Launched in the UK last summer, SEAT’s new Ibiza still appears to be taking on its rivals with one hand tied behind its back.

For while there’s a decent choice of three petrol engines, there are still no diesels; nor is the superfrugal Ecomotive model available yet in the new bodyshell.

See more pictures in our gallery below.

The Ecomotive 1.4 diesel is due in May and a 1.6 diesel follows in June – so in the absence of any ‘oil burners’ I decided to put the current Ibiza 1.6 Sport flagship, through its paces.

The latest SEAT supermini is attractively styled with distinctive ‘crease’ lines along the sides – all part of the firm’s new Arrow Design language, courtesy of chief designer Luc Donckerwolke, best known for his work with Lamborghini.

The new look also features a lower, sportier front end, which works well and gives the car more presence.

While the three-door SC is the better-looking version of the Ibiza, the test car had the extra convenience of five doors. Note that these are quite narrow, so may not be suitable for those of portlier stature or with limited mobility.

The driving position is slightly lower than the previous car, so it feels sportier, as do the figure-hugging sports seats.

The dashboard is more functional rather than funky, though there are nice touches like the honeycomb patterning in the vents.

There’s a reasonable amount of room in the cabin for a car of this size, with the boot being particularly generously proportioned.

There’s also a decent level of equipment, with cruise control and a useful trip computer coming as standard.

But the best features tend to be optional and these include bi-xenon lights which can ‘see’ round corners, climate control air conditioning, iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, and a panoramic roof.

Then there is the (again optional) satellite navigation cradle which is designed to accommodate a Tom Tom One (v3). These are popular and capable units but have a small display compared with built-in sat navs.

The location of the display on the top of the dash is also nearly a foot further away from the driver than the audio display. Talking of the sound system it does not store as many stations as other units and cricket fans will be disappointed that there’s no Long Wave.

On the road the Ibiza handles tidily: its track has been been widened by over 3cms, giving it a more sure-footed feel. Its electro-hydraulic steering is light and easy to operate round town, though does lack a little feel.

A glance at the fact file shows the 1.6 is no hot hatch, with the 0-62mph sprint taking over ten seconds.

But it’s far from unwilling and engine sounds nice and rorty above 4,000rpm. I prefer it to the 1.4 – which is £600 cheaper and likely to be the main seller – because it’s a more powerful performer without taking too much of hit in terms of economy.

I returned a creditable 38mpg from the 1.6 on a 120-mile test route including both motorway and urban sections.

It’s the midrange, or rather lack of it, that does for the 1.4. The 1.6 is more than two seconds quicker from 50-70mph, which makes overtaking less of a chore.

Rather shamefully for the 1.4, it is only 0.4 of a second quicker from 50-70mph than the 1.2 Ibiza, which tells its own story.

While I think that people will be happy with the new Ibiza, the big problem for SEAT is that Ford has just launched a new, much-improved version of the Fiesta, not to mention its new Ka too.

And with a new VW Polo looming on the horizon too, the supermini sector of the market is set to become even more competitive than it is now.

By Peter Carroll

FACT FILE:

Model: 1.6 Sport

Price: From £11,265 on the road

Engine: 1,598cc, four cylinders, petrol

Power: 105PS

Transmission: Five-speed manual, front wheel drive

Performance: 10.5 seconds

Top speed: 116mph

Economy: 42.8mpg

CO2 emissions: 157g/km

Length: 4,052mm

Weight: 1,040kg

Insurance group: 10

Servicing: 20,000 miles (oil change every 10,000)

Warranty: Three years/60,000 miles