SEAT IBIZA SE 1.0 TSI JOIN THE PARTY

Seat’s supermini has plenty to offers drivers of all ages, writes Alan Douglas

Those in the know tell me that fewer young people than ever are learning to drive. That’s presumably because it’s now becoming prohibitively expensive to take lessons and then when you pass, the cost of running a car and taking out insurance if you’re under 21, is out of reach unless the bank of mum and dad has extended its overdraft facility.

Apart from that, my informants in the younger generation tell me they’d rather use public transport or taxis and spend any disposable income on having a good time in pubs and clubs.

Mention the name Ibiza to anyone under the age of 30 and they’ll probably go misty-eyed as they recall memories of allnight sessions on the Mediterranean party island. What won’t pop into their heads is the supermini from Seat, the Spanish arm of the giant VW Group.

But once they’ve settled down, given up the party lifestyle and put on their sensible heads, the Ibiza might just start to figure more prominently in their thoughts.

That’s because the car, which has been on UK roads for more than three decades and has just appeared in its fifth generation, has the youngest customer base of any supermini – on average 10 years younger than the market average.

Seat say that’s down to the youthful appeal of its latest design and the technology contained within, not least some of the best connectivity and infotainment along with wireless charger and Beats audio system.

At first glance, it’s a sensible, efficient, practical and economical five-door hatch with clean lines and a no-nonsense approach to the job in hand. But this is also a car which seems to do the automotive equivalent of some partying, where its small 999cc, threecylinder engine may not be the most exciting in outright performance, but coupled with a superb new chassis and suspension set-up can certainly get-up-and-go when it’s asked to let its hair down.

This is the fifth generation and is longer, lower and wider with a bigger boot space than the previous model and like many in this sector of the market, the three-door option has been dropped for 2017.

It’s the first in the Group to use the new small car platform which will in time also go into the VW Polo, the Audi A1 and the Skoda Fabia and comes with front-wheel-drive and a choice of three petrol engines with a more powerful EVO version coming later in the year. There are four trim levels including the sportier FR for those who like something a little livelier.

Along with the latest connectivity, comfort and safety technology there’s no question that the engineers at Seat’s Martorell factory in Barcelona where it is entirely conceived and built, have done a great job to make the car a surprisingly good performer, whether in the city streets or stretching its legs on the wide-open motorway.

But there’s much more and under the direction of Seat’s design boss Alejandro Mesonero-romanos, the entire range has been transformed from rather bland and insignificant examples to cars with an individual style and personality.

The new Ibiza is by far the best-looking in its 30-year history with sharp lines and distinctive creases to give it a more agile look through its sculpted and streamlined body panels. A fellow motoring writer described the car’s looks as resembling an explosion in a triangle factory, from the triangular LED headlights, foglights and grille through the body highlights to the equally angular rear end.

It’s a classy piece of work and even before the car went on sale, it had picked up a major international product design award.

The car has a big job on its hands competing in a crowded marketplace against the likes of Britain’s best-seller, the newly-updated Ford Fiesta, its cousin the VW Polo and the latest nissan micra, but i genuinely feel it offers something a bit different from the herd. The interior feels spacious and airy and the controls are functional, readily–to-hand and clear and concise but it’s clear that the accountants have been closely watching the pennies when counting the cost of the fittings. The overall impression is good, if not luxurious, although the level of comfort is just right where it’s needed, such as in the seats.

I clocked up a couple of hundred miles in the wild North Welsh countryside enjoying the long smooth sweeping bends of Conwy and Denbighshire where the agility and balance of this piece of quality engineering came into its own.

As I finished my drive back through the busy streets of Liverpool, I felt just as fresh – dare I say with a youthful spring in my step – as when I’d got into the car at the start of the day.