Seats used to get lumbered with interiors derived from other VW Group products. Not any more. The latest Ibiza has its own trim, and very distinctive it is too.
Fit and finish is certainly good and there are enough soft-touch surfaces, though there’s a slightly bewildering mix of trim graining. The traditional, random leather-like texture is still on a few surfaces, but the Ibiza also features what manufacturers like to call a technical grain. Then there’s the steering wheel, which has four different textures, so it’s anything but a dull cabin.
More logical is the layout of its dials, the stereo controls and some very neat touches; for example, there’s a dock for a TomTom navigation system on top of the dash. There are also two auxiliary ports for a portable music player and a slot for one to sit in, although this ought to be standard rather than optional, especially if Seat is serious about selling to a younger audience.
Cabin space is as good as you could reasonably expect from a 4m-long supermini. In the front there is no shortage of range for the height-adjustable driver’s seat and reach and rake-adjustable steering wheel. Space in the rear is a little tighter, but you
can seat four adults in this car without worry.
Although you’d expect the Ibiza to undercut cars like the Vauxhall Corsa and Toyota Yaris (which it does), you wouldn’t expect it to get close to the Skoda Fabia, with a similar price yet more equipment. Yet it does this too.
It should also prove relatively inexpensive to run, with CO2 emissions of 149g/km and an insurance group of just three. Depreciation is par for the course in the class.
The Ibiza is one of the safest superminis you can buy. It has scored an excellent five stars for adult protection in Euro NCAP’s crash tests, plus four stars for child protection, and three stars for pedestrian safety.