When I spent a few days driving a selection of SEAT models in Spain just before their introduction to South Africa, I knew the sporty arm of the VW group would have potential on our market. They’d just have to offer the right package at the right price.

That didn’t happen at the start, with a selection of bigger-engined versions slotting above the equivalent VWs, even though SEATs are always cheaper overseas. Sales were slow, and SEAT soon went on the back foot, reducing its prices to slightly below VW level. As a further effort, the company soon followed with more affordable 1.4 and 1.6-litre versions of the Ibiza hatch.

What you see here is the brand’s lowest entry point. Hardly entry level, but at a nudge over R120K, it’s priced comfortably within the B-segment ballpark. But it’s a hotly contested market, and the big question here is whether this Spanish entrant is a worthwhile alternative.

It has a sweet-enough 1.4-litre engine, with 16 valves and enough grunt, on paper, to keep up with most rivals. But in reality, it failed to show much in the way of decent pace, especially at higher speeds.

We believe the engine’s rev-limit of 5000 is to blame for this. In acceleration from standstill and even in the tractability test from 80 to 120km/h, the Ibiza fell behind rivals like Toyota Yaris 1.3 and Opel Corsa, Hyundai Getz and Citroen C3 1.4-litre models. This 1.4’s geared for nippy acceleration around town, but hit the open road and you’ll be wishing for more ponies.

It’s a pity, because Ibiza has a really good chassis and road holding is easily in the top bracket for this class. While it provides fun through the bends, the ride quality is also reasonably good.

The interior is where this Spaniard’s age becomes most apparent. The colour scheme is dark and sombre, with hard and cheap plastics dominating most of the surface area. Interior space and boot volume is about average for the class, lagging behind class-leaders like the Jazz.

The Ibiza’s standard features list packs everything you’d expect at this price — nothing more and nothing less. It’s got aircon, power steering, remote central locking and an audio system with CD player. The windows must be wound up manually, though.

When it comes to poser value, the SEAT fares well with its sporty lines, although it’s more a case of aging gracefully than fighting at the cutting edge. And unlike its upper-range siblings, this one has no alloy wheels, no racy seat trim or any other add-ons that usually befit a sporty hatchback.

As a package, the Ibiza 1.4 is a fair deal, but it brings nothing new to this class of vehicle and having been on sale overseas for quite some time now and needing replacement soon, has fallen behind more modern rivals in most respects.

If it had a little more poke and a fresher interior, the entry-level SEAT would be much higher on our wish list. Now do yourself a favour and go test-drive the new Mazda2.

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