Seat IbizaApril 2010

Heralded as the start of a new era when it was launched, Seat claims that the Ibiza's style and dynamics set the car apart from its direct rivals.

The Ibiza is certainly good-looking enough to cut a dash in the city streets it was intended for, and is available either as a five-door hatchback, a Sports Coupe - Seat's ostentatious title for a standard three-door version or a Sports Tourer estate.

The base models are dominated by petrol engines with the pick being the turbocharged 1.2-litre TSI. It offers a mix of entertainment and frugality, with the potential for 55mpg combined. However, the environmental champion is the Ecomotive variant, which emits under 100g/km in all bodystyles and should be capable of fuel economy in the mid seventies if you drive with the patient determination of a VW technician.

The Ibiza range is topped by several different versions of what Seat feels a modern performance hatchback should be. Directly above the Sport models sit the FR-badged cars, which are available with either the 150bhp version of VW's 1.4-litre TSI engine or the 143bhp 2.0 TDI.

As with the previous generation, the flagship Ibiza wears the Cupra badge and gets the more powerful 180bhp 1.4 TSI. This shrill engine gives the supermini a sharp turn of pace through a frustratingly dim-witted seven-speed DSG gearbox, but the Cupra's ultra-firm suspension can make progress on UK roads an uncomfortable experience. The payoff is very little body roll and safe, predictable handling on the limit.

Ultimately, Seat's Ibiza Cupra hot hatch lacks the engaging sparkle of the Renaultsport Clio Cup, but it's affordability and relative economy means it is worthy of consideration nevertheless. Only the Bocanegra model is more expensive than the Cupra, but it's little more than an exclusive trim level and probably not worth the money.

Unfortunately for Seat, the Cupra's lack of satisfying involvement is a criticism that can just as easily be levelled at the cheaper models in the Ibiza range, too. There's no question of the car's overall competence, but compared to the best of the breed - namely, the Fiesta, Polo and Mini - the Ibiza is short on poise and pizzazz.

Seat's trump card is value. The Ibiza, in all guises, offers strong value for money over its admittedly more polished competitors. The interior is comfortable and reasonably well finished, and most variants get a generous amount of kit. There's also a decent amount of space considering the car's compact dimensions, as well as an unexpectedly big boot. This is even truer for the ST, which not only boasts an impressive amount of carrying capacity, but also offers an almost lip-free entry point to aid easy loading.

The Ibiza's distinctly Germanic attributes make it a safe, solid and dependable choice if you're in the market for a supermini - just don't expect too much Latin flair from the little Seat.