Seat Ibiza review

The Ibiza does as much as it needs to as a reasonably priced supermini and this recent refresh doesn’t move the game on much more, with minimal changes other than a new perforated steering wheel, textured seats, dark roof lining and a couple of techy bits.

Which is fine if you just want a simple runabout, but people are increasingly demanding higher things of their superminis as they downsize from bigger cars to save money. The Skoda Fabia has responded marvellously to that change. 

For example, the gloss black panelling surrounding the screen looks like a throwback and the splashes of colour around the air vents are an acquired taste. There’s also still some overly hard and scratchy bits of plastic around the cabin that could've been disguised better with some lateral thinking. 

What’s the tech like?

The infotainment setup is familiar ground from other Volkswagen Group models like the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia. Each brand gets the opportunity to design its own style into the interface, but the fundamentals are the same. 

It all works fine – entry spec cars get an 8.25in touchscreen, the others all get a 9.2in unit with internet connectivity and nav – and though the VW Group's latest system is far from our favourite, this is probably it at its best.

All cars get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as standard, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out too much in the entry car. There are separate physical controls for the aircon in all versions, which we like, and USB-C plugs up front.

Is there decent space? 

Obviously we’re not talking Rolls-Royce space in a small Spanish supermini, but it does alright. The cabin up front is decently roomy, but the back seats aren’t for long journeys if you’re a grown-up. You can fit in four-up for a jaunt about town if you need to.

There’s 355 litres of space in the boot which expands to 1,165 litres with the seats down. 

How does the Ibiza compare with the other VW Group models?

The Polo feels fancier and a bit more grown-up, while the Fabia just has a more considered interior that makes the day-to-day a bit easier. 

The Ibiza struggles to carve out a niche for itself here: the plastics are a bit cheap feeling, there’s none of the sportiness that Seat is supposed to stand for, and there's a real lack of clever storage.