Stu’s Reviews – Seat Ibiza Hatchback

Low Cost Ford Fiesta

In this year’s first edition of Stu’s reviews I’m going to be looking at a car which is cheap and cheerful – the SEAT Ibiza. The Ibiza is built for the small family market and is focused on delivering a high quality urban driving experience.

I tested out this car last week from one of our approved dealers and found it to be a pleasantly surprising vehicle for its size and cost.

First off I should make it clear that I didn’t have huge expectations for this hatchback compared to some of the previous tests I’ve done like the Kia Sportage. However for what it is, I think the little Ibiza from SEAT is a real contender in its market.

Outer Appearance
I have to say that I quite like the outer lines on the Ibiza, SEAT has actually made an effort to give the car some shape (which isn’t always the case with competitors such as the Ford Fiesta). So although the car’s size is restricted by the manufacturer’s drive for economy, you’re not just left with an unattractive purely functional exterior.

The alloy wheels have a nice matte finish and the brake callipers underneath even have a bit of shine to make them ‘pop’ through. It might seem a small thing to comment on, but I think the wheels are one of those components that can subtly make or break an exterior’s attractiveness.

The headlamps and front grille aren’t inherently anything special, but are shaped nicely and lead into the lines on the body’s side panels. Again like the wheels, the lights are a designed subtly but help to build an overall appealing body shape.

Interior
Inside the car you get more of a typical hatchback feel; as hard plastics and durable textile seating surround you.

The dashboard is pretty straight forward, with controls for everything you’d expect in a small car. There aren’t too many fancy gadgets to shout about in base-level models, but you can get by fine and that’s what matters in a vehicle like this.

In terms of comfort I’ve got no complaints at all, in fact I found it to be quite an enjoyable experience. The driver’s seat is height adjustable and you can also change the positioning of the steering wheel (although admittedly I didn’t actually test out this feature as the wheel’s position was fine for me).

Up front the car is pretty roomy, however a quick look in the back reveals that things could get cramped for adult passengers. Space is however better in the boot with more than enough room for a set of golf clubs or holiday luggage (so that’s the important excursions covered anyway!)

Handling
I’ve driven a fair few competing cars in this market and I can confidently say that the Ibiza’s drive holds its own. The turning is pretty responsive and you can feel a strong grip against the road, which can sometimes be lacking in smaller cars.

The acceleration isn’t exactly punchy but you don’t feel like you’re lagging behind at all either. When inside the car the cabin is well insulated and I couldn’t hear much noise coming from the engine; which allowed me to enjoy the tunes at a reasonable level! For reference I was driving a diesel version of the Ibiza, so even in these typically noisier models the inside is fairly calm and settled.

Economy
On a half hour test drive I couldn’t properly tell what the range on a tank of fuel was. However looking at the official manufacturer’s figures they seem to be very healthy (72.4 mpg for the diesel version I tested).

Small cars in general are well known for their high fuel efficiency, but at 72.4mpg you’re rivaling some of the hybrids out there on the market! This is a serious option to consider if you’re conscious about prices at the pump as well as monthly repayments.

There’s a particularly attractive deal on the ICL website currently with diesel SEAT Ibiza’s starting from £99.99 per month. Take a look at the range now and watch the full video review which is integrated into our product pages for more information.

About Stu – Stuart Law is a business development executive at Intelligent Car Leasing. He helps customers maximise their car budget, negotiate better terms with funders and get the best leasing deals possible.