The Seat Ibiza is good-looking and spacious supermini – is it time to buy a used example?
The Seat Ibiza of 2008-2017 was far more than a Volkswagen Polo in a fancy outfit: it balanced refinement, spaciousness, performance and style to make it a front-runner in the dog-eat-dog supermini class.The fourth-generation Ibiza ushered in an entirely new design language for Seat, being the first model sketched under the direction of Luc Donckerwolke, the man behind the Lamborghini Murciélago and Gallardo.It was far more stylish than its bug-eyed predecessor. Sharp lines and an aggressive-looking front end endowed the Mk4 Ibiza with sufficient kerb appeal to rival the Ford Fiesta – and for a car that landed 16 years ago, it still looks contemporary today.Riding on the Volkswagen Group’s modular PQ25 platform – which also underpinned the Polo and Audi A1 – the Mk4 Ibiza was 99mm longer than the car it replaced, to the benefit of interior space and practicality.You could fit three adults across the rear seats without issue and the boot, while oddly shaped in places, was big enough for a 4.0m-long car.The interior was streets ahead of the Mk3’s. Rather than inheriting the austere internals of the Polo, the Ibiza had a far brighter cabin that was both refined and distinctive.The fit and finish was acceptable for its class, and there were enough soft-touch materials to make it comfortable and pleasant to ride in.Factor in the logically organised dashboard, AUX ports and handy TomTom sat-nav dashboard mount and the Ibiza had all the hallmarks of a class-leading supermini.Its chassis and suspension set-up was tuned for keener drivers too, with precise steering and a composed ride. When we first road tested the model in 2008, we were impressed by its body control.The dampers confidently brushed aside ruts and imperfections on both rural back roads and at slower speeds around town.While the car lacked the verve of the Mazda 2 and the maturity of the Renault Clio, the Ibiza’s smooth engine, slick gearshift and solid brakes ensured it was a relatively rewarding car to drive.Avoid models with larger wheels and lower-profile tyres, though, because these conspire to tarnish the ride comfort.It’s a shame the Ibiza’s engines were a little staid in terms of performance. Of the petrols, the early 1.2-litre triple was a little too sedate from 0-60mph; the 84bhp 1.4-litre and 103bhp 1.6-litre had more gusto at the cost of higher emissions.The 1.2-litre three-pot diesel was unrefined and clattery but the trade-off was its impressive 60mpg real-world economy.So we would ignore the early petrols and opt instead for the brilliant 1.2-litre TSI petrol – smooth, torquey and capable of 50mpg in the real world.In 2015, the Ibiza gained a revised look, improved interior technology and plusher cabin materials as part of a mild facelift. Seat rolled out a raft of new engines too, with a trio of 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrols joining the line-up.Of these, go for one of the turbocharged EcoTSI triples with either 94bhp or 109bhp, because these deliver on both performance and economy.After the facelift, the only diesel option was the 1.4-litre, which could be had in ultra-efficient Ecomotive form, matching the impressive 70-80mpg economy figure of the Polo Bluemotion. These are a little harder to find used, though.Ultimately, the Ibiza gets all the basics right, majoring on space, refinement and efficiency.Engines and trim aside, this is a solid supermini that’s likeable and stylish – and given you can have one for less than £1000, it’s the bargain of the used supermini class
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