We put the SEAT Ibiza’s interior and specification to the test.

The Ibiza rarely feels like a small car

Last month I enthused about the interior of our Ibiza test car. I’m still a fan. The increased cabin dimensions of this latest generation supermini means you still get all the manoeuvrability of a small car but without the compromise of a cramped interior.

The only time the Ibiza really feels like a small car is on extended motorway runs where wind and road noise become intrusive; while the ride from the 18-inch alloys and stiffer suspension is engaging on open roads, it becomes tiresome at speed across poor surfaces.

The infotainment system is intuitive and easy to use on the go thanks to the 8-inch touch screen. And the digital cockpit is excellent. Aside from being able to configure the look according to your mood, the ability to display an enlarged sat nav map between the main dials is particularly useful when concentrating on unfamiliar roads.

Specification levels are high with cruise control, dual zone climate control and stylish microsuede upholstery. But the rear door window winders are a puzzling anachronistic throwback.

The six-speed manual transmission is light and tactile. And fuel economy is holding up. One recent 200-mile round trip returned 50.5mpg, better than the claimed average of up to 48.7mpg.

P11D (BiK): £19,655 (25%) MPG/CO2: 45.6-48.7mpg (WLTP) /107g/km (NEDC Correlated) Test MPG: 42.5mpg