SEAT Ibiza Hatchback (08 on) - Review

The Ibiza should squeeze five adults in without too many complaints and for four people it should be comfortable. Rear space is adequate for a small hatch like this and there's reasonable headroom too. Air conditioning is fitted as standard on all cars except on the 1.2 S where it's an option. The S and Ecomotive models have manually adjusted door mirrors - on all other models they're electric. Electric windows are standard (fronts only on the S) and the Ibiza's cabin is far more insulated from noise than before, although the 1.2-litre model does make itself heard more than the others.

The Ibiza's boot is among the largest in this class, easily able to swallow a couple of suitcases before you have to think about folding down the rear seats. With 292 litres it's similar to a Ford Fiesta and larger than the Volkswagen Polo. The rear seats fold down to boost space and the Ibiza can carry a surprising amount overall. There's decent storage upfront although the shallow glovebox is disappointing.

Sitting in the driver's seat of the previous Ibiza left you exposed to its weakest feature - the rather dull dashboard. However, the 2008 Ibiza is transformed with some distinctive features. A deeply cowled rev counter and speedometer sit each side of a technical looking LED information binnacle. The audio system is a sleek glossy back item with few buttons, although it does take a while to fathom the various functions. SEAT also offers more interesting colour combinations for the dashboard with variations on the typical dark grey or black. There is no integrated satellite navigation system, but customers can choose a bespoke dock and holder for popular portable systems that don't need to be attached to the windscreen with a suction pad.