Although SEAT have assiduously cultivated a sporting reputation, cars like the Ibiza 1.4TDi diesel make up most of their sales.

POSITIONING yourself as a manufacturer of dynamic sporty vehicles has many advantages. Not only do you get to leather the expense account with various motorsport escapades but you also enjoy the trickledown of that image from your flagship sporty models down to the more prosaic vehicles lurking at more attainable positions in the range. For every Cupra model SEAT sell, they're banking on selling a number of models like the Ibiza 1.4TDi, a car that's at the sensible end of the scale.

The Ibiza is a very likeable car. Voted What Car? magazine's Car Of The Year 2003, the latest 1.4-litre TDi strengthens an already formidable model line up. With a punchy 75bhp turbodiesel powering the compact Ibiza, you'd expect it to feel agreeably muscular and you won't be disappointed. The engine has a delightfully elastic feel to it, the turbocharger spooling up to provide if not a gale then a stiff breeze of midrange torque.

This strong torque figure means you won't need to gun the engine every time you want to make decent progress. This translates into a fuel economy figure of 61.4mpg and low emissions of just 124g/km. Available solely in S specification, the Ibiza 1.4TDI doesn't fare too badly in terms of equipment which includes tinted glass, a body-coloured rear spoiler, remote central locking, an eight-speaker stereo system, electric windows, a split-folding rear seat, electro-hydraulic power steering, a pollen filter and twin front airbags and autoclima' air conditioning.

In the Volkswagen's Group network of niches, sub-niches and micro-niches, the Ibiza 1.4TDi offers a welcome breath of fresh air for anybody looking for a car that's sensible without being invisible. Expect more awards this way soon.