Seat Ibiza

See more Ibiza Cupra pics

Much like Seat's broader fortunes, the Cupra badge is a slow burning success story in the UK. It's not enjoying GTI-like status just yet, but bold styling and Germanic undertones are chipping away at our reservations. The Spanish, it seems, do make a good hot hatch.

The latest Ibiza Cupra tackles deftly perhaps the most vital challenge facing fast variants in this segment. It looks good. Seats have been getting increasingly bonkers for sometime now, but in the new Ibiza the designers have hit their stride. Add the ‘sporting' design cues that a Cupra commands and you have a genuinely striking bit of kit. Big airdams, broad stance, lots of angles, lots of aero, albeit fake.

The engine is VW's 178bhp 1.4-litre TSI, mated to - as standard no less - the seven-speed DSG gearbox. Odd-sounding perhaps, but in reality a slick little union of power and refinement, making a car that implies uncompromising sporting focus actually feel remarkably grown up. It's not going to trouble the remarkable Renaultsport Clio in terms of pure hot hatchery, but for £15,995 you get a polished, useable and different little motor.  

Matt Master