The Seat Ibiza is the Spanish firm's strongest-selling car – both overall and in the British market – and, as we're about to outline, this is with good reason.

Like many of its rivals, it comes in three body variants: a stylish, if traditionally shaped, five door, a more rakish three-door hatch (called the SportCoupé) and an estate that’s also a bit of a looker.


Three bodystyles are offered: five-door hatchback, three-door 'SC' hatchback and 'ST' estate

The engine line-up mirrors that of VW’s Polo, using the same engines to good effect: two versions of the three-cylinder 1.2, a 1.2 TSI, a cooking 1.4 and warm and warmer 1.4 TSIs for the FR and Cupra versions. The diesels are a 1.2 that’s pretty economical in standard form, and gets a green makeover for Ecomotive models. A 1.6-litre, 104bhp mid-range option was introduced recently to all three  Ibizas, and a 2.0 that the Polo doesn’t get for another warm, but more mpg-friendly, FR. 

There’s less engine choice in the estate – it doesn’t get anything remotely warm or hot, for obvious reasons.

E is the entry-level trim available only on the cut-price, low-powered 1.2, then there’s S (which includes air con), SE and Sport, plus FR and Cupra (and special edition Bocanegra) in that order of performance.