Category: Superminis 
Price Range: £10,995 to £11,625
Stylish looks, willing 1.2 petrol engine, high levels of equipment, good to drive, large boot.
Poor interior quality, noisy diesel.
Ibiza comes closer than ever before in its bid to lead the supermini class.
The Ibiza is based on the Volkswagen Group's new supermini platform that will underpin the next-generation VW Polo , the new Skoda Fabia and other variants. You'd therefore expect the Ibiza to drive well - and it doesn't disappoint.
For the three trim models there are two suspension arrangements: one for comfort and a stiffer set-up for a more involved, sportier drive.
Both set-ups bring enhanced stability, a fractionally longer wheelbase (+7mm) and a wider front and rear track. This all translates to a near class-leading drive.
First up, we tried a car with the Sports chassis. With this set-up the suspension is stiffened up by 25% and the anti-roll bars are also beefed up. It means the Ibiza offers immense grip and little body lean, especially when the Sport's optional 17" alloys are fitted. It means the driver can tailor their line through a corner using the throttle and feel confident that the car will stay in check. The non-sport suspension is almost as good, although there is a fraction more bodyroll. Both the Sport and non-Sport suspensions feel stiffly sprung but offered a comfortable and compliant ride, coping well with poor road surfacing and the odd pothole.
A bit more steering feel would be welcome, but at least the Ibiza offers a level of precision alien in both its Polo and Fabia siblings.
Out of the first four engines on offer, the 69bhp 1.2-litre petrol - the least powerful of the bunch - is surprisingly good fun. It is a little raucous and always needs plenty of gearchanges to keep it on the boil, but it sounds good and that's enough to keep you entertained.
For those needing a bit more oomph, we'd recommend the more powerful 84bhp 1.4.
Longer gearing means that if you are in fifth gear, the bigger engine is two seconds slower when overtaking from 50-70mph. Away from the lights, however, the 1.4 wins: it will take you from 0-62mph in 12.2 seconds while the 1.2 gets you there in 15.0 seconds.
The 103bhp 1.6-litre is faster still, but unless you're flat out or against the clock it's not worth paying a premium over the punchy 1.4.
Seat has included a 103bhp 1.9-litre diesel in the Ibiza line-up, which we tested, but which won't arrive in the UK line-up until 2009. The engine offers the most effortless drive, but its performance is compromised by lack of refinement.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Seat Ibiza
wrote on 18 10 2007
wrote on 13 09 2007
wrote on 13 09 2007