1st SEAT Ibiza

Spanish model has the edge on kit and practicality, and narrowly takes victory in this test

ALTHOUGH it can’t match the Fiesta for sheer fun, the Ibiza is still a fine supermini that’s good to drive – and better than the Ford in some other key areas. It serves up direct steering, good grip and a great gearchange, so hustling down a twisty road is enjoyable; the SEAT just isn’t quite as lively as its rival.

The steering feels lighter and lacks the Ford’s level of reassuring communication, so you’re not as engaged with the driving experience as you are in the Fiesta.

On our test car’s standard 16-inch alloys, the SEAT rides nicely and bigger bumps are absorbed reasonably well, but the Ford is still more compliant, plus there’s a little more road noise in the Ibiza. The five-speed manual gearbox has a precise change that makes it easy and fun to use, and you will need to work it to get the most from the naturally-aspirated 1.0 litre.

You’ll almost always have to change down to accelerate, because there is a maximum of just 95Nm of torque, and with no turbo to bolster low-end performance, it’s developed relatively high up in the rev range, at 3,000rpm. It’s a similar story with the Ford, but because it offers 108Nm of torque it performed better in our tests.

This does affect the Ibiza’s flexibility, and from 30-70mph the car took 15.5 seconds. It feels slow when you’re heading on to a sliproad. The Ford completed the same test in 13.8 seconds, which means it’ll be a little easier to keep up with traffic, and it’s more urgent than the Ibiza around town as well.

A small power increase won’t change this. However, the SEAT’S engine is smoother than the Fiesta’s, and it has an entertaining thrum that makes going through the gears fairly fun. It’s almost as economical, too; we returned 39.9mpg on our mixed route.

One of the best things about the Ibiza is its interior space. Despite being a supermini, it has a really impressive 355-litre boot, which is almost as much as some family hatchbacks, and there’s plenty of leg and headroom in the back.

The interior design is more upmarket than the Ford’s as well, although some cost-saving hard plastics still feature. That’s easily forgiven in this class and at this price, because the SEAT still feels more modern than its rival. This is helped by the level of standard kit on offer, including the eightinch infotainment system, Apple Carplay, Android Auto, sat-nav, metallic paint, Bluetooth and air-con, plus the raft of safety tech included.