Seat Ibiza Cupra long-term test review: interior highlights

Let’s face it, the Seat Ibiza’s interior is typical of many VW Group cars.

So why bother talking about the nice knobs and dials on the dash when they’re the same as the ones you get in a Volkswagen Golf? And what’s the point of mentioning the clean design of the centre console when Skodas use the same basic layout?

Then there’s the steering wheel, which, to the dismay of one Autocar road tester, is another VW Group flat-bottomed job. But while I agree with Mr Taylor-Jones that flat-bottomed wheels should be the preserve of tightly packaged supercar cockpits, I do love the feeling of the Ibiza’s perforated leather in my hands.

And what of the dials? Again, their basic shape and layout are familiar, but the Cupra gets white backlighting and its own sporty font that serve as a gentle reminder of the 189bhp that lives under the bonnet.

Our car’s ambient lighting is a £60 option that seemed overpriced at first, but after five months I’ve grown to like the warm glow on my feet and the way the pedals are illuminated at night. I had expected the metal pedals to lead to slipping issues when the soles of my shoes were wet, but even on the swiftest of drives I’ve not experienced such a problem.

The pedals work with the dials and a similarly sporty gear knob to add a real sense of purpose to the cabin. The seats, while not particularly sporty in shape, have white side stripes to finish the look off.