The Seat Ibiza is one of those oft-forgotten stalwarts of the automotive world - it's been around for decades, but you wouldn't remember it. It's a wallflower, a pleasant alternative to the mainstream superminis on sale just waiting to be discovered. For the latest iteration of the car, Seat has decided to ramp up the edgy sportiness of the car, giving the styling some useful aggression.
It seems to work as the Ibiza has a certain presence - that is, above the rental spec base trim, where it looks like something has fallen off the car. The Ibiza should appeal to buyers looking for something a bit different, though, especially when so many 'fashionable' cars are merely retro pastiches of older cars.
The Seat is an eminently sensible car, despite its looks. It is one of the bigger superminis on the market, with room for four people and a good-sized boot. You can feel the benefit of the VW family with the quality of the materials used inside - it's a pleasant place to spend time, and is robustly assembled. As with most Seats there are a range of very good engines of which you can take your pick - we quite liked the frugal Ecomotive model, capable of over 70mpg and emitting less than 100g/km CO2.
On the road the Ibiza is a little disappointing - it is definitely fun to drive, but lacks the x factor that sets a car apart from others. It offers plenty of grip and corners very safely, but lacks the sporting edge you can find in other cars. This wouldn't be a problem, except for Volkswagen's insistence that Seat is a sporting brand that sells sporting cars. On this evidence you have to wonder where those cars are being hidden.
There are a number of warm and hot versions of the Ibiza that are supposed to compete with the likes of the Renaultsport Clio. Whilst they are likeable cars, they don't quite have the package to be able to challenge the Clio in terms of pure dynamics - that car is very much in a league of its own. They offer useable performance, though, at a very reasonable price which brings them right back into contention.
And that is the fundamental message at the heart of the Ibiza - it is, in essence, a thoroughly average car, but at the right price it's definitely worth thinking about getting one.