Stylish Seat does less with more

Seat’s Ibiza has long been a canny alternative to the Volkswagen Polo, offering many of the latter car’s strengths with a handy discount off the cover price.

Now in its fourth generation, the Ibiza was treated to a facelift last year, with styling and equipment upgrades and the addition of new engines.

Many manufacturers are putting tiny, turbocharged three cylinder petrol engines in their cars. The benefit is they offer a great power to weight ratio, are cheaper to buy than a diesel but offer comparable economy.

Indeed, even the enormous Mondeo can be had with a 1.0 litre three cylinder engine.

In the Seat’s case, it gets what’s widely regarded as one of the most impressive engines in the Volkswagen line up.

It’s available with three power outputs: 75hp, the 95hp model I drove, or a 110hp version (although this is only available in a sporty FR model that must be ordered with an automatic gearbox).

There are three body styles on offer, a three-door SC, five-door hatch and an ST estate model. Prices start around the £10,000 – expect to pay £12,000£16,000 for a mid-to-high range model.

I drove the five door, 1.0 litre 95hp model in SE spec, costing just under £14,000.

Those looking for the styling improvements brought by last year’s revamp will need to get their spyglasses out. The changes are subtle: LED taillights and daytime running lights are standard, different styles of 16in and 17in alloy wheels have been introduced and two fresh paint options are available.

That’s not of too much concern, however. The Ibiza was already a handsome car and Seat likes to boast it has the youngest buyers in the supermini sector. If the young ‘uns like the way it looks then it’s good enough for an old fuddy-duddy like me.

There is also – again mainly targeted at youthful trendsetters – the addition of “colour packs” that allow buyers to personalise their Ibiza.

Inside, cabin quality has improved markedly. It used to be the case that Seat (and other Volkswagen subsidiaries such as Skoda) weren’t allowed access to the best of the VW parts bin, but that seems to have changed.

There’s a snazzy touchscreen, higher grade plastics, and a better layout.

So what’s it like to drive? One of the main differences between the Ibiza and it’s sister car the Polo is ride quality. The Seat has firmer suspension than the VW, reflecting the younger, sportier crowd it’s aiming for.

If you can live with a firm ride it’s a pleasant companion. Refinement isn’t world beating but it’s quiet enough inside and that firm suspension means it handles well.

The 1.0 litre engine is a fine unit. Its turbo generates power low down in the rev range, giving it almost the sort of pulling power you’d expect from a diesel.

Although it can’t quite match an oil burner for economy (the best Ibiza diesel can return 83mpg!) official combined cycle economy of 68.9mpg is still exceptional.

Over a week of mixed driving – mainly in and around Dundee, with a couple of longer jaunts to Perth – I averaged around 57-58mpg, which is pretty good real-world economy.

The Ibiza has upped its game. Quality, particularly inside the car, has improved and that 1.0 litre engine is an excellent unit.

There are too many fantastic cars in the supermini sector to make the Ibiza a class leader but its blend of good looks, low running costs and a sporty drive should ensure Seat never runs out of customers.