Review of the new SEAT Ibiza 1.2

Cars with a bit of zip for overtaking and the muscle to power up inclines without breaking sweat are more satisfying but they're also generally more expensive and less fuel efficient. When you think about the kind of driving you do day in, day out, couldn't you make do with a car packing a more modest amount of power? Something like a SEAT Ibiza 1.2 perhaps?

A lot of emphasis is placed on performance in cars but how often do most of us actually push the engines in our vehicles to their limits? Certainly, chances to replicate the 0-60mph sprint times by which acceleration is judged are extremely rare and the oft-quoted top speed of almost all new cars is illegal in the UK anywhere outside the confines of a racetrack. In most instances, what we're really talking about when we mention performance is the strength of the engine and how fast the car feels in everyday driving conditions. Fast cars are more fun but not when you spend the majority of your time crawling along in traffic or on the narrow urban streets around your home. Then they can start to smack of expense and redundant capability. SEAT's Ibiza 1.2 is unapologetically not a quick car but it's likely to be all the supermini that many motorists need.

The 1.2-litre SEAT Ibiza takes a nice round 15 seconds to reach 62mph from a standing start and that is firmly at the slower end of the spectrum for modern cars. Accelerating from 50mph to 75mph takes nearly 19 seconds for the 69bhp 3-cylinder engine to achieve. These figures may make the step-up to the 83bhp 1.4-litre model look appealing but there's quite a premium attached and if your driving is mainly restricted to short trips around congested or urban areas, the benefits are likely to be negligible.

The previous Ibiza's driving experience won praise from all quarters and this car aims to continue that approach. The track width of the car is increased on both axles compared to the old Ibiza, with the front one growing by 30mm and a 33mm growth at the rear. That is designed to give extra stability on the road and a sharper feel to the handling generally. The electro-hydraulic steering system has also been created to give optimum assistance in various driving conditions. It all bodes well.

"The interior of the Ibiza is an upmarket affair with some nice trim finishes and good amounts of space front and rear."

The Ibiza runs on the Volkswagen Group's latest small car platform dubbed the 'agile chassis'. It comes in the basic five-door bodystyle and as a three-door 'Sports Coupe' which looks lower leaner and meaner with design cues more obviously lifted from the Bocanegra concept car. The five-door is 80mm longer than the old Ibiza's 3,970m and much bigger inside while the 292-litres of boot space is very impressive for a supermini. The car also features a wider front and rear tracks to give it a foursquare, planted stance on the road while the body structure is extremely rigid to enhance the driving dynamics.

The interior of the Ibiza is an upmarket affair with some nice trim finishes and good amounts of space front and rear. The sparky design of the outside isn't really carried over internally and the dash follows a more conservative feel that veers towards style rather than fashion. The colour scheme might be a little grey for some tastes but the Ibiza always feels a quality product when you spend time sat in it.

It's entry-level E or S trim for Ibiza 1.2-litre customers but that plays nicely to the engine's low cost strengths. Anyway, the S package still includes a height and reach adjustable steering wheel, a height adjustable driver's seat, the speed-sensitive power steering, electric front windows, remote central locking and a six-speaker CD stereo with MP3 compatibility. The amount of safety equipment is also far from stingy with twin front and side airbags and ABS brakes thrown in. All Ibizas have a five-speed manual gearbox as standard.

The Ibiza features a number of other features more normally found in more upmarket vehicles. There's an optional Hill Hold Assist feature to prevent rollback during hill starts and buyers can specify front fog lights with a side illumination function to light the verge when cornering. All models including the S derivatives get combined auxiliary and USB connectivity so that you can plug in an iPod, a Zune, a Walkman or whatever kind of music player or data storage facility you own but air-conditioning is a £500 option at this entry-level point.

The 1.2-litre Ibiza does ask its owners to make sacrifices with regard to performance but it pays them back handsomely with its low running costs. The 47.8mpg average fuel economy and 139g/km emissions won't match the diesel engines but the lower purchase price of the 1.2 will still make it the most cost effective choice for those covering low annual mileages.

All Ibizas are accompanied by a 3-year/60,000-mile warranty and twelve years of anti-perforation cover which reflects SEAT's confidence of victory in the battle against rust. Major servicing is required at 20,000-mile intervals and a dose of fresh oil every 10,000 miles or 12 months.

Car buyers are asked to pay handsomely for extra performance, both upfront and over the longer term in the form of increased fuel consumption and emissions, but ask yourself whether you really need it. If the answer is no, a car like the SEAT Ibiza 1.2 could same you a healthy sum.

Yes, this entry level Ibiza is comparatively slow but it's affordable and cheap to run. In addition, it displays the key qualities that are evident across the range, those of robust build quality, striking styling and decent levels of equipment.