| Week at the Wheel | SEAT Ibiza 1.4 16v |

Inside & Out:

SEAT timed the replacement of its Ibiza supermini to a tee last summer. Just as the Spaniard was driving out of SEAT showrooms for the first time, along came the new Ford Fiesta to give the Ibiza a run for its stylish money and make the previous SEAT supermini look dated. Sharp creases along the body give the new Ibiza a thoroughly up to the minute appearance and it still has some of that all-important Spanish sporting bravado, especially in the eye-searingly bright metallic green of our test car. Shades are a definite necessity. The five-door Ibiza may not be quite as pert looking as the three-door SC, but the pay-off is better access to the spacious rear seats that easily handle a couple of adults. There's also a good-sized boot for the supermini class at 292-litres with the rear seats in place or 554-litres with the 60:40 split and fold rear chairs dropped down.

Up front, the Ibiza has a simple yet good looking dash that makes it easy to see all of the dials and find the controls without the driver taking his eyes off the road. Our test car came with the satellite navigation docking station, which the TomTom satnav simply slides into, so need to sucker it to the windscreen. There's lots of space for the driver and just as much adjustment, while all-round visibility is better than in most rivals thanks to the Ibiza's generous glass area and small quarter windows let into the front and rear pillars.

Engine & Transmission:

The 1.4-litre, 84bhp petrol engine fitted to our test car is the most popular choice for Ibiza buyers in the UK. It's also the best bet when it comes to balancing out the cost of buying the car versus overall running costs, which are impressively low for the SEAT. However, that doesn't make the engine a whole ball of fun. It needs to be worked hard to give its best, which is another way of saying it doesn't offer a huge amount of oomph lower in the rev range. In town, it does a decent job of lugging the Ibiza through traffic, but ask for a zesty getaway out of a busy junction and you'd rather be in a Ford Fiesta.

On faster stretches, the Ibiza also feels that little bit less perky than its Ford rival, though the engine helps the car gather pace even if you don't stir the easy-action five-speed manual gearbox for added acceleration. When driven in this more leisurely fashion, don't expect the Ibiza to wow you, but at least it's reasonably refined at all revs. It's a shame road noise is not as effectively quelled though, as it spoils the SEAT's otherwise capable motorway cruising credentials.

Ride & Handling:

It could be argued that SEAT is burdened with the anticipation that all of its cars should have a sporting bent. This isn't always the case, but the Ibiza more than lives up to expectations thanks to plenty of front end grip and handling poise that remains unfazed whatever the road surface. Let's not kid ourselves; it's not a hot hatch, but the SEAT will give all of its competition a close run when it comes to getting from A to B by the twisty route. The power-assisted steering is on the light side for those of us who enjoy a back road shindig, but it makes life simple when it comes to town driving and parking.

In town, the ride is good-to-firm, picking up on some smaller ripples that a Vauxhall Corsa would iron out. Up the speed and the Ibiza increases its ability to smooth out the tar beneath its wheels and enjoys a stable feel on the motorway to make longer trips much less of a strain on the driver's senses than in some other superminis.

Equipment, Economy & Value for Money:

We've had our fine-toothed comb out for this section and simply cannot find anything to fault with the Ibiza 1.4 16v SE five-door. It comes with lots of standard equipment, including air conditioning, cruise control, the satellite navigation cradle, CD stereo with MP3 connector, electric windows all-round and alloy wheels. Try matching that specification in the Ibiza's rivals for the same money and you will seriously struggle. Try to find a rival with the Ibiza's decent residual values, low insurance and affordable servicing and we'll be the first to congratulate you on finding a better deal. The Ibiza makes this a tough challenge as it also manages to return 45.6mpg combined economy. Oh, and we have found one nit to pick: the carbon dioxide emissions could do with being lower than the current 149g/km, though this is hardly a wallet-busting figure.

Overall:

The SEAT Ibiza is one of our favourite superminis, though we reckon the Ford Fiesta is the better car overall and the Vauxhall Corsa has the edge when it comes to refinement. That said, the Ibiza offers generous cabin space, a list of standard equipment that's hard to beat and low running costs. That it's also a good looker and drives well means it should be on the list of candidates for anyone looking for a new supermini.