Four decades after the original Ibiza launched, we head behind the wheel of the special-edition ‘Anniversary’ model to see if SEAT’s supermini has still got what it takes.

SEAT Ibiza Anniversary Edition FR 1.0 TSI 115PS

PRICE £24,390 BiK 30% ECONOMY 48.7-50.4mpg CO2 EMISSIONS 126g/km ON FLEET 50.9mpg

First report:

Our new Anniversary Edition Ibiza long-termer

Having previously covered 4,000 miles in a SEAT Ibiza 1.0 TSI FR 95PS nearly three years ago, it’s actually really comforting to get back behind the wheel and familiarity has definitely bred content.

I’ve not had an Ibiza-free life in that time though, as my next-door neighbours were so impressed with SEAT’s supermini back in late 2021, that they ordered one on a three-year PCP deal. I wrote at the time that the pick of the range was probably the 1.0-litre TSI 110hp model (now bumped up to 115hp in the latest Ibiza), so that’s the model they went for, and have been delighted with it, with the next conundrum being whether to buy it outright or figuring out what to replace it with at the end of the lease.

Our new Anniversary Edition here celebrates 40 years of the SEAT Ibiza, a statistic that leaves me unable to work out whether it makes me feel young or old. Nevertheless, in addition to the extra 20 Pferdestärke this latest Ibiza offers over our previous FW Fleet star, there is an exclusive-to-the-limited-edition metallic (though this is hard to tell outside direct sunlight) Graphene Grey paint job, wonderfully comfortable bucket seats, keyless entry and an impressive nine-speaker BeatsAudio system with subwoofer and amp. Its pièce de résistance though is the excellent panoramic sunroof, unavailable across the rest of the range.

And speaking of excellence, the Ibiza in Xcellence Lux trim – priced very slightly below the 40th anniversary edition – offers probably the only two additional options we’d like on our car, namely, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control.

It also offers the ‘comfort’ suspension, but having driven our car in FR trim and therefore with the standard ‘sport’ suspension, we would happily forgo a little softness in favour of its slightly sharper dynamics.

The black microsuede interior is predictably dark, not helped by the dark headlining fabric, but the sunroof really does a good job of lightening up the ambience on brighter days. The Ibiza also feels very, very well put together – more so than I remember – and the few additional extras on this limited-edition model have the effect of elevating SEAT’s supermini and giving it a premium feel.

There’s no doubt also that the bespoke colour scheme for both the car and its wheels definitely suit it, and help justify its range-topping price tag.