Review of the new SEAT Ibiza Range

SEAT is intent on living up to its allotted billing as the sporty one in the VW Group's three-piece band of volume selling marques. That leaves Volkswagen themselves, acting out the role of posh and Skoda as, err, ginger? Ok, so the Spice Girls analogy doesn't quite work but the sporty, spicy SEAT is an idea you'd better get used to. The current Ibiza models go further than any before them in emphasising the dynamism and exuberance the marketing men have destined to become SEAT's trademark.

Prospective SEAT buyers catching sight of the Leon and Altea models down at their local showroom could be forgiven for thinking that the marque has mapped out a path to sportiness founded on the principal of retailing differently-sized versions of the same car. Initial shots of an all-new Ibiza that we may be able to expect before too long would appear to confirm this and today's Toledo is hardly ploughing a lone furrow on the styling front. Whatever your view on the emergent SEAT family resemblances, the curvy look of the products definitely reflects the brand's energetic direction and the current SEAT Ibiza, while not a clone to the extent of the others, carries many of these SEAT visual traits.

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. The car remains impressively composed in corners and the sharp steering makes it easy to spirit around town. The stiffened suspension on the FR and Sport models injects more edginess into the package but the jittery ride is less comfortable for everyday work. The diesel engines are vocal and the 1.9TDI in particular has a jerky delivery but it kicks like a mule when you hit the power band in the 130bhp model. The 1.2-litre petrol engine isn't too overwhelmed on the open road but it's a city dweller at heart.

"…the Ibiza continues as one of the UK's best superminis"

These days, Ibiza FR customers only get the 130bhp 1.9 TDI engine option with the petrol alternative having been phased out. Further down the roster, we get into the powerplants that most buyers will find themselves mulling over. The 1.9 TDI engine is available here in 100bhp form, or there's a 1.4-litre TDI with 80bhp. The 1.9TDI is less refined than its smaller diesel counterpart but usefully quicker, hitting 60mph from standstill in 10.8s. The smaller petrol engines are 1.4 and 1.2 litres in size. The larger unit has 75bhp on tap and a 13.2s sprint. The 64bhp 1.2 will eventually complete the 0-60mph in 14.9s.

All the Ibiza's powerplants have cropped up time and again, across the VW Group empire and tend to be solid, reliable performers. The same can be said for many of the Ibiza's interior fixtures and fittings. 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 Ibiza is generally a well-built and practical supermini. Nitpickers may point out the slightly shoddy plastics quality but at the affordable end of the supermini sector, that would be harsh. The cabin feels spacious, although adults in the back may struggle for headroom where the car's curved roofline swoops in, and there's plenty of boot bringing up the rear.

The SEAT Ibiza line-up has been slimmed back in recent times as the arrival of an all -new model draws ever closer. The current line-up begins with the 1.2-litre Reference Sport at £8,695 and progresses through the 1.4-litre 85bhp Stylance to the 1.4-litre 100bhp Sport. Then come the diesels. The 1.4-litre TDI engine is available in Reference Sport trim at £10,395 or in the high efficiency Ecomotive model for £600 more. The 1.9-litre TDI engine has 100bhp if you pick the Sport model and 130bhp in the £13,350 FR. Sport and FR derivatives have lowered sports suspension while all Ibizas have remote central locking, electric front windows and a CD stereo. There's a £630 premium for the five-door bodystyle.

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 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 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.

In spite of its pace and muscular mid-range, the range-topping 130bhp diesel will still average 55.4mpg. If economy is your thing, though, it's the Ecomotive model that will be of most interest. 74.3mpg, that's the upshot of all the tinkering SEAT has done to the Ibiza Ecomotive. The 1.4TDI manages 61mpg on the combined cycle in standard form, so the Ecomotive modifications do have quite an effect. CO2 emissions are directly-linked to the quantity of fuel burned so the Ecomotive manages a similarly impressive 99g/km output.

The most telling comparison is between the Ecomotive and Toyota's Prius with its advanced Hybrid Synergy Drive. That car returns 65mpg and emits 106g/km of CO2. SEAT can afford to feel pretty smug that it's bettered Toyota's gargantuan investment in Hybrid technology with a standard diesel supermini with some weight shaved off and a new set of tyres.

Well built, attractively styled and with that SEAT sporty edge now common amongst models across the range, to a greater or lesser extent, the Ibiza continues as one of the UK's best superminis. Some rivals may offer more innovation and style in the interior department or a more advanced engine line-up but the Ibiza just gets on with the job in hand - being a thoroughly efficient and pleasantly sporty small car.

The Ibiza's best days could be behind it but don't write it off. Rival products may have come on the supermini scene upping our expectations in terms of sophistication and space but the SEAT still has winning attributes. In particular, the sharpness and immediacy of the driving experience always raises a smile. People seeking big fun from their small car could do a whole lot worse.