Review of the new SEAT Ibiza 1.4 TDI

Positioning yourself as a manufacturer of dynamic sporty vehicles has many advantages. Not only do you get to leather the expense account with various motorsport escapades but you also enjoy the trickledown of that image from your flagship sporty models down to the more prosaic vehicles lurking at more attainable positions in the range. For every Cupra model SEAT sell, they're banking on selling a number of models like the Ibiza 1.4TDI, a car that's at the sensible end of the scale.

The Ibiza is a very likeable car. Voted What Car? magazine's Car Of The Year 2003 and 'Supermini of The Year' for the following three years, the 1.4-litre TDI is an integral part in a formidable model line up. Although the same engine can be yours for less in a Skoda Fabia, many will prefer the cheekier styling and youthful joie de vivre of the Ibiza. It looks good value, especially in a marketplace where attitude is conspicuous by its absence. Diesel rivals like the Ford Fiesta, Citroen C3 and Vauxhall Corsa may be very accomplished cars but they all lack a little something in sporty charisma; a quality the Ibiza seems to have oozing from every orifice.

With a punchy 80bhp turbodiesel powering the compact Ibiza, you'd expect it to feel agreeably muscular and you won't be disappointed. The engine has a delightfully elastic feel to it, the turbocharger spooling up to provide if not a gale, then a stiff breeze of midrange torque. In fact, with 144lb/ft of torque on tap at an easily accessible 2,200rpm, the Ibiza 1.4TDi engine feels every bit as muscular as the powerplants in many petrol-powered warm hatchbacks.

This strong torque figure means you won't need to gun the engine every time you want to make decent progress. This translates into a fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg and low emissions of just 124g/km in Reference Sport trim. If you want better economy, there's also the Ecomotive option which uses the same engine but produces over 70mpg and 99g/km emissions thanks to weight saving measures and low rolling resistance tyres. The Ibiza 1.4TDI looks an attractive package and one that will doubtless convert more customers to the charms of Ibiza ownership. Don't mistake it for the 1.4-litre petrol version, which boasts 85bhp, as the diesel is a far superior package.

"…the Ibiza 1.4TDi engine feels every bit as muscular as the powerplants in many petrol-powered warm hatchbacks"

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 even in the entry-level trim, 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.

SEAT describe the TDI diesel as 'a true technological jewel', this a reference to its advanced electronically controlled pump injector system. We wouldn't go quite that far. For a start, it's a diesel that's noisier than normal, a legacy perhaps of the fact that VW Group engineers have still to embrace the common rail technology now featured by virtually everyone else. Still, you can't deny that their alternative chosen route is effective when it comes to performance. The 1.4-litre engine feels a good deal stronger than its modest capacity would suggest and is well up to the cut and thrust of the British motorway system.

Should you want to travel quicker still in your diesel, SEAT can oblige in the shape of the 1.9-litre TDI 100 and TDI 130 models. The TDI 100 will reach 118mph and it takes 10.8s to reach 62mph from a standstill. Far more important than that is the impressive 240Nm of torque that's on offer between 1,800 and 2,400rpm - the increment we all use for most overtaking manoeuvres. In most cases, you don't even have to drop down a gear to get past that swaying artic. By the same token, around town, cog-swapping is kept to a minimum. As for fuel consumption, well expect to record 44mpg on the urban cycle, 69mpg on extra urban driving and 56.5mpg as a combined figure. Priced at £13,350, the FR TDI 130's top speed is 129mph and rest to 62mph showing of 9.4s looks tempting, but for most the 1.4TDI will be quite enough.

The SEAT Ibiza 1.4TDI isn't a particularly sporty supermini but its styling and cheeky image allow it to mop up sales of those who feel a Skoda Fabia or a Volkswagen Polo is just that little bit too staid. In the Volkswagen's Group network of niches, sub-niches and micro-niches, the Ibiza 1.4TDi offers a welcome breath of fresh air for anybody looking for a car that's sensible without being invisible. Expect more awards this way soon.