])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

The fourth generation SEAT Ibiza saw the Spanish company’s reputation for offering stylish, affordable cars ramp up another notch. With sleek styling and a burgeoning reputation for top notch build quality, the Ibiza rapidly accounted for a lot of the smart money in the supermini sector. Rather unusually for SEAT, it took the company a while to launch a headline grabbing sporting model in the Ibiza line up and this may have hurt initial sales but the Ibiza has won so many awards that recognition is building. A used example makes a whole lot of sense.

Launched in February 2002, the fourth generation Ibiza was a good deal more sophisticated than its predecessor if not quite as sporting. The range was spearheaded by the 130bhp 1.9-litre TDi diesel model that seemed rather a curious decision for a company positioning itself as a sporting brand. Supporting this were a wider range of models powered by a 100bhp version of the same engine. Petrol buyers chose from 12 or 1.4-litre 16-valve engines, followed in due course by a 2.0-litre powerplant and a 1.4-litre TDi turbodiesel. In late 2003 the first properly sporting Ibiza was announced, the 150bhp turbocharged 1.8-litre Ibiza FR (Formula Racing). This model was positioned to sit just beneath the flagship sports Cupra models which turned up in the summer of 2004 around the same time that the 2.0-litre engine was shelved. Cupra models are either 180bhp 1.8-litre Turbo engined or powered by a 160bhp version of the 1.9-litre diesel. In the latter stages of 2005, the 1.4-litre TDI diesel engine was boosted from 75 to 80bhp. The spring of 2006 brought a fairly major facelift. The cars were given a sportier edge with aggressive air-intakes carved into the lower reaches of the front bumper. These evoke the ones on the SEAT Leon World Touring Car of the day. At the back, the facelifted Ibiza displays its name centrally on its tailgate, below the large SEAT badge which doubles as the boot release. The Stylance trim was slotted into the mid-range replacing the SX and S models. The Cupra models were dropped from the range early in 2008 and, further mirroring growing environmental concern in the market, the Ecomotive model was introduced with its 70mpg fuel economy. In mid 2008 the new Ibiza went on sale, spelling the end for this model.

Although to many ‘platform sharing’ may be more directly attributable to the myopia of the integrated transport policy than the vision of the Volkswagen Group, it has resulted in the fourth generation SEAT Ibiza. Whereas the old Ibiza’s range of qualities failed to float the boat of British buyers, this latest model goes some way to rectifying its predecessor’s shortcomings. Check one out in the metal and first impressions are that Walter da Silva, the Stylist responsible for this Ibiza, did a good job. Perhaps SEAT were taking their proposed position as a Spanish Alfa Romeo more seriously than we at first considered when they poached the man responsible for the Alfa 147 and 156. This is certainly a car he can be proud of. If you were asked to pinpoint the differences between this generation and its predecessor it wouldn’t be easy, but da Silva has kept the basics in place – the cyclops grille, the chubby posterior and the high waistline – but has stroked, smoothed and melded the lines into something far sleeker. The details are more knowing and better integrated and he’s succeeded in making the car appear far smaller than it actually is, a visual trick that will appeal to many buyers. Inside you’ll spot a number of VW Group parts, reappearing like old faces at a school reunion. The window switches, the gear knob, the ventilation controls and so on are all sourced from that bottomless well that’s disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it. The roofline is lower than we’ve become used to in Polo and Fabia variants, but otherwise the cabin holds few surprises other than a rather novel textured plastic that’s softly abrasive but not particularly great looking. That’s not to say that da Silva hasn’t left his mark however. The dials are recessed individually into the facia in true Alfa style, giving the cabin a sportier feel. Trim levels started with the basic 1.2-litre model which is nonetheless still pretty well equipped. Expect to find air conditioning, tinted glass, a body-coloured rear spoiler, remote central locking, an eight-speaker stereo system, electric windows, a split-folding rear seat, electro-hydraulic power steering, a pollen filter and twin front airbags. Unfortunately, three-door customers will have to budget for Sport or SE variants if they want the really useful ‘Access-Plus’ front passenger seat. Here, as the front seat is tilted, the seat cushion lifts and moves forward as the backrest folds, creating a 31cm gap from the B pillar to the back of the front seat through which rear passengers can pass. When the front seat is pulled back, everything returns to its original position. A shake up of the trim designations coincided with the arrival of the Cupra models in mid 2004. Prices and equipment levels were dropped slightly while the trim line-up became Reference, S, SX, FR and Cupra in that order. The Access-Plus seat became an optional extra on non-sporty 3-door models. Compared to its predecessor, the 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. The 1.9 TDI diesel engines are the pick of the range if you’re into smooth cruising, but are too heavy to provide much fun through corners. Not surprisingly, the 130bhp is the better choice, being not only faster but rather curiously, much quieter. The 1.4-litre TDi is a good compromise between agility and power. The lithe 2.0-litre petrol car handles reasonably well but doesn’t have the verve to occupy the attention span of your average press-on driver. The three-door 2.0-litre Sport version at least looks the part. If you really want to press on you’ll need to track down a 150bhp Ibiza FR petrol, the 130bhp FR TDI or go all out for one of the Cupra models. These come in either 160bhp TDI or 180bhp 20-valve turbo form. Good luck.

The old Ibiza never held its value quite as well as a VW Polo but the latest model narrows that gap significantly. Prices for an 02 car start at £3,500 for a 1.2-litre Ibiza S three door with five-door versions commanding an additional £200. Opt instead for the 1.4-litre petrol engine and you’ll pay from £4,200 for an SE version. Most buyers wisely plumped fro the diesel engined cars and these kick off at £4,250 for a 1.9-litre TDi S. The SE starts at £4,600 and the desirable Sport model is difficult to track down for anything much less than £4,950. The 2.0-litre petrol models are rare and not really worth the search, but later 1.4-litre TDi and 1.8T versions are much more worthwhile. Pay from £5,750 for a 1.4-litre TDI on 04 plates and the rapid 1.8T kicks off at £6,675 in FR trim. Cupras cost around £7,925.

Tried and tested engines, the VW-standard quality auditing and an inherent feeling of solidity all bode well for the Ibiza’s reliability. Having been on sale for such a short duration it’s perhaps inevitable that no major faults have emerged, but watch out for neglected ex-hire cars. The Ibiza is a car where the price differences between good and bad examples aren’t too great, so be fussy. Look for a fully stamped up service history and reject anything that looks in any way tatty, grubby or vaguely dog-eared.

(approx based on an Ibiza 2.0 Sport) SEAT spares are reasonably priced, with consumables starting at just £4 for a spark plug. An air filter costs £20, a timing belt £40, an oil filter is £9 and a fuel filter a mere £6. Keeping a nearly new Ibiza on the road shouldn’t prove too expensive.

The Ibiza has been positioned as a more dynamic alternative to the Fabia, if not as opulent as the mini-me Passat that is the Polo. The engine choice runs to three petrol engines and three diesels. The petrol powerplants consist of a three-cylinder 1.2-litre that ekes 64bhp from the ether, a 75bhp 1.4 and the venerable 115bhp 2.0-litre petrol powerplant. Two 1.9-litre turbodiesels are offered, one cranking out 100bhp, the other generating a healthy 130bhp and there’s also a budget 1.4-litre TDi good for 75bhp. There are no rally replica Cupra versions yet, although they must be in the pipeline. The Ibiza FR’s 1.8-litre powerplant is more than just worthwhile. With a turbocharged 150bhp to call upon, it’s capable of notching off the all important sprint to 60mph in a respectable 8.1 seconds and it’ll then run onto a top speed of 135mph. Using the same engine fitted to the entry-level Audi TT, the Ibiza FR can even manage an average of 46mpg which means that younger drivers won’t feel the pinch every time they give the accelerator a quick prod. With a top speed of over 142mph, the 180bhp petrol version of the Cupra doesn’t hang about. Couple that with an ability to polish off the sprint to 60mph in just 7.1 seconds and you’ve got a potent, if not premier league, hatch. What’s more, the 160bhp diesel version is only slightly slower against the watch, making 60 in 7.4 seconds and recording a top speed of over 136mph. Where the most powerful diesel in the hot hatch segment scores highest is in terms of fuel economy. Although the 1.8 20VT model will travel for 39.6 miles on a gallon of fuel using the combined test method, the diesel will eke a massive 53miles from a gallon.

If you want a mildly sporty supermini but don’t want to compromise on quality and don’t want to end up paying through the nose, the Ibiza is the logical choice. Once you’ve sampled it you’ll have a lot of difficulty writing a cheque for anything else.

IBIZA UNCOVERED
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 70bhp and above it sits an 85bhp 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 116mph 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.

"Comfort, refinement and an overriding big car feel…."

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 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. There’s a choice of either conventional 5-door models priced between £8,995 and £11,295, or, for around £400 less model for model, the 3-door ‘SportsCoupe’. Both are available across a trim level range that is more conventional than we’ve become used to from SEAT. 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. 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. The 1.6-litre unit manages 42.8mpg and 157g/km while the 1.4 and 1.2-litre petrols pump out 154g/km and 139g/km respectively. These aren’t bad showings but there’s no Ibiza model yet to set the pulses racing amongst buyers intent on keeping costs down. It can’t be too long before a super-efficient Ecomotive version puts in an appearance. The signs look good for the latest 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-£11,295 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 139-160g/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 4,050mm

SPORTY BUT SENSIBLE
How does a 1.6-litre engine fit in SEAT’s latest Ibiza? Steve Walker finds out.

SEAT’s 1.6-litre Ibiza isn’t particularly sporty or economical but it’s a nice balance between the two. There’s enough power to extract some thrills from the Ibiza’s impressive chassis and the running costs wouldn’t be too exorbitant. It’s a sound mainstream choice for buyers seeking a solid all-rounder.

On the one hand, a supermini with a 1.6-litre petrol engine might look like neither one thing nor the other. It’s probably not quick enough to appease those with their gimlet eyes set on something small and sporty but its just as unlikely to wow economy conscious buyers with its mediocre fuel consumption. On the other hand, you could take the view that 1.6-litres is a nice compromise between the two stools of the supermini sector. It’s with this more positive frame of mind that we’re going to examine SEAT’s latest Ibiza 1.6. The latest Ibiza is a massively important car for SEAT. This is a manufacturer with big ambitions but they all have those don’t they? Well, SEAT’s ambitions stem not only from within but from parent company Volkswagen which is pushing for massive increase in SEAT’s annual sales to 800,000 by 2015. It’s a big ask but the top brass at the Spanish marque are convinced that convinced that the Ibiza is a stride in the right direction. The 1.6-litre engine offered in the Ibiza is a fairly unremarkable 1.6-litre 16v unit producing 104bhp. The on paper performance doesn’t lead one to expect too much although a 0-60mph acceleration time of 10.5 seconds is far from shabby and the 126mph top speed will be adequate for all but those with a runway for a driveway. Turbocharging is a key trend in lower powered petrol engines at the moment but SEAT’s 1.6 doesn’t bother with any of that. As a result, its power is fed on smoothly and you need to venture into the upper reaches of the rev range to get the best out of it. This is no great hardship when you feel like pressing on because the engine sounds agreeably purposeful at higher revs and the Ibiza’s good sound proofing takes the edge off the volume anyway. When you’re not wringing its neck, refinement is first class and the Ibiza 1.6 would make a good compact companion for motorway journeys.

"For some, this halfway house Ibiza could make extremely good sense…."

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. Sport models like the one we’re looking at here 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 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 interior of the Ibiza is an upmarket affair with some nice trim finishes a good amount 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 five-door Ibiza 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 1.6-litre engine is available in only in Sport trim priced at £11,295 as a five-door or £10,895 as a three-door SportsCoupe. This means that, on top of the Ibiza basics like remote central locking and an MP3 compatible stereo, it has racey extras like sports suspension, sports seats and 16" alloys as well as some leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob. 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. 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. Safety equipment includes front and side airbags and ABS brakes while ESP stability control with brake assist is an option. The 1.6-litre engine’s performance from an environmental standpoint is average but given the lively performance on offer, Ibiza buyers may well view the 42.8mpg and 157g/km emissions as not too much of a hardship. The Ibiza’s smaller petrol engines aren’t particularly outstanding when it comes to costs either, so it’s easy to see how an upgrade could be deemed worthwhile. The 1.6-litre petrol engine won’t be the SEAT Ibiza’s biggest seller but it’s a competent unit in a highly impressive car. The small cars that grab the public’s attention these days tend to be either very fast or very economical but in the real world, many buyers end up making a compromise. The 1.6 delivers performance to make the most of the Ibiza’s fine driving dynamics and won’t render you destitute with monstrous running costs. For some, this halfway house Ibiza could make extremely good sense. Whichever engine buyers choose, they’ll be getting a good-looking supermini with a quality feel throughout. SEAT has high hopes for the Ibiza and rightly so. It certainly has the wherewithal to give the sector’s big guns something to think about.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: SEAT Ibiza 1.6 Sport PRICE: £10,895-£11,295 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 160g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 10.5s/ Max Speed 116mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags and side, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length 4,050mm

WELCOME TO THE CHEAP SEAT
The 1.4-litre petrol engine is a stalwart of the SEAT Ibiza range. Steve Walker takes a look.

Superminis with 1400cc engines are a common sight in the modern marketplace. 1.4 litres always seems a good fit in cars of this size and the buying public tends to snap them up. Sitting amidships in the SEAT Ibiza’s mainstream engine range, its own 1.4-litre option will need to be a strong seller if the car is to do the business in the sales charts. The question is, does it hold the appeal necessary to prevail in this closely fought sector of the market?

Small and small-ish petrol engines don’t tend to gain too many column inches. They aren’t usually the powerplants that qualify as the fastest, the plushest or the most economical models in the range. They are the models that most people buy though and for that reason, they’re worthy of more attention than they sometimes get. The 1.4-litre engine in the SEAT Ibiza is a four-cylinder, 16-valve unit with a multi-point fuel injection system. It’s modern but no more so than similar units that can be found powering the Ibiza’s rivals. It produces its maximum power of 84bhp at 5,000rpm and peak torque is measured at 132Nm at 3,800rpm. The 12.2s 0-60mph time is usefully faster than the 15.0 seconds that the entry-level 69bhp 1.2-litre engine takes to accomplish the same and the 108mph top speed leaves little room for concerns about it’s ability to keep up with traffic. 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. 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 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 ‘SportsCoupe’ which looks lower leaner and meaner with design cues more obviously lifted from the Bocanegra concept car. 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.

"This engine will be a big seller for SEAT and those who take the plunge shouldn’t be disappointed."

The five-door Ibiza 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 track to give it a foursquare, planted stance on the road while the body structure is extremely rigid to enhance the driving dynamics. The 1.4-litre engine is offered in SE or Sport trim. SE models come with air-conditioning, a trip computer, electric heated mirrors, cruise control, electric windows, 15" alloy wheels and front fog lights. On top of this, the Sport has racey extras like sports suspension, sports seats and 16" alloys as well as some leather trim for the steering wheel and gear knob. All Ibizas have a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. 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. Safety equipment includes front and side airbags and ABS brakes while ESP stability control with brake assist is an option. Minimising costs is a vital part of any affordable supermini’s job and the Ibiza 1.4 rises to the challenge well. Average fuel economy of 45.5mpg is pretty good for a 1.4-litre supermini and emissions of 149g/km are also respectable. All Ibizas are accompanied by a 3-year/60,000-mile warranty and twelve years of anti-perforation cover which reflects SEAT’s confidence of victory in the battle against rust. Major servicing is required at 20,000-mile intervals and a dose of fresh oil every 10,000 miles or 12 months. Dip too far down a supermini’s engine range as a buyer and if you’re not careful, you can start to loose out on capability that you need. The 84bhp 1.4-litre engine in SEAT’s Ibiza is probably as low as you’d want to go if you plan on undertaking regular long distance trips but it still offers the good fuel economy and accessible asking price that is essential at the lower end of the supermini sector. This engine will be a big seller for SEAT and those who take the plunge shouldn’t be disappointed. Whichever SEAT Ibiza engine buyers choose, they’ll be getting a good-looking supermini with a quality feel throughout. SEAT has high hopes for the Ibiza and rightly so. It certainly has the wherewithal to give the sector’s big guns something to think about.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: SEAT Ibiza 1.4 16v PRICES: £10,395 - £10,695 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 3 CO2 EMISSIONS: 149g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.2s/ Max Speed 108mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 45.5mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags and side, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/heightmm 4052/1693/1445

SPORTING CHANCE
SEAT’s Ibiza SportsCoupe might not be a sports car but by supermini standards, it certainly looks sporty. Steve Walker reports…

SEAT’s Ibiza SportsCoupe is a great-looking three-door supermini with bags of potential. The design flair of the exterior isn’t really carried over inside and the engine range doesn’t quite fit the sporty remit but otherwise it’s a thumbs up.

The term ‘Sports Coupe’ evokes a certain kind of car and to be honest, the SEAT Ibiza SportsCoupe isn’t it. This is the three-door version of the Spanish marque’s latest Ibiza supermini and not some rakish sports car. The naming policy isn’t entirely misleading though. The Ibiza does have a strong sporting flavour to its styling and SEAT is eager to highlight the corresponding dynamic element to its behaviour on the road. Calling the five-door version the Ibiza ExecutiveEstate would have raised serious questions but at a time when dizzying degrees of marketing spin accompany every new car launch, SEAT should probably be allowed its artistic licence here. SportsCoupe, SC or plain old Ibiza three-door - call it what you will, this car is a massively important one for the brand. As you may be aware, SEAT is part of the Volkswagen group of companies which includes, amongst others, mainstream marques Volkswagen and Skoda. Product overlap is the sworn enemy of any well-run manufacturing group and to maintain the differentiation that’s needed to avoid these three brands pinching each other’s sales, Volkswagen is pitched up market, Skoda prioritises value and SEAT goes sporty. SEAT’s younger, more fashion-conscious buyer profile is a perfect fit for the Ibiza SportsCoupe and how well this car is received will be crucial to the marque’s fortunes. The Ibiza’s mainstream engine range doesn’t quite have the same buzz about it as the SportsCoupe branding might lead you to expect. By and large, these are tried and trusted powerplants with low running costs but where’s the sporty intent? The line-up gets under way with the 1.2-litre 12v engine which produces 69bhp. Then there’s the 84bhp 1.4-litre 16-valve unit and the 1.6-litre engine tops the petrol range. Customers will need to hang on for Ibiza SportsCoupe models that are worthier of the name with the FR and Cupra models, set to use the advanced 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine that’s already popped up in Volkswagen and Audi products.

"Call it what you will, this car is a massively important one for the brand…"

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, 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 Ibiza SportsCoupe certainly isn’t a 2+2. Rear leg and head room are very generous for a three-door supermini and positively luxurious by sports coupe standards. This is despite the fact that while having the same wheelbase as the five-door model, the SportsCoupe is 18mm shorter and 17mm lower. The front end of the two cars is identical but from the windscreen pillars backward, the SportsCoupe’s curvy roofline takes over to visually lower the car and give it a more purposeful stance. The Ibiza SportsCoupe is definitely one of the most attractive superminis out there at the moment. 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. Prices lie between £8,595 and £10,895. The trim levels are a familiar S, SE and Sport arrangement and the entry-level SportsCoupe models come reasonably well-appointed. There’s a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height adjustable driver’s seat, speed sensitive power steering, electric front windows, remote central locking and an MP3-compatible CD stereo with controls on the steering wheel. The SE adds air-conditioning and some styling upgrades while the Sport model has lowered suspension, sports seats and bigger alloy wheels than the SE. Another option that’s available to SportsCoupe buyers is the advanced seven-speed DSG twin clutch gearbox which is becoming increasingly ubiquitous across Volkswagen Group models. The safety provision in the SportsCoupe includes twin front airbags and front side airbags as well as ABS brakes. ESP stability control and EBA brake assist are bundled up with some other functions in an optional package which is available for a distinctly reasonable £280. Pricing for the Ibiza SportsCoupe positions it at £400 less than the equivalent five-door car when the models are compared on a like for 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. 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 there’s no Ibiza model yet to set the pulses racing amongst buyers intent on keeping costs down. It can’t be too long before a super-efficient Ecomotive version puts in an SEAT has high hopes for the Ibiza SportsCoupe. The vehicle tallies extremely well with SEAT’s youthful customer profile and three-door versions of the previous generation Ibiza out sold the five-door by three to one. The SportsCoupe naming may be a little far fetched but you can see what SEAT is driving at in the car’s curvy lines and polished chassis. If only the engine range had a little more sparkle about it. There’s often the suspicion with SEAT products that internal politics are at work within the Volkswagen Group. Particularly in the car’s interior but also with the unexciting engine range, there are elements of the car’s make up that although perfectly adequate, could have been better. Could this be a deliberate ploy to preserve the status of Volkswagen’s own Polo supermini? As the Ibiza SportsCoupe range is fleshed out with the hot ticket performance models we’ll know more but SEAT has the basis of an extremely capable platform here that’s ripe for exploitation.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: SEAT Ibiza SportsCoupe range PRICES: £8,595-£10,895 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 2-7 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 139-160g/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 4,050mm

THE COST IS CLEAR
If price is more important than performance, the SEAT Ibiza 1.2 could be ideal. Steve Walker reports.

Cars with a bit of zip for overtaking and the muscle to power up inclines without breaking sweat are more satisfying but they’re also generally more expensive and less fuel efficient. When you think about the kind of driving you do day in, day out, couldn’t you make do with a car packing a more modest amount of power? Something like a SEAT Ibiza 1.2 perhaps?

A lot of emphasis is placed on performance in cars but how often do most of us actually push the engines in our vehicles to their limits? Certainly, chances to replicate the 0-60mph sprint times by which acceleration is judged are extremely rare and the oft-quoted top speed of almost all new cars is illegal in the UK anywhere outside the confines of a racetrack. In most instances, what we’re really talking about when we mention performance is the strength of the engine and how fast the car feels in everyday driving conditions. Fast cars are more fun but not when you spend the majority of your time crawling along in traffic or on the narrow urban streets around your home. Then they can start to smack of expense and redundant capability. SEAT’s Ibiza 1.2 is unapologetically not a quick car but it’s likely to be all the supermini that many motorists need. The 1.2-litre SEAT Ibiza takes a nice round 15 seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start and that is firmly at the slower end of the spectrum for modern cars. Accelerating from 50mph to 75mph takes nearly 19 seconds for the 69bhp 3-cylinder engine to achieve. These figures may make the step-up to the 83bhp 1.4-litre model look appealing but there’s quite a premium attached and if your driving is mainly restricted to short trips around congested or urban areas, the benefits are likely to be negligible. The previous Ibiza’s driving experience won praise from all quarters and this car aims to continue that approach. The track width of the car is increased on both axles compared to the old Ibiza, with the front one growing by 30mm and a 33mm growth at the rear. That is designed to give extra stability on the road and a sharper feel to the handling generally. The electro-hydraulic steering system has also been created to give optimum assistance in various driving conditions. It all bodes well.

"The interior of the Ibiza is an upmarket affair with some nice trim finishes and good amounts of space front and rear."

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. It’s entry-level S trim or bust for Ibiza 1.2-litre customers but that plays nicely to the engine’s low cost strengths. Anyway, the S package still includes a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height adjustable driver’s seat, the speed-sensitive power steering, electric front windows, remote central locking and a six-speaker CD stereo with MP3 compatibility. The amount of safety equipment is also far from stingy with twin front and side airbags and ABS brakes thrown in. All Ibizas have a five-speed manual gearbox as standard. The Ibiza features a number of other features more normally found in more upmarket vehicles. There’s an optional Hill Hold Assist feature to prevent rollback during hill starts and buyers can specify front fog lights with a side illumination function to light the verge when cornering. All models including the S derivatives get 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 but air-conditioning is a £500 option at this entry-level point. The 1.2-litre Ibiza does ask its owners to make sacrifices with regard to performance but it pays them back handsomely with its low running costs. The 47.8mpg average fuel economy and 139g/km emissions won’t match the diesel engines but the lower purchase price of the 1.2 will still make it the most cost effective choice for those covering low annual mileages. All Ibizas are accompanied by a 3-year/60,000-mile warranty and twelve years of anti-perforation cover which reflects SEAT’s confidence of victory in the battle against rust. Major servicing is required at 20,000-mile intervals and a dose of fresh oil every 10,000 miles or 12 months. Car buyers are asked to pay handsomely for extra performance, both upfront and over the longer term in the form of increased fuel consumption and emissions, but ask yourself whether you really need it. If the answer is no, a car like the SEAT Ibiza 1.2 could same you a healthy sum. Yes, this entry level Ibiza is comparatively slow but it’s affordable and cheap to run. In addition, it displays the key qualities that are evident across the range, those of robust build quality, striking styling and decent levels of equipment.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: SEAT Ibiza 1.2S PRICE: £8,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 139g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 15s/ Max Speed 101mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47.8mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags and side, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/width/heightmm 4052/1693/1445

SPORT FOR ALL
The Ibiza Sport Range May Be Some Way Shy Of The Really Hot Models But These Derivatives Give You A Little Of The Attitude For A Much Lower Price. Steve Walker Reports…

There was much chuckling when people first heard that SEAT was going to become sporty but who’s laughing now? Under the guidance of parent company Volkswagen, the Spanish brand has been carefully nurtured and gently teased into an enviable position. SEAT has come to stand for the type of vibrancy and youthfulness that’s just perfect for selling fun superminis like the Ibiza Sport.

The Volkswagen Group boardroom must resemble a Bond villain’s lair just now but with one crucial difference. As the sinister figures gathered round the table ease back into the shadows cast by their huge leather swivel chairs and pet their fluffy white cats, their malevolent laughter echoing through the rafters must be tinged with a hint of surprise. Without a dapper British agent brandishing a Walther PPK anywhere in sight, their diabolical scheme for little SEAT to rise up and conquer a big chunk of the European small car market appears to be running according to plan. It seemed an unlikely scenario at first. SEAT, once the purveyors of affordable but otherwise unremarkable Volkswagen cast-offs, would rise up to become the dynamic, trendy arm of the VW Group empire. Some bright spark even coined the phrase, ‘the Iberian Alfa Romeo’, which neatly summed-up the mission statement. It seemed unlikely but so far, events have unfolded pretty much along those lines. We can trace SEAT’s development back through the previous generation Leon Cupra models which added the all-important budget performance pedigree and the Salsa concept car of 2000 which dropped a big hint as to how the modern SEAT models would look. Today the SEAT range is characterised by swoopy lines and vivid colour schemes with well-respected performance models adding cachet from the top of each line. It’s not these road burning derivatives that shift the units, however. It’s models like the Ibiza Sport that feed off the increasingly desirable brand image from below.

"SEAT has been manoeuvred into a position where it should do very nicely from cars like the Ibiza Sport"

The Ibiza Sport models are highly important for SEAT. The manufacturer has gone to great lengths to imprint the association between ‘SEAT’ and ‘sporty’ into the minds of buyers and these are the cars created to reap the benefits. The range-topping derivatives are first rate hot hatchbacks, they secure column inches and do a fine job of generally attracting attention but they’re beyond the financial means of most supermini buyers. Then there are the twin issues of insurance and fuel consumption which make running one of these cars quite a financial undertaking. Then we come to the Sport trim level. Offering the look and some of the feel of the really quick Ibizas from higher up the range, these derivatives make the lively SEAT brand values accessible to buyers on a budget. Two engines are available in Sport trim and both come in under £11,000. The 1.4-litre 16v petrol option produces 98bhp and costs from £9,395 while the 98bhp 1.9-litre TDI diesel is positioned at £10,995. These prices are for the 3-door models and the 5-doors cost £630 more. Both powerplants make a good case for themselves on monetary grounds. The petrol model returns a 42mpg average and 158g/km CO2 emissions figure. It’s also rated in insurance group 4 and this will save you a pretty penny over a full-blown hot hatch. The diesel may cost more but it’s quicker, producing a 10.8s 0-60mph time compared to the 11.2s it will take to do the same in the 1.4. This 1.9-litre engine also delivers an impressive 56mpg average economy and 135g/km emissions while falling into insurance group 6. The Ibiza Sport engines provide a nice compromise between fun and affordability but the key selling point is likely to be the way these models look. SEAT have been careful to maintain the sporty visual themes running through the range from top to bottom, so while the Sport derivatives are obviously a lot less extreme than the Cupra, they still feature body-colouring for the door handles, bumpers, mirrors and rear spoiler. There are front fog lights and 16" alloy wheels too, enhancing one of the most distinctive exteriors in the supermini sector. The latest facelifted Ibiza features aggressive air-intakes carved into the lower reaches of the front bumper, twin headlamps and a rear bumper is reshaped to incorporate a mock diffuser. 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. It’s a distinctive shape and, therefore, one which is largely immune to the criticism levelled at the Leon/Altea/Toledo triumvirate that all SEATs are starting to look the same. Inside, the Sport comes across as well equipped, with sports front seats, air-conditioning, a six speaker CD stereo, power steering, electric front windows and remote central locking all underlining the value for money theme of this car. The Ibiza’s driving experience has won praise from all quarters since its 2003 launch and was central to it collecting no fewer than three WhatCar? ‘Supermini of the Year’ awards over the proceeding three years. The car remains impressively composed in corners and the sharp steering combines with a precise gearchange to make it easy to spirit around town. The stiffened suspension on the FR and Cupra models injects more sportiness into the experience but the jittery ride is less comfortable for everyday work. These Sport derivatives get the standard suspension settings that most buyers will find preferable for 90% of the time. SEAT has been manoeuvred into a position where it should do very nicely from cars like the Ibiza Sport. The brand image based around dynamism and flair holds significant appeal for young buyers and the Sport is a way to access these qualities without shouldering the prohibitive costs of the true performance derivatives. Let’s not forget, however, that it’s not all smoke and mirrors stuff from the marketing department - SEAT have a highly competitive supermini in the Ibiza. When buying a Sport model for its curvy lines, hot-hatch styling accessories and compelling value proposition, people luck into a small car that’s also well made, fun to drive and practical.

Facts At A Glance CAR: SEAT Ibiza Sport range PRICES: £9,395 - £11,625 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 4-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 135-156g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13.2s/ Max Speed 108mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 47mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm

GREEN PARTY
Could tweaks to existing technology rather than big investment in next generation drive systems be the short-term route to greener motoring? SEAT’s Ibiza Ecomotive presents a strong case. Steve Walker reports

Aiming for greener motoring, SEAT wheeled their 1.4TDI Ibiza into the workshop and set to work. They cut unnecessary weight, fitted low rolling resistance tyres, gave it longer gear ratios and adjusted the ECU. Now it does 73.4mpg, emits 99g/km of CO2 and is one of the greenest cars you can buy. Nice work SEAT.

The global automotive industry went straight on the defensive when it became clear that the environment was to be the major issue that would determine its future. Governments and public opinion were edging car makers into a sticky green corner and worried looks were flying across boardroom tables at some of the major brands. Then it dawned on the people who build our cars that going green in the short to medium term might not require a huge and costly technological leap in the direction of hybrids or fuel cells. They could do a lot by tweaking what they had and crucially, the most environmentally-friendly cars were now at a distinct commercial advantage. The race to go green was on and SEAT called its entry the Ibiza Ecomotive. SEAT has done a number of things to this car in order to improve its environmental performance and they’ve influenced the way the car drives. The standard Ibiza is up with the smartest-handling superminis with its pointy steering and firm suspension and to an extent these features have been retained. The Ecomotive, however, rides on Dunlop SP10A 165/70 R14 tyres which are made from a low friction compound that reduces rolling resistance and improves economy. They also reduce the amount of grip slightly but it’s only really noticeable during fairly extreme braking and cornering manoeuvres. Overall, the Ibiza’s trademark element of fun remains intact. The gearbox that marshals power from the 1.4-litre TDI diesel engine has lengthened ratios to boost motorway economy while the 79bhp unit itself has had its ECU software remapped and a Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) grafted onto its exhaust system.

"74.3mpg, that’s the upshot of all the tinkering SEAT has done to the Ibiza Ecomotive…."

The engine still feels eager with torque of 195Nm being produced at 2,200rpm. It makes the Ibiza a willing companion around town and the longer gearing helps motorway trips become that fraction more relaxed than in the standard car. Go all in and the 0-60mph sprint can be dispatched in 12.8s with the top speed tapped at 110mph. Anyone exploring these limits isn’t really using the Ecomotive in the spirit in which it was designed but it’s revealing to learn that the car’s notable environmental credentials carry little penalty in terms of performance. It’s not just technology that gives the Ibiza Ecomotive its sparkling green credentials. The car has undergone a programme of good old-fashioned weight loss, along with aerodynamic tweaks that improve its efficiency. Under normal circumstances, SEAT’s 1.4TDI Ibiza weighs in at 1,141kg but the Ecomotive derivative’s 1,119kg kerb weight shaves 22kg off that. The car’s drag coefficient is also cut from 0.315 to 0.30. This has been achieved externally through the skinny 14" steel wheels with their aerodynamic hubcaps and a subtle body kit. On the inside, the air-conditioning and electric wing mirrors have been ditched, as has the split folding rear seating which is replaced by a solid bench. The Ibiza is generally a well-built and practical supermini with its Volkswagen Polo origins evident in the interior. Nitpickers may point out the slightly shoddy plastics quality but at the affordable end of the supermini sector, that would be harsh. The cabin feels spacious, although adults in the back may struggle for headroom where the car’s curved roofline swoops in, and there’s plenty of boot bringing up the rear. At £10,995, the Ibiza Ecomotive is as affordable to buy as it is to run and only £600 more than the standard 1.4TDI Ibiza which comes in plusher Reference Sport trim. The Ecomotive also stacks up favourably against Volkswagen’s Polo Bluemotion – a car that takes a similar route to eco-friendliness but is £1,500 more expensive. Standard equipment may be down a little on the standard Ibizas after the weight saving cuts have been made but it still runs to electric windows, remote central locking and a CD stereo, with safety gear including stability control two airbags and ABS. SEAT’s Ibiza Ecomotive followed on from Volkswagen’s Polo Bluemotion in employing a series of comparatively small modifications that together have a big effect on efficiency. BMW has trodden a similar path with its more technologically advanced EfficientDynamics programme and we can expect a lot more of this sort of thing from other major manufacturers. The costs of developing a Hybrid powertrain like those found in Toyota and Honda products is astronomical and why should manufacturers go to the trouble when similar results are attainable quickly and cheaply by giving their small cars the Ecomotive treatment? 74.3mpg, that’s the upshot of all the tinkering SEAT has done to the Ibiza Ecomotive. The 1.4TDI manages 61mpg on the combined cycle in standard form, so the Ecomotive modifications do have quite an effect. CO2 emissions are directly-linked to the quantity of fuel burned so the Ecomotive manages a similarly impressive 99g/km output. The most telling comparison is between the Ecomotive and Toyota’s Prius with its advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive. That car returns 65mpg and emits 106g/km of CO2. SEAT can afford to feel pretty smug that it’s bettered Toyota’s gargantuan investment in Hybrid technology with a standard diesel supermini with some weight shaved off and a new set of tyres. These days, green cars are also cheap cars to run and that’s the main reason why the public is taking to them with quite the fervour that it seems to be. No matter how much we like to massage our consciences with the thought that we’re making sacrifices for the sake of the planet by going green, the fact is that cars like the Ibiza Ecomotive mean going green is no longer much of a sacrifice. In fact, you can benefit considerably by doing it. Overall then, it’s been a job well done. SEAT engineers took the existing 1.4-litre TDI Ibiza and set about making it greener. They ditched superfluous equipment to save weight, improved the aerodynamics with wheel trims and slight body modifications, fitted low rolling resistance tyres, fiddled with the engine management computer and introduced some longer gear ratios. The result is the Ibiza Ecomotive, a 73.4mpg supermini that drives well and looks much the same as it did before the operation. Overall, it’s an impressive piece of lateral thinking from SEAT. People tend to resist change unless the right incentives are in place. Today, the UK public are incentivised to drive greener cars by hefty taxes on fuel and CO2 emissions while car makers are incentivised to build greener cars by the demand these tax-averse punters create in the marketplace. This works in reverse too, If environmentally-friendly cars needed re-charging every 20 miles or pumped the stench of decomposing cabbage from their exhausts, we’d all be put off. As it is, you can buy a SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive and suffer no real disadvantage over someone with a standard Ibiza. It seems the incentives and disincentives are where they need to be to make a car like this work.

Facts At A Glance CAR: SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive PRICE: £10,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 4 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 99g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 12.8s/ Max Speed 110mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 74.3mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ESP, seatbelt pre-tensioners WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm

CRACKERJACK
SEAT’s Ibiza FR IS Available With Two Very Different Engines. Here We Concentrate On The 1.9-Litre Diesel. Andy Enright Reports

If ever you needed an example of how the performance hatchback has evolved, it’s tricky to think of a much better candidate than SEAT’s Ibiza FR TDi. GTi-style hatches boomed in the eighties and then bust in the nineties, insurance costs instantly bursting the bubble. A resurgence of ‘warm hatches’ in the late nineties offered more insurance friendly alternatives and the growing relevance of emissions regulations and the ever-rising cost of fuel saw the GTi evolve again into cars like the SEAT.

In many ways we’ve come full circle. The GTi hatch was originally designed as the sort of go-anywhere, do anything car that offered the driver some jollies without being cripplingly expensive. As they got ever bigger, more powerful and more attractive to thieves, the focus on affordability was lost. Now cars like the Ibiza TDi FR, which retails at £13,350 as a three-door, once again makes the performance hatch an attainable prospect. Group 8 insurance means that younger drivers can partake, and manageable depreciation means that a new car isn’t going to result in big bills over a typical three-year ownership period. Focusing on market and finance may seem a slightly unorthodox way of reviewing a performance hatch but the Ibiza FR TDi is a car that appeals to the head and the heart, so we’ll get the sensible stuff worked out first. Running costs are kept low thanks to an engine that will return an average fuel consumption of 55.4mpg. Even around town, it’ll take a leaden foot to see less than 40mpg which means that with an average 548 miles between fills, the typical owner should theoretically visit a filling station once every two or three weeks. Even then, the tank will cost around £37 to brim full, which is cheap motoring in most people’s books. Business users will appreciate the very low 138g/km carbon dioxide emissions. Pair that with the low up-front price and you have a car that won’t hammer you too hard when it comes to benefit-in-kind taxation yet will still be able to raise a smile when it noses out of the office car park. The Ibiza FR TDi’s powerplant is the same that has been fitted to numerous VW Group products including the Golf and the Audi A4. With 128bhp to call upon, it’ll get the Ibiza to 60mph in 9.2 seconds. Being a diesel, it also possesses some serious clout in the mid-range and the TDi FR pulls like a train from 30-70mph, the 229-lb/ft torque figure being better than a BMW330i or the old Renault Clio V6. You’ll need to keep the engine in the zone between 2,000 and 3,200rpm to get the best from it but the six-speed manual box isn’t a hindrance in this regard. The handling has been sharpened up to cope with the additional poke, the FR featuring stiffer coil springs, a beefier front anti roll bar and revised rear axle mounts.

"The Ibiza FR TDi is a car that appeals to the head and the heart"

Formula Racing (FR) is, in effect, SEAT’s sports diffusion line, sitting below the fiery Cupra models; broadly equivalent to how sporty Ford ST models are a notch down from RS versions. That said, there’s nothing second rate about the Ibiza FR TDi. It’s a long way from the usual warm hatch stereotype, which consists of a car with all of the sporty accoutrements but fitted with a gutless engine that will be shredded away from the lights by a skip lorry. The traditional reason for offering these warm hatch models has been because the sportier versions are often off limits to younger drivers because of their punitive insurance ratings but manufacturers have twigged that in offering the same safety, security and repairability as the top models, insurance ratings can be kept manageable with a worthwhile engine on board. Twin headlamps are fitted as standard to all Ibizas, giving the FR an intense stare. Walk round the back and you’ll spot extended exhaust pipes which are clearly visible below the rear valance. The bumper is reshaped to incorporate a mock diffuser, another nod to SEAT’s 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. The FR also features 17" alloys, a blacked-out area behind the front registration plate and a honeycomb grille behind the front air-intakes. The interior benefits from a new three-spoke steering wheel as well as a redesigned gear knob and the seats get FR logos in case you forget which model you’re ensconced within. The Ibiza has long proved that that looking good needn’t cost the earth. Briton Steve Lewis was responsible for most of the car’s lines, but the final refinements were undertaken by Walter de‘Silva, the man responsible for the Alfa 156 amongst others. Suddenly the reason why the rear doors don’t uglify the car significantly becomes apparent. Much of the interior design was undertaken by Simona Falcinela another who jumped ship from Alfa to work for SEAT. The car’s details are more knowing and better integrated and he’s succeeded in making the car appear far smaller than it actually is, a visual trick that will appeal to many buyers. Inside, you’ll spot a number of VW Group parts, reappearing like old faces at a school reunion. The window switches, the gear knob, the ventilation controls and so on are all sourced from that bottomless well that’s disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it. Manufacturing a decent GTi-style hatch is all about the management of compromise. Some car makers pull this off better than others and SEAT seem to be better than most. The Ibiza FR TDi is a quick hatch that’s not so powerful that insurance and pricing becomes punitive. It nails all of these demands extremely well and the provision of standard equipment is also well judged. It’s difficult to imagine a better warm hatch. When the asking price is taken into account, the issue is done and dusted.

Facts At A Glance CAR: SEAT Ibiza FR TDi PRICES: £13,350- £13,980 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 8 CO2 EMISSIONS: 138g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 9.2s/ Max Speed 129mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (Urban) 42mpg (Extra Urban) 67mpg (Combined) 55mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3953/1698/1441mm

RIDING INTO THE SUNSET
SEAT’s award-winning Ibiza supermini leaves us with two high value special edition models. Jonathan Crouch looks at the Freerider and Sportrider variants

SEAT’s current Ibiza may not have long to live but the Spanish maker is determined that it will leave with sales on a high. Hence the introduction of two new special edition models, the Freerider and the Sportrider.

Car industry sages say that the best time to buy any new car is when it’s about to be replaced by an all-new model. Then, they reason, is the time when discounts are likely to be greatest and the car design is at its most fully developed. If that’s truly the case, then SEAT’s latest special edition Ibiza supermini models may well be worth a few moments of your time if you’re in the market for a car of this kind. So let’s look at what’s available. Well, for a start, if you’re after five doors, then you’re going to be disappointed as both of these two limited edition ranges are available exclusively in three-door format, kicking off with the Ibiza Freerider 1.2 12V 70 PS.  Mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, the three cylinder 1.2 petrol delivers a decidedly ‘green’ 47.2 mpg on the combined cycle, producing just 139 g/km of CO2.  The 0 to 62 mph time is an entirely respectable 14.2 seconds and the top speed cracks three figures – 106 mph to be precise. This Freerider includes an enticing collection of ‘big car’ goodies such as cruise control, full Climatronic climate control, sporty 15" ‘Galea’ alloy wheels, passenger seat height adjustment and electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors. Front fog lights and, of course, that bespoke tailgate badging, complete the Freerider’s complement of extras, although those who order early will also be offered the option of state-of-the-art DAB digital stereo radio entertainment at no extra cost.  The cost is £8,995, just a couple of hundred more than the bog standard Reference Sport model. If you want something with a little more zest, then you might want to consider one of the Ibiza Sportrider models, offered either in 1.4-litre 16V 100 PS petrol form or with a 1.9-litre TDI diesel, which also offers up to 100 PS. The 1.4-litre petrol version offers a brisk 11.2-second 0 to 62mph time, a top speed of 118mph and fuel economy on the combined cycle of 42.8 mpg.  CO2 emissions, meanwhile, are limited to 154 g/km. The diesel will cover the 0 to 62mph dash in just 10.8 seconds, charge on to a top speed of 118 mph, and produce 132g/km of CO2. Combined economy, meanwhile, is a creditable 55.4 mpg.   

"Get the right deal and add up all the costs and you might well find that tried and tested works best…"

Both Sportrider models offer cruise control, Climatronic air conditioning, passenger seat height adjustment, electrically adjustable heated and folding door mirrors and fog lights as standard, while styling additions include arch-filling 16" ‘Spica’ alloys, grippy sports seats in bespoke Sportrider cloth, front and rear bumpers lifted straight from the sporty Ibiza FR, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, plus a honeycomb front grille. The Ibiza Sportrider 1.4 16V petrol costs £9,495, while the 1.9 TDI version is available at £10,395.Metallic paint choices for all three Ibizas specials include Black Magic, Luna Grey, Track Grey and Ada Blue for a little extra. Other non-metallic colour options include SEAT’s trademark Emocion Red and the high fashion Candy White. Otherwise, it’s the familiar Ibiza package. This remains generally a well-built and practical supermini. Nitpickers may point out the slightly shoddy plastics quality but at the affordable end of the supermini sector, that would be harsh. The cabin feels spacious, although adults in the back may struggle for headroom where the car’s curved roofline swoops in, and there’s plenty of boot bringing up the rear. 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 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 in the entry-level trim, but it’s round the back where most alterations have been made. The bumper is reshaped to incorporate a mock diffuser, another nod to SEAT’s 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. SEAT describe the 1.9-litre TDI diesel fitted to the Sportrider variant as ‘a true technological jewel’, this a reference to its advanced electronically controlled pump injector system. We wouldn’t go quite that far. For a start, it’s a diesel that’s noisier than normal, a legacy perhaps of the fact that VW Group engineers have still to embrace the common rail technology now featured by virtually everyone else. Still, you can’t deny that their alternative chosen route is effective when it comes to performance. Well built, attractively styled and with that SEAT sporty edge now common amongst models across the range, to a greater or lesser extent, the Ibiza continues as one of the UK’s best superminis. Some rivals may offer more innovation and style in the interior department or a more advanced engine line-up but the Ibiza just gets on with the job in hand – being a thoroughly efficient and pleasantly sporty small car. Should you buy one of these special edition models with the new generation Ibiza so close? Well, as we suggested at the beginning, the answer to that question might be more complex than it first appears. Get the right deal and add up all the costs and you might well find that tried and tested works best.

Facts At A Glance CAR: SEAT Ibiza Freerider and Sportrider special edition ranges PRICES: [Freerider] £8,995 / [Sportrider} £9,495-£10,395 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 132-154g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.9 TDI] 0-60mph 12.9s/ Max Speed 109mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.9 TDI] (urban) 42.8mpg / (extra urban) 67.3mpg / (combined) 55.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height, 3977/1698/1441mm