Review
/5
- Pros:
- Stylish looks
- Robustly built, well equipped cabin
- Easy to access cabin
- Cons:
- Boot smaller than rivals
- Sport equipped cars have firm ride
- Slightly more expensive than rivals
reviewed by Carbuyer
"The Ibiza ST certainly lives up to the Spanish firm's sporty image. It retains the hatchback's stylish looks and is good to drive, but is not as spacious as rivals."
At a glance
- The greenest
- ST 1.2 TDI CR 75PS Ecomotive S a/c 5dr
£14,515 - The cheapest
- ST 1.2 12V 70PS S a/c 5dr
£12,140 - The fastest
- ST 1.4 TSI 150PS DSG FR 5dr
£17,085 - Top of the range
- ST 1.4 TSI 150PS DSG FR 5dr
£17,085
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Good to look and and fun to drive. The Ibiza ST helps change the view that supermini estate cars are all awkwardly styled and boring to own and drive. But although the sculpted bodywork offers visual appeal, it's boot is not quite as big as rivals from Skoda and Renault. If practicality is your only concern then the ST won’t be top of your shopping list. But, if you’re looking for an estate with a little Spanish style, then SEAT may have what you’re looking for.
Drive
The ST offers a fun ride, with responsive steering and handling
The Ibiza ST's performance can’t quite match its sporty looks. Although the top specification 1.6-litre diesel is smooth and quiet, it lacks power and performance. It's a great cruiser, though, and will return 65.7 mpg on the motorway. With a 0-62mph time of 10.9, it's not as quick as the 1.2-litre TSI engined car, but offers the best mix of performance and economy in the range. In true SEAT style the ST offers a fun ride, with responsive steering and handling. The extra bulk adds 105kg to its weight, which you can feel through the corners.
Comfort
The swooping roofline looks good, but impacts on headroom
The Ibiza ST's rear doors are 15mm longer than those offered by the hatchback, so clambering into the back seats is easier. The swooping roofline looks good, but impacts on headroom. The ST is shortest in class and adults will feel the squeeze in the back. The suspension is offered in two different states of tune with Sport models offering a much firmer setting. The standard car is more comfortable.
Reliability
The Ibiza ST is built from parts developed for Volkswagen
As Seat is part of the Volkswagen Group, the Ibiza ST is built from parts developed for use across a wide range of established models from VW, Skoda and Audi. As a result, reliability for this new model is expected to be good. What's more, the cabin feels robustly built, and the Ibiza has been awarded a five star Euro NCAP crash protection rating.
Practicality
Despite being longer than rivals, interior space is worse
The ST isn’t as big as the Skoda Fabia Estate and you’ll fit 50-litres less in the boot as a result. In fact, despite being longer than the Renault Clio Sports Tourer, it has less storage space than its French rival, too. Nine litres less with the rear seats up and a whopping 113-litres when you fold them down.
Value for money
The Ibiza ST offers buyers lots of choice
Good looks come at a price - the Ibiza ST is slightly more expensive than rivals like the Skoda Fabia Estate. However, the car offers buyers lots of choice. There's a choice of two trims, plus two petrol and two diesel engines. An 84bhp 1.4-litre and a turbo charged 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI make up the petrol offerings, while the oil-burners come in a choice of a 74bhp 1.2-litre TDI and a 104bhp 1.6-litre TDI. Air-conditioning, roof rails and an MP3 compatible CD player are all offered as standard.
Running costs
The diesels offer economy of up to 80mpg
There's a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines. An 84bhp 1.4-litre and a turbo charged 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI make up the petrol offerings, while the oil-burners come in a choice of a 74bhp 1.2-litre TDI and a 104bhp 1.6-litre TDI. As you’d expect from Volkswagen group engines, the diesels offer great economy, with the smaller unit boasting a frugal 80mpg and a tax-evading 92g/km. Servicing costs are reasonable, but it may be more difficult to secure a large cash discount on the car than you expect...
*Our monthly finance prices are updated on a regular basis, but due to the dynamic nature of the market are not guaranteed accurate. You can always confirm the monthly finance price with FinanceAcar.
