Review of the new SEAT Ibiza 1.4

For those still unwilling to convert to the charms of squashing heavy oil and indifferent to the prospect of hot-hatch ownership, the 1.4-litre petrol model represents a decent, affordable fall back option in SEAT's Ibiza range.

Two 1.4-litre engines are offered. SEAT trimmed-back the range a while back leaving just the 84bhp version of the 16-valve four-cylinder powerplant but now the 98bhp derivative is back. The 84bhp option is available in Stylance form with the 98bhp model fitted to the Sport derivative. Even the less powerful engine is by no mean's sluggish, with 60mph appearing in 13.2 seconds on the way to a top end of 108mph. The 43mpg fuel return is also class competitive. Choose the 98bhp car and 0-60mph takes 11.2s and there's a 118bhp top speed.

The Ibiza of today carries the effects of a facelift which edged the car closer to its newer SEAT stalemates on aesthetic grounds. Aggressive air-intakes are now evident, carved into the lower reaches of the front bumper. These evoke the ones on the SEAT Leon World Touring Car and emphasise the link that that the brand is always keen to make between its production models and motorsport ventures. Twin headlamps are also fitted as standard to all Ibizas, as are wheels of at least 15" in diameter, but it's round the back where most alterations have been made. The bumper is reshaped to incorporate a mock diffuser, another nod to SEAT's motorsport activities. As with all modern SEATs, the Ibiza displays its name centrally on its tailgate, below the large SEAT badge which doubles as the boot release.

"If the current state of Christina Aguilera wasn't proof enough, the Ibiza 1.4 provides further evidence that looking good needn't cost the earth."

As you'd expect from SEAT, prices are on the cheap side of reasonable, especially when you bear in mind that this is a proper VW Group product. It's only when you realise that the Polo 1.4 S retails at nearly £10,000 that the asking price for the SEAT Ibiza 1.4 Stylance of £9,395 is put into perspective. Put the two cars back to back and there would be few who'd pick the Volkswagen as the better looker. The story's much the same with the 1.4 Sport version of the Ibiza. A number of 'big car' options are also available for the Ibiza including a satellite navigation upgrade.

Inside you'll spot a number of VW Group parts, reappearing like old faces at a school reunion. The window switches, the gear knob, the ventilation controls and so on are all sourced from that bottomless well that's disparagingly termed the VW parts bin, and are none the worse for it. The roofline is lower than we've become used to in Polo and Fabia variants and the rear legroom is less, but otherwise the cabin holds few surprises other than a rather novel textured plastic that's softly abrasive but not particularly great looking.

Compared to its predecessor, the Ibiza is a dramatic improvement. Not only is it far prettier, it also utilises its cabin space better, the engine range is far more economical and the perceived quality has been ratcheted up a good few notches. None of these factors, however, differentiate it hugely from its rivals. SEAT point to the fact that the Ibiza's based around the 'Agile Chassis' concept developed in house. This combines suspension settings tuned for the keen driver with an intelligent power steering system that not only adjusts the amount of assistance according to driving speed - nothing particularly novel there - but also considers the position of the wheels and how quickly the steering wheel is being turned. Other small cars with power steering often incur 'pumping loss' when being driven enthusiastically, that is the inability of the engine-driven power steering pump to keep up with the demands the driver places on the steering. This leads to inconsistent steering feel and the helm weighting up just when you don't want it to. The Ibiza, by contrast, uses an electric pump that runs independently of the engine to power the steering. The result? Better feedback and keener reactions when you up want to up the ante.

The Ibiza's driving experience has won praise from all quarters since its 2003 launch and was central to it collecting no fewer than three WhatCar? 'Supermini of the Year' awards over the proceeding three years. As natural supermini middleweights the 1.4-litre cars are well up to the task. You should have high expectations for the Ibiza and these versions certainly won't disappoint.