• Dashboard is simple and user-friendly
• Infotainment is excellent
• Quality trails its rivals in places

How is the quality and layout?

Jump into the driver’s seat of the Ibiza and you’ll notice how restrained it is compared with the exterior styling. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though, because it means it’s simple and easy to get comfortable, while all of the controls are well-sited and stress-free to use.

There is plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel, and all seats are supportive and comfortable. What surprised us was just how much thigh support there was, which is often a niggle of smaller cars with smaller seats.

There’s a full-width piece of trim across the dashboard which aims to add some interest, but it’s only on higher-spec models where this features plusher-looking materials other than grey plastic. There are a few quality question marks as well, with very few soft-touch materials found, even on top of the dash. A VW Polo this is not, but it does still feel solidly constructed and like it’ll last the life of the car.

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Infotainment and tech

Entry-level SE models come with a super-slick 8.2-inch infotainment screen and it grows to 9.2-inches for the rest of the range. They’re slick and easy to use without the glitches you get with many other Volkswagen Group cars, which is good news.

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The way the main controls in the centre of the dash are ever so slightly angled slightly towards the driver is a nice touch, though, and you feel very much like you’re sitting in the car, rather than on it. It instantly makes you feel more involved in driving it. Even the Fiesta can’t offer this, with a loftier driving position that feels at odds with the driving experience.

Comfort

• Strong seat comfort
• Impressive sound insulation
• Size of alloys make a difference

The seats found in the Ibiza FR are particularly nice, with extra bolstering for greater support. They don’t have a short base either, which you often find in superminis. A long journey brought no discomfort whatsoever.

The engines have a tendency to make themselves known in the cabin when you really rev them out, but the Ibiza remains relaxed if you do this. Sure, you can hear when it reaches higher revs, but it’s not coarse and it doesn’t upset the calm inside the cabin.

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It’s a similar story with wind and road noise with only slight blustering around the angular door mirrors at speed. The optional 18-inch alloys do kick up some extra road rumble at speed, with some road surfaces a contributing factor in this, too.