The Ecomotive versions of the Ibiza add £600 to the price of the standard 1.4 turbodiesel models whether you choose the three- or five-door versions. In five-door form, the Ecomotive is 9.0mpg better than its standard sister model, while the three-door Sport Coupe Ecomotive manages an extra 10.6mpg combined economy compared to its sister model. That makes for impressive savings and the Ecomotives also reward with free road tax thanks to their sub-100g/km carbon dioxide emissions of 98g/km. Group 3 insurance will also be easy on the wallet, while service intervals at 10,000 miles and Seat’s affordable labour rates should make running an Ibiza Ecomotive a painless experience. The Ecomotive is covered by three-year, 60,000 mile warranty. Equipment is the same as for an entry-level S version of the standard Ibiza, so the car comes with CD stereo, air conditioning and electric front windows, while the optional satellite navigation uses Seat’s clever dash-mounted cradle for a TomTom unit.
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If you want the better looking Ibiza Ecomotive, the three-door is the one to go for. However, the three-door makes using the rear seats more of a palaver as access is not as good as in some three-door superminis. Also, headroom in the back of the three-door Ibiza is restricted due to the slope of the roof, and leg space is tight, though shoulder room is just about up to dealing with a pair of average-sized adults. The five-door Ibiza is by far the better bet for those who rank practicality high on their priority list. Wide opening rear doors let on to a rear cabin with much improved headroom over the three-door model’s and there’s greater headroom thanks to a higher roofline. Unsurprisingly, the five-door Ibiza has a larger boot than the three-door model, coming in at 292-litres to the three-door’s 284-litres. Fold the rear seats and the five-door offers 554-litres, with the three-door only fractionally behind on 544-litres.
Read the full SEAT Ibiza Ecomotive 2009 road test
