THE new Seat Ibiza, on sale from May 1, comes in three and five-door hatchback versions, with four equipment levels (Ibiza 1.2, S, SE and Sport) and five engines from which to choose.

Prices start at £7,995 on the road for the Ibiza 1.2, rising to £13,495 for the top of the range Ibiza TDi 130 bhp Sport.

Totally new from the ground up the Ibiza’s distinctive, modern look, reminiscent of recent SEAT concept cars, disguises the fact that it is longer, wider and higher than its predecessor.

It is actually one of the largest cars in its class and all this extra space has been converted into comfort with more front and rear passenger leg room, shoulder room and a bigger boot.

The stylish design is complemented by sporty performance and driving pleasure delivered through new engines and gearboxes, SEAT’s “agile chassis” and exceptional specification levels. The new Ibiza features five power plants, three petrol and two diesel, ranging from a new 1.2 litre three-cylinder petrol engine to the most powerful diesel engine available in any supermini, the 1.9 130 bhp TDi linked to a six-speed gearbox.

Twin airbags, radio-CD player, electric windows, electro-hydraulic power steering, remote central locking, immobiliser, pollen filter and height and reach adjustable steering wheel are just some of the items that are standard across the entire range. In addition, air conditioning is standard in all models except the entry level Ibiza 1.2.

But the new Ibiza has not sacrificed safety for style and performance. This is reflected in its low insurance group ratings, which range from group two to group seven.

A host of safety features has been built into standard specification. For example, twin airbags and pretensioned front seat belts, collapsible steering column and pedal box, two ISOFIX child seat mountings in the rear seat.