More room in the new SEAT’s interior
New platform is the key to space in the supermini
Mention a new car is 87mm wider, has a wheelbase increased by 95mm but overall is 2mm shorter than model it replaces yet there’s bags of more room inside and most punters will be left confused and perhaps unable to comprehend what’s going on.
The answer is to sit inside the all-new SEAT Ibiza supermini and the penny will drop.
Much of the extra space is due to the car’s new platform - it’s called the MQB A0 and SEAT is the first to use it in the Volkswagen Group - and with a body that is 30 per cent stronger, which the engineers call ’torsional stiffness’, the latest Ibiza has a far more solid feel about it out on the road.
The new Ibiza stands out from the crowd with striking and stronger bodylines. It also sits better with lower looks and has rather natty styled triangular front lights, all making the car more grown up.
Relying on VW powertrains the new Ibiza has the ‘inhouse’ three-cylinder 1.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a choice of 74, 94 or 114bhp outputs plus a new 1.5-litre petrol engine offering 148bhp which appears in the ‘go-faster’ FR model.
Most of the new line up has a five-speed manual gearbox, although the quicker versions do have a six-speed transmission, while the trim levels remain much as in the current SEAT model ranges, starting with the S, then SE, then the SE Technology with a choice of 74 or 94bhp followed by the more sporty FR trio and a pair of the top spec XCELLENCE models.
With the new engines and the new chassis the quality and refinement of the drive and ride are far better than on previous generations.
SEAT bosses expect the SE Technology model with the 1.0-litre 94bhp engine under the bonnet and coming in at £15,255 to be the lynch pin in the new range - and it’s easy to see why because it has the ideal combination for most drivers in terms of performance and satisfaction.
It clocks in with an acceleration of 0 to 62mph of 10.9 seconds, combined fuel consumption of 60.1mpg, CO2 of 106k/km, sits in VED Band E, insurance group 11 and with a BiK rating of 20 per cent.
It’s also exceptionally well equipped sitting on 15-inch alloy wheels and comes with LED daytime running lights, leather steering wheel, split fold rear seat (boot space is up to 355 litres on this new model), a five-inch colour touch infotainment screen, steering wheel mounted controls and plenty more.
For a driver looking for a cheaper option then the entrylevel 1.0-litre 74bhp Ibiza S at £13,130 is a wise buy.
It too has Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning, auto headlights, anti-lock brakes, hill hold control plus stability control and multicollision braking system, all of which are included in SE versions.
The new Ibiza not only looks more classy but with that new chassis and those excellent performing VW 1.0-litre engines it drives and behaves much, much better than ever before.