King of SEAT Ibiza ST running costs is the 1.2-litre TDI Ecomotive that, thanks to start/stop and brake regeneration plus a few aero tweaks, averages an astonishing 80.7 mpg, improved from the pre-facelift model’s 78.5mpg. With emissions of just 92g/km (down from 94g/km) of CO2 the Ecomotive is also road tax exempt – something the normal 1.2 TDI model can’t claim.

Unfortunately that car emits 104g/km of CO2, but averaging 70.6mpg is still mightily impressive. The 1.6-litre TDI, meanwhile, averages a still impressive 65.7mpg and 112g/km. On the petrol side, thanks to the wonders of turbocharging, not only is the 1.2-litre TSI more efficient than the less powerful 1.4-litre with its 55.4mpg (1.4 averages 47.9mpg) the smaller engine slips into the cheaper VED Band C for road tax with its 119g/km of CO2.

There’s nothing much to worry about with SEAT Ibiza ST emissions. Again, the Ecomotive rules here emitting just 92g/km of CO2 is an astonishing result for a spacious car. This easily makes the Ecomotive Ibiza one of the cleanest in its class, though a Skoda Fabia Greenline just pips it with emissions of 89g/km. Meanwhile, considering its performance, the 1.2-litre TSI petrol must also get a notable mention for its blend of speed, space and 119g/km of CO2 emissions – a good effort for a petrol.

SEAT Ibiza ST reliability shouldn’t cause you a headache, although SEAT has struggled in recent owner satisfaction surveys and the Ibiza is no exception. There have been issues with build quality in the past but it’s important to remember that last year’s surveys, where SEAT performed badly, concerned the previous-generation Ibiza models. Since then the brand has worked hard to improve quality.