Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Seat Ibiza 1.0 TSI FR
Pricing: £19,580 (range starts at £16,790
Engine: 1.0-litre, three-cylinder petrol
Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door hatchback
CO2 emissions: 124g/km (VED Band 111-130g: £180 in year one, £155 years 2-5)?Combined economy: 47.9 mpg
Top speed: 116mph
0-62km/h: 10.9 seconds
Power: 95hp at 5,000-5,500rpm
Torque: 175Nm at 2,000-3,500rpm
Boot space: 355 litres
What's this?
This is the new, or rather facelifted, Seat Ibiza. Exterior changes are minimal, including new front and rear bumpers, nine new colours and three new styles of alloy wheels. It keeps the Ibiza looking momodern but the most noticeable styling change is probably that the name is now in a handwritten scr-style font on the back. That's a big deal when you're doing a minor facelift, but the exterior clearly wasn't the main focus because inside there really are some big changes. The overall look and feel of the interior is much fresher and more up-to-date in terms of tech.
There's a new floating touchscreen mounted on top of the dash which, like the new Skoda Fabia. you can rest your hand on to use. You also don't have to drop your eyes from the road as much either. Standard is an 8.25 inch touchscreen, but that can go up to a much larger 9.2 inch which is very easy to see and fairly easy to use, although we did find the map system fairly tricky and kept stabbing at the screen and even getting a little shouty. If you prefer to use your own apps for things then good news is that the Ibiza now has wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as standard.
A 10.25 inch digital cockpit instrumentation display is available across the range, It was an option on the 95hp 1.0 TSI FR we drove at launch, so we had standard analogue clocks with a digital trip computer in the middle. Other changes include a nice soft-touch top to the dash and Nappa leather on the steering wheel which feels very plush indeed. There's decent space in the back and reasonable boot space, the same amount as the pre-facelift at 355 litres. That's the main things really for interior changes. Oh, there is LED lighting on the air vents, because yes, that is cool.
How does it drive?
The 1.0-litre FR has sports suspension which felt quite firm on occasions on some of the bumpy roads around the Windsor area where we drove, but it was never really uncomfortable and is a good compromise between comfort and handling. It's a five speed manual, but other models are available with a six-speed and there's a DSG dual-clutch auto on the 110hp version. The steering is precise, proving to be light enough in town but firm enough when you want to enjoy the drive a bit more and there's a fantastically positive gear shift. While it's no ball of fire in the performance stakes, it pulls nicely and there's a sporty note to the three-cylinder engine. It also has a selection of driving modes including Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual but let's be honest, most of the time it's going to run around town in Normal and be perfectly fine doing so.
Verdict
The updates to the Ibiza are very welcome and really bring it up a level in terms of interior design, equipment and technology. It's focused more on the trendy items that many of the customers in this small hatch segment are expecting rather than exterior changes, but it's still fresh and has many elements that continue to make it an attractive car.
It's unlikely to match the new Polo when it comes along in terms of quality, with the Ibiza having some rather hard plastics in the dashboard and door trims, but that's not unusual for Seat and the Skoda Fabia is likely to be the same. There's a price to paying a lower price. Overall though, the Ibiza is a very nice package offering good value for money, decent tech and a drive that can be both fun and frugal.
Exterior Design
Interior Ambience
Passenger Space
Luggage Space
Safety
Comfort
Driving Dynamics
Powertrain
