Seat Ibiza 5dr 1.2 S a/c: Test Drive

Date: 11 September 2008   |   Author:

Category: Supermini P11d price: £9320 Key rival: Vauxhall Corsa

We've tried the top-selling 1.4 Seat Ibiza, and now the car's arrived in the UK we've sampled the entry-level 70PS 1.2 engine, in this case the model that's £500 more expensive than the standard S thanks to the addition of aircon.

In many ways the 1.2 is a better bet than its £900 more expensive 85PS 1.4 sibling. No significant power deficiency can be detected, although the three-cylinder 1.2 could get a bit wearing on the eardrums, even if the noise is a novelty to begin with.

On the downside, the ride is too harsh over potholes and rutted British roads, and while the boot's a decent size, there is a hefty lip to drag heavy items up and over.

RVs are decent, which means a low cost per mile of 28.2p, although CO2 of 139g/km is surprisingly high in an age where a figure of 120 is becoming increasingly important.

Verdict: Looks smart and is cheap to run in this trim and engine combination

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