Seat Ibiza review

The Ibiza does as much as it needs to as a reasonably priced supermini – seats, steering wheel, etc – and not a great deal more. Which is fine if you just want a simple runabout, but people are increasingly demanding higher things of their superminis as they downsize from bigger cars to save money. The Skoda Fabia has responded marvellously to that change. 

The cabin materials were improved over the launch car when the Ibiza was facelifted in 2021, but there are still some overly hard and scratchy bits of plastic around the cabin that could've been disguised better with some lateral thinking. 

What’s the tech like?

The infotainment set-up is all familiar ground from other Volkswagen Group models like the VW Polo and Skoda Fabia. Each brand gets the opportunity to design its own style into the interface, but the fundamentals are the same. 

It all works fine – entry-spec cars get an 8.25in touchscreen, the others all get a 9.2in unit with internet connectivity and nav – though VW Group's system is far from our favourite.

All cars get Apple and Android connectivity as standard, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out too much in the entry car. There are separate physical controls for the aircon in all versions, which we like, and USB-C plugs up front.

Is there decent space? 

Obviously we’re not talking Rolls-Royce space in this small Spanish supermini, but it does alright. The cabin up front is decently roomy, but the back seats aren’t for long journeys if you’re a grown-up. You can fit in four-up for a jaunt about town if you need to.

There’s 355 litres of space in the boot which expands to 1,165 litres with the seats down. 

How does the Ibiza compare with the other VW Group models?

The Polo feels fancier and a bit more grown-up, while the Fabia just has a more considered interior that makes the day-to-day a bit easier. The Ibiza struggles to carve out a niche for itself here: the plastics are a bit cheap feeling, there’s none of the sportiness that Seat is supposed to stand for, and a real lack of storage and practicality.