| First Drive | Barcelona | SEAT Ibiza ST |

Look everyone! It's Shakira! That was SEAT's basic modus operandi at this year's Geneva Motor Show. That's probably because its four-wheeled centerpiece was a small estate car.

However, away from the motor show floor and back in the real world, cars like that are very useful indeed. The Ibiza ST might not have mesmerising hips, but it doesn't look half bad - and it's very practical.

In the Metal

From the front doors forward it's as per the Ibiza hatchback. Beyond that, there's a larger set of rear doors for easier access and a much bigger boot. The car gains 18cm in exterior length, which adds up to a 430-litre boot.

That makes it almost 50 percent bigger than the Ibiza hatchback's boot, and slightly more capacious than that of the Peugeot 207 SW. But it's also 50 litres smaller than its other direct rival, the Skoda Fabia Estate. With the split folding rear seats laid flat, a full 1,164 litres opens up, contained within a useful basic oblong shape.

From the outside, the ST's sharp lines and metal creases do a decent job of sidestepping the boxy minefield that some estates wander into. It's the best looking of the aforementioned mini estate trilogy and looks quite a lot like a little Audi A4 Avant from some angles.

What you get for your Money

For about a grand over the five-door hatch's price you get all that extra space and a set of roof rails. Four trim levels, four engines and two gearboxes are available. The base petrol is a 1.4-litre unit with 84bhp, followed by a 1.2-litre TDI diesel with 74bhp. That engine also comes in Ecomotive spec, which includes stop-start and regenerative braking for a £700 or so premium. It does, however, dip into the free-to-tax, sub-100g/km bracket, and returns an almost silly 78.5mpg. Neither engine is a class leader when it comes to proper cargo carrying work, though.

More alluring are the 1.2-litre TSI petrol and the 1.6-litre TDI diesel engines, both of which pack 104bhp. The petrol isn't ideal for an estate because it has to be wrung out to get the best from it, but it's not weak. The TDI is a lot better. It's a little flat below 2,000rpm but it has a useful slug of torque, plus road noise is well contained. It returns a healthy 67.3mpg on average, too.

Price wise, you're looking at £12,000-15,000. As ever, landing somewhere in the upper-middle of that bracket, with a diesel engine in a decent spec, is favourable. All cars get air conditioning while Sport spec gets bigger wheels and firmer suspension. Ecomotive is the green one and S A/C is the bargain bucket model.

Driving it

Price, practicality, costs and looks will be top priority on most buyers' lists. With that in mind, the Ibiza ST makes a compelling case for itself.

All the engines are frugal and punchy, to a greater or lesser extent, but primarily, the ST is a spacious and comfortable little car. The range of movement of the seat and wheel is wide, the controls are light and direct and, fundamentally, the boot is well shaped and loading is easy. It's also cheap to run - whatever engine you choose - and it looks good for an estate.

Choose the Sport option and the ride suffers a little, but that's an area that SEAT is really starting to get right. There's still an underlying firmness, but the Ibiza deals with potholes and bumps well - the suspension takes the major hit rather than the entire car itself. It settles down on the motorway and avoids the wavy sensation of previously rigid SEAT setups. It's quiet at any speed, too.

We'd definitely steer you toward the more powerful engines for an easy life. You'll find yourself working the five-speed gearbox less, which has quite wide ratios. The seven-speed DSG automatic is an option on the 1.2-litre TSI version.

Worth Noting

The 1.2-litre TDI diesel ST Ecomotive is, for now, SEAT's cleanest car, with only 94g/km of CO₂ and that huge 78.5mpg mentioned earlier. As a topical comparison, the Toyota Prius manages 'only' 72.4mpg.

Summary

SEAT's Ibiza ST is the pretty boy of the supermini estate pack, but it doesn't just rely on that. It's spacious, well priced, good to drive and cheap to run. The lower powered versions don't really have the shove to be proper load luggers, but higher up in the range there's a very practical and appealing small estate car to be had.