SecondHandSense:Seat Ibiza FOR:Quality, reliability and very sharp styling AGAINST:Low headroom in rear
Of all of the members of the Volkswagen group (VW, Audi, Seat and Skoda to name the mainstream ones), it is the Seat brand that has benefited most from creative styling. Seat is now seen as the funky member of the family and is aimed at the more youthful market.
It has been quite a transformation. The earliest Seat cars seen in this country were Spanish versions of Fiat designs and had a corresponding lack of reliability and appeal. Nowadays you get all the quality of VW production line standards and flair as well.
The Seat Ibiza hatchback is one car that defines that level of change. It has been around since the early 1990s and has been transformed. It has a nice rounded profile with excellent styling, such as the rounded rear, the front grille and headlights, and it has an impressive stance on the road. It drives well and benefits from a wide choice of engines (1.2- and 1.4-litre petrol units, a 1.4-litre diesel and even a 1.9-litre direct injection diesel that features across the VW range).
It is a cousin of the outgoing Skoda Fabia but couldn't look more different. It is also a practical car with good storage space, a clever internal layout and design and a solid feel overall. Obviously the newer the car the better the interior and specification, but all cars come with twin airbags and you will find plenty on the second-hand market with extras. You will also find plenty of space in the front but that nice styling does have a disadvantage - the roof tends to slope steeply and thus restricts rear headroom.
The 1.2-litre petrol engine with 63bhp runs well and efficiently around town, but the 1.4-litre with just over 10 more horse power is probably the better option for performance. Both are smooth and economical and come direct from the VW development programme, so you will be getting exactly what is under the bonnet of a Golf with the 1.4.
The newer 1.4-litre diesel is a very good choice for the Ibiza, with 100bhp on tap and it is good on fuel. The 1.9-litre diesel is undoubtedly a good engine but is perhaps a little extreme for a car of this size. It is economical too and can pack a punch, but is perhaps better placed in a VW Passat or a Skoda Octavia.
Being a member of the VW family, reliability has not been an issue and only two recalls are listed for Seat cars, for brake servo and fuel pump problems. The Ibiza has a four-star rating in the EuroNCAP crash test programme listings, which is an average score for the segment.
The Ibiza offers very good value. A 1.2-litre petrol, registered in 2004 and with 56,000km on the clock is on offer for €10,995, a 1.9-litre diesel of the same age and with 87,000km on the clock is on sale at €12,450. A 2005 1.2-litre petrol with 25,000km up costs about €12,500.