First UK drive: Seat Ibiza SportCoupe

Seat Ibiza owners are traditionally a young crowd, so it's fitting the Spanish manufacturer has designed its new three-door Ibiza specifically with tender-aged buyers in mind.

It's called the Seat Ibiza SportCoupe and it features a different body style from the more mature five-door which is expected to appeal to families.

Seat Ibiza SportCoupe slide show

More models now differ significantly depending on how many doors they offer. Marketing departments have seen the difference in wants and needs of buyers of three and five door cars.

Those after fewer doors tend to be younger, and want a car with a sportier image.

The Seat Ibiza SportCoupe is 17mm lower than the five-door model and 18mm shorter. The front seats are mounted 22mm lower and the body has edgier styling with a more sharply styled boot.

Its looks are heavily influenced by the attention-grabbing Seat Bocanegra concept which was first seen at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and the SportCoupe will form the basis of forthcoming hot FR and Cupra models.

The interior is an attractive place to be and features a modern black dashboard with red illumination, an entertainment system with MP3 and USB compatibility and sporty dials for speed and engine revs placed in individual pods.

Sport models get very good front seats which hold occupants firmly in place and prove comfortable on longer trips too.

Flatter, less heavily bolstered seats in all other models are less gripping, but slightly easier to get in and out of.

Don't expect class leading space – there is only adequate legroom and headroom to keep tall rear passengers comfortable on shorter trips and I found my left leg rubbed on the centre console whilst driving.

The boot can hold 284 litres (17 litres more than the previous Ibiza), which is not a substantial reduction from the five-door.

Great Handling

The best thing about the Ibiza SportCoupe is its handling, which is planted and confidence inspiring while remaining comfortable.

Its chassis is a new addition to the Volkswagen family of cars and it places the wheels further apart than in the previous Ibiza.

The result is an increase in stability and grip which lets the SportCoupe live up to its name on twisty roads.

This natural poise means the Electronic Stability Programme should only be activated in extreme circumstances.

Comfort and Sport suspension is available, the latter featuring springs and dampers around 25 per cent stiffer for less body roll.

The change felt on the road is not dramatic, both cars offering high levels of grip and absorbing bumps well.

Electric power assisted steering firms up at higher speeds and lightens during parking. It's an effective system but doesn't telegraph enough information about the road to the driver.

Economical petrols

At launch the Ibiza SportCoupe is available with three economical petrol engines: a 70bhp 1.2-litre, 85bhp 1.4-litre and a 105bhp 1.6-litre.

The first application of Volkswagen's seven-speed DSG semi-automatic transmission will be available in 1.6-litre SportsCoupe models.

The 1.4-litre fitted in all the UK launch test cars offered adequate performance and should place the model in a low insurance group. It's also capable of 45.5mpg and emits 149g/km of carbon dioxide, placing it in tax band C which costs £120 annually.

At 70mph the engine is relaxed enough at 3,000rpm to make light work of long-distance driving.

At this stage the SportCoupe is lacking hot performance to go with its name.

Fans of high performance will need to hold on for the 150bhp SportCoupe FR and the 180bhp SportCoupe Cupra which arrive next year and will have a 1.4-litre TSI turbocharged and supercharged petrol engine.

A 1.6-litre diesel engine is expected next year and a low-emissions model is also on the cards, with emissions of less than 100g/km.

Standard equipment on all models includes body-coloured bumpers, front electric windows, rake and reach adjustable steering wheel, anti-lock brakes and a CD player with steering wheel mounted controls.

The SportCoupe offers good value for money against its key rivals the Mazda 2, Ford Fiesta, Mini, Peugeot 207, Toyota Yaris, Vauxhall Corsa, Renault Clio and Fiat Grande Punto.

It is on sale in October with a starting price of £8,295 for the 1.2-litre S model, going up to £10,895 for the range-topping 1.6-litre Sport.