THINK Ibiza, think hot. The legendary party island’s mechanical namesake is aiming to live up to that image.

On the road: THE Ibiza Cupra has been around for a while in a variety of guises - this, I’d argue is the most radical looking of the lot. All things are relative, of course, but the folds, creases and sharply angled headlight arrangement do mark it out. Powered by a 1.4 litre petrol engine, putting out 178bhp, it can reach a top speed of 142mph and nought to 62mph in a shade under seven seconds. That power is allied to a seven-speed DSG gearbox. Characteristically for the type, delivery isn’t exactly seamless, but nor does it cause you to rock violently to and fro as speed increases. On country roads, use of the flappy paddles enables changes that are more in tune with your brain. Doing so means, that while it’s not as sticky as some, it’s possible to have plenty of fun into the bargain. There is road noise, more so than in an average car, but for a hot-hatch it’s pretty well contained.

The Northern Echo:

On the inside: THE interior is something of a contrast to the exterior. It’s nowhere near as bold and striking, in fact it’s just a little ordinary. In its defence, this car also has to double as a family runabout, so you probably wouldn’t want it to be too out there. There are little things here and there to break up the black, such as the extra badging and white piping to the seats. The stereo set-up, despite incorporating DAB radio, looks quite old-fashioned and, consequently, the satellite navigation system perches on top of the surround. The seats do their best to protect your posterior from the bumps, but it’s still a little firm.

What do you get: OVER and above FR trim, you get Bi-Xenon headlights with adaptive front-lights and headlight washers, LED daytime running lights, gloss black door mirrors, Cupra front and rear bumpers, dark tinted rear windows and centre trapezoidal exhaust pipe. Inside, you get the Cupra detailing I mentioned earlier, sports seats, drilled aluminium pedals, climate control, 17ins alloys, hill hold control and tyre pressure monitoring. In addition, our car was fitted with the optional front and rear parking sensors How practical is it: ROOM up front is fine if you’re not carrying anyone behind. But I found that carrying my three children meant I had to have the front seats a little further forward than I would have liked. There’s no issue with headroom, however, and width across the rear is fine. Access to the rear in the three-door is, as you might expect, not as easy as it would be in a five-door, but I didn’t have too many problems getting the baby in and out of his seat. The boot has 236 litres of space, which is good enough for the average shop etc, but was a tight fit, and meant the removal of the parcel shelf, for a fullsize pushchair.

Running costs: RELATIVELY cheap to buy and certainly good value when it comes to keeping them on the road, the Ibiza should make an enticing prospect, financially speaking. The interior is not up there with some of its rivals, or members of its own stable, but neither is it flimsy or inadequately put together. Despite its potency, driven responsibly, SEAT says you should get in the region of 48mpg. We managed around 36mpg, but we did put it through its paces. CO2 comes in at 139g/km.

Verdict: NOT as fun as some, but certainly able to put a smile on your face, the potent Ibiza still has more than a little life left in it yet.

Alternatives: MINI Cooper S, Skoda Fabia vRS