Seat Ibiza long-term test

The car Seat Ibiza FR Sport 1.0 TSI Petrol | Run by Jonty Renk, video production manager

Why it’s here To show that cars designed 10 years ago can be better than today's rivals

Needs to Provide an engaging drive, easy to use controls and remind me of why I fell in love with driving 10 years ago

Mileage 5981 List price £20,995 Best price £17,495 Price as tested £25,635 Official economy 51.8mpg Test economy 49.9mpg

30 June 2026 – Don't fob me off

If you’ve read my first report about my Seat Ibiza, you’ll know that I opted for top spec FR Sport trim. It is just less than £5000 more expensive than the entry level SE model, so you'd expect it to come with loads more kit to compensate you for the larger outlay – and truth be told it does. I have a bigger infotainment screen, bucket seats, bigger 18in alloy wheels and keyless entry.

While all these added features add convenience and comfort, though, I have still noticed a couple things that seemingly even this best Seat Ibiza doesn't get right.

The best example of this is the aforementioned keyless entry system. You see, on lower spec Ibizas the ignition is activated by putting the key into the steering column, which is nice and simple. 

In my FR Sport car, this is swapped for a Stop/Start button located by the gearstick. And on the first few start ups, due to the button being obstructed by the gear stick, I naturally drew the switchblade style key and aimed to put it in the steering column as anyone would. This begs the question of why didn't Seat bother to upgrade they key while swapping out the engine start procedure?

Then there's the fob itself, because it remains a cheap switchblade key rather than the more upmarket consolidated key fobs found in higher trim Cupras, Skodas and Volkswagens, not to mention cars from brands outside the Volkswagen Group.

Its not a huge gripe, but the key often swings open in my pocket, which is annoying, and the whole effort feels slightly lackluster for what's meant to be the top trim.

Moreover, the keyless entry only activates for the Ibiza's front doors or the boot, which, when arriving at the from the passenger side of the car with my hands full, means that I can't just get in. Instead, I have to put my camera or shopping down, get the key out of my pocket, unlock the car, and load my items in.

It's a first-world problem, I know, but I can't help but think that it would have been useful to add another capacitive sensor on the passenger side.

None of this detracts, of course, from the business of driving the Ibiza, and I'm pleased to report that continues to be an utter delight. This small car seems perfectly suited to big and small journeys alike, which is handy since I have a road trip coming up. More on that in my next report.

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