2010 SEAT Ibiza SC reviews

SEAT Ibiza SC SC 1.6 TDi 2010

Eager for a test to tickle my fancy, I postponed taking the net curtains to the dry cleaners, in order to grab the keys from the delivery driver, rush to the front door and trip over the neighbour’s cat. Fortuitously this granted me a worms eye view of the suspension underpinnings and a reassuring confirmation that the four wheels were attached to the vehicle - essential for my kind of work. If you’re after a stylish motoring package with punch, the 3 Door SEAT Ibiza SC TDi Sport combines aesthetics with ergonomic and economic good sense. It’s a smooth and rapid ’A to B’ machine wrapped attractively in one of the slickest bodyshells I’ve seen from the latest crop of aerodynamically contoured hatchbacks. My test car was delivered in a stunning shade of Galia Blue that offset the styling facilities to perfection. Razor edged contours blend effortlessly with sensuously rounded curves - put simply, it’s a real eye pleaser. Drivers are awarded the satisfaction of owning a vehicle in which style and sense complement each other. It’s rather like owning a fashionable outer garment with the most durable underpinnings. So, I liked what I saw - and from behind the wheel with the car in motion, I liked what the engineering delivered. Climb inside and the harmonious effect endures. A sensibly appointed and comfortable cabin subtly styled to conform with sophisticated notions of taste - nonetheless reassures with a sense of durability. It’s terrifically habitable and attractive. There are nice details to be found everywhere. I especially admired the sunroof, visor and shade which imparted a real feel of luxury. A boring commute would be a pleasure in such an environment. The anticipated electronic displays were toned down to conform with propriety, offering everything the technophile needs, with nothing outlandish to scare off the technophobe. Blessed on the day with a blue sky, I couldn’t wait to get going and put the car through its paces. Firmly shod on wide tyres on alloy wheels it moved away like a dream - and attracted admiring glances from the neighbours; partly on account of its splendid blue colour, bright in the sunlight - but also because of its inescapable elegance of form. Top marks to SEAT for achieving individuality of appearance while maintaining adherence to contemporary templates of climate-efficient motoring. It’s a car for the times but ahead of the field. Tested with the new 1.6 litre 105PS diesel this Ibiza lives up to its ’sport’ name, dashing to that pointless benchmark 60 mph in10.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 117 mph. (119.7778364 mph if you blow up the tyres and fold in the door mirrors and choose a damp day - all stuff and nonsense really.). Much more important is the way this car drives in terms of throttle response in the mid range. I’m pleased to tell you that thanks to nicely chosen five gears and walloping torque of 250Nm at just 1500rpm it ’feels’ quick on the road and is capable of leaving Pedro Sombrero in his screaming Ballistic Banshee Nitro- Glycerine powered Coupe from the Orient, for dead on normal roads. Claimed fuel consumption is 65.7 mpg on the combined cycle - an astonishing figure don’t you think? But I achieved around 56mpg overall. 65.7mpg could probably have been achieved by Reginal Molehusband, but readers will, no doubt, appreciate that this Ibiza invites exuberant driving - so everything is, of course, a compromise. As we all know, you can’t make an omelette without squeezing a chicken. CO2 emissions are low too, so that means low road tax, high efficiency and a happy planet. On the motorway I really enjoyed driving, delighting in confidence inspiring performance allied to an abiding sense of security - but ever cautious, I kept a firm eye on the spy cameras and an even firmer hand on my wallet. I took my foot off the gas like a cautious leopard and gave the similes a chance to catch up. On my secret test route I enjoyed tackling bends wholesale, revelling in the secure and grippy feel, taut suspension and the steering’s acuity. Serenity will be too stronger word in modern motoring conditions but few cars today can so nearly approach that ideal state. I could sense the fact that I was being afforded respect by fellow road users and, quite frankly, felt it was only my due at the wheel of such a fine machine. Lots today is written about incomprehensible technologies and impenetrable enthusiasms for the arcane when it comes to motoring. I have to say that I’m a simple soul and merely want to be given wheels that work in combination with a certain dash of stylistic piquancy: the rest I leave to the anoraks. I can say with confidence that I never cease to be surprised at the quality engineering within reach of even modest pockets these days - and this Ibiza is a prime example with prices starting at £13,295. For as long as the motorcar is a necessity - and for the moment it surely is - we need good cars and should be grateful to manufacturers like SEAT for delivering the goods. It’s a testimony to the virtues of this desirable car that beneath the beauty there’s a toughness so necessary for our potholed, pockmarked, shockingly bad roads. Nothing disturbed its equanimity. There were no rattles: no shaking loose of bits of trim. Everything was tight, tough, comfortable - and there I was, perfectly seated to ’wind up the wick!’