Road test: Seat Ibiza FR 1.4 TDI

Sometimes — especially in London where we have specific demands — a car just hits the spot. Such a car is Seat’s unsung hero, the Ibiza.

We drove the FR 1.4 TDI and — with its direct steering, great driver’s seating position, all-round vision, decent luggage capacity and engaging character — it proved an impressive drive. In town, it was an agile delight; manoeuvrable and nippy but — unlike some similar-sized cars — had a supple ride, despite its slightly sporty aspirations betrayed by aggressive-looking alloys and deep front air dam. Only over the more vicious craters and ridges did it feel slightly too firm.

On the motorway, it was superb, too, with long-legged performance from its 103bhp diesel engine, smooth, manual gearbox and a well-judged ride. Sound levels were reasonably hushed.

With the FR model, Seat have erred on the sensible side of sporty, so while it looks the part, hugged bends at speed, steered nicely and was able to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 9.9 seconds, it felt civilised, flattering the driver rather than egging you on to go faster.

The switchgear and controls exude a solid air, the sound system delivered a punch, and supportive seats made even longer journeys comfortable. Combined with decent equipment levels and claimed combined fuel consumption of 72mpg, it’s a hard car not to fall for.

Seat Ibiza FR 1.4 TDI 105 PST
Top speed: 119 mph 0-62mph: 9.9secs 
CO2: 100g/km 
Price: £17,335