Seat Ibiza ST Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr Car Review - March 2012

The Seat Ibiza Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr comes in the shape of a medium family estate with a sporty edge and front-wheel-drive. The perky engine offers a fun driving experience, but what it does lack is power. Despite this, the steering is quick and accurate and due to the low set driving position, both long and short journeys can be made in comfort.

The gearboxes feel firm and smooth to use, but the suspension makes the cabin feel a little shaky and unsettled when driving around town. Hitting the open road also has its cons; the Seat Ibiza Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr tends to bounce about a little on the open road, although this is only noticeable at high speeds. The engine is a little on the noisy side and this becomes more apparent once you hit those top speeds.

Producing 184 lb-ft torque power at 1500 rpm, and 104 bhp (105 ps) at 4400 rpm, the Seat Ibiza Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr has a little more push than the others in the Ibiza range, yet despite this it still doesn’t feel particularly fast. But what it can do at low speed is steer beautifully and accelerate smoothly. It has a top speed of 117 mph and the small 1598 cc engine doesn’t make for much power, travelling from 0-62 mph in 10.5 seconds.

With its distinctive design, the Seat Ibiza Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr has no problem turning heads.

Despite this, the materials inside the Seat Ibiza Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr are not luxurious, but more durable. All models come with buttons on the steering column, which control the MP3 and CD player. Other features include alloy wheels, electric windows, electric door mirrors, Bluetooth, air con, rear-parking sensors and cruise control as standard. Leather seats and metallic paint come as optional extras.

The interior of the Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr offers an ample amount of space in the front but minimal legroom in the rear. The driver is able to adjust the seat to his or her preferences and there is ample headroom available. The boot offers plenty of space and the 60/40 split rear seats fold back easily, which then creates even more space. The boot goes from 292 litres to 554 litres with the seats down.

The Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr comes fitted as standard with a driver, passenger and front side airbags as well central locking, an alarm and immobiliser.

It is a very reliable vehicle and offers a 3-year warranty on 60,000 miles.

Ibiza prices are very competitive, with the Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr costing £15,500. The car tends to hold its value pretty well, too.

The diesel engine is environmentally friendly and offers low CO2 emissions of 112 g/km. On top of this, the Sportrider 1.6 TDI CR 5dr has a combined average of 66.7 mpg, making it ultra low cost to run.