Okay, our islands here in Blighty don’t have the sort of weather you can expect from the Balearic Islands, but at least the Spaniards have been good enough to let us have their decidedly sunny Ibiza - the SEAT Ibiza, that is.

I’ve never been to the Balearic Islands. My wife has classic fair hair, blue eyes and pale skin, so she gets prickly heat on the aeroplane flying out to anywhere that might have a few rays of sunshine. We once went to Barcelona in late October but still had to spend most of the day plonked under a parasol. I’ve become very accustomed to people watching.

Barcelona Born

Barcelona is close to where you’ll find a place called Martorell, which lies just to the north west of Barcelona. This is where you’ll find the massive SEAT factory, and it’s where the 5-door hatchback SEAT Ibiza and its sister crossover, SEAT Arona, are built. Just in case you didn’t know, SEAT is part of the massive Volkswagen group. This means a lot of their cars share bits and pieces. That’s the case with the SEAT Ibiza, which has a lot in common with the Volkswagen Polo, Skoda Fabia, and the soon to be dumped, Audi A1.

To make the SEAT Ibiza stand out, it’s marketed as the car which has a bit more of a sporty attitude, and it’s also been given a makeover. I remember when the first Ibiza was launched back in 1985. It was a bit of a boxy affair with some odd controls. To operate the direction indicators, you had to press a rocker switch on the dashboard. Like the current Ibiza, it was a hatchback, and you could also go for a saloon called the Malaga.

An Ibiza Makeover - Engine choices and performance figures

Anyway, I digress…back to the makeover which the SEAT Ibiza has received. Mechanically, nothing’s changed, so if you’ve owned or driven one of the previous generation models, you’ll be familiar with how it goes, sounds and handles.

There’s a choice of either 93bhp or 113bhp petrol 1.0 litre 3-cylinder engines. The smaller unit gets a 5-speed manual ‘box while the bigger one has a 7-speed auto setup. You get these in the two entry-level SE and SE Technology trims. Move up to FR First Edition and FR Sport, and you can have the most powerful engine with a 6-speed manual gearbox, which is the one I like.

The all-important figures are as follows. In the 93bhp model, you’re looking at a 0-60mph time in the region of just over 10 seconds. Economy is expected to be 52.8mpg. The more powerful 113bhp engine with the 6-speed manual ‘box hardly makes any difference to your economy, but performance improves to 9.9 seconds for the 0-60mph sprint. It might not sound a lot, but the more powerful 1.0 litre engine is worth going for because it offers more in-gear oomph when it comes to something like motorway overtaking. If you mainly drive in urban areas, the 93bhp unit will be fine. If you want to have an automatic gearbox, your economy suffers marginally, dropping to a predicted 51.0mpg. Swings and roundabouts.

Price & Exterior

The main changes inside and out are mainly cosmetic. If you prefer things to be kept nice and simple, you’re in for a treat. If you were expecting something flashy with wall-to-wall gizmos, you’ll be decidedly miffed. It’s also the reason why SEAT has managed to keep the prices sensible, which I don’t mind. Everything kicks off at £20,995 for the Ibiza in SE trim. If you get the full bells and whistles FR Sport trim, the price is still reasonable at £26,670. As well as being marketed as the sporty end of VAG cars of this size, it’s also seen as being at the budget end of the scale.

Oh, and if you do want a SEAT with kerb appeal, go for the Cupra stablemates, although there’s no Cupra equivalent to the SEAT Ibiza.

So, what about the changes? The exterior gets new bumpers, grille and alloys, plus a different range of colours. The lights have been redesigned and are now LED.

Interior

Hop inside, and there’s something that we really like about it. It’s a bit old school…but in a nice way. This may be your first time clambering into a SEAT Ibiza, but you’ll feel at home within seconds. Everything feels very logical. The air con knobs have a solid feel to them, and the controls on the steering wheel are either buttons or rollers… none of those wretched touch-sensitive sliders which are impossible to control. Even the central touchscreen has a row of handy buttons along the bottom.

Every SEAT Ibiza comes with powered and folding door mirrors, an 8-inch digital instrument panel, 8.25-inch central touchscreen, smartphone mirroring, DAB radio, height adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, air con, cruise control, powered front and rear windows, and a decent raft of safety kit. For many of you reading this, the SEAT Ibiza in SE trim with the lower powered engine will be fine and represents excellent value for money.

It’s also decent and fun to drive and is nicely controlled in town and on the quicker stuff. You can push on or cruise, but the ride always stays comfortable. It puts a lot of more expensive cars to shame.

I’d also stick with the manual gearboxes. The 7-speed DSG auto ‘box is fine, but it can be a little hesitant, especially when you ask for some immediate power, as when leaving a junction, for example. A bit of anticipation is required, although you do get the hang of it eventually.

More money, more options

An extra grand moves you up to SE Technology trim which adds sat nav, keyless entry, and a larger 9.2-inch touchscreen which reacts quickly when you prod it.

Move up to the FR First Edition (£24,180 March ’26) and you’ll find sports suspension and larger alloys. The ride is firmer but, on the plus side, the handling is a tad sharper. The sports bucket seats which now appear in the front, are comfy and supportive. The rear-view camera is handy too…but…to be honest, we’d stick with the lower trims. They have everything you really need.

Is it worth buying?

I really like the SEAT Ibiza. It’s well priced, good to drive, easy to live with, has all of the essentials and is surprisingly roomy. Looks smart too.

As sensible choices go…it’s up there.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: SEAT

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