AS THOUSANDS of milk-white Irish bellies are bared on the beaches of the Costas and bathe in the warm rays of the great star in the sky, Spain is basking in its own sporting sunshine, writes Michael McAleer.
Its footballers won Euro 2008, beating Germany and no doubt causing a certain degree of mirth at the German-owned Seat brand. Rafael Nadal is winning all round him in tennis, and its cycling stars are making the Yellow Jersey on the Tour de France their own.
The sports-mad Spanish should be having the time of their life this summer. And yet all is not as well in Spain as the average sports addict might attest.
Hotel occupancy in June was down 5.4 pr cent, while house sales fell by 31 per cent in May on the same month last year, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute. Unemployment is rising alongside the prices of goods like fuel and the daily staples.
While it would seem the country's leaders loathe using the R-word, recession is looming on the Iberian front.
The impact of that can already be seen in Seat car showrooms across Spain. Sales for the brand over the first six months were down 7.5 per cent on the same period last year.
This was attributed by the firm to "a complicated market situation in Spain". It came - unfortunately - as its parent firm Volkswagen reported a 31 per cent rise in profits over the same period.
It's a fact of business life that in a downturn some hard reviews are undertaken. It's possible that someone in Wolfsburg may ask a few questions of Seat in the coming months.
One of these may well be how the firm's catchline "auto emocion" can be tagged to a fleet of cars such as the Altea and Cordoba.
And if Skoda offers value, VW mainstream quality, and Audi premium competition, where does Seat sit in the family of brands, apart from pandering to the national pride of Spanish car buyers?
For "auto emocion" to work we need more cars like the lovely Leon and, ultimately, a sports car icon to build the brand around. For now it seems as if Seat is set to simply be a Spanish player in the mainstream market. None is more mainstream than the supermini, Europe's favoured car format. In an already crowded market, Seat really needs a strong model to make it stand out from the crowd. Enter the Ibiza.
First impressions on the exterior would suggest that Seat is doing just that. The sharper, more distinctive lines are far more stylish than its more bulbous predecessor.
As fuel costs soar and a car's carbon emissions become part of pub chatter, the size of superminis is now an issue. Take the Peugeot 207 - a car that seems enormous compared to the earlier 205 - or the latest Renault Clio. Car firms seem to be supersizing the superminis.
There has been a kickback within the industry, however. It has been led partly by Mazda with its new 2, a car that has effectively shrunk to the size and stature of superminis a decade ago.
So where does the Ibiza fit in this? In terms of its footprint the car is not much different from the outgoing model. The biggest surprise comes at the weigh-in. Mazda is making much of the kilos it has shed in the current model that allowed for lower emissions and fuel bills. However, it's worth noting that the new Ibiza in its 1.2-litre guise hits the scales at 999kg, some 31kg less than the much-hyped Mazda2. Even with that, it has one of the biggest boots in its class, measuring in at 292 litres with the back seats upright.
Much of the credit for the weight loss must go to the engineers behind the Ibiza's new platform. It's tight and nimble, which makes for a good-handling, little car. The previous Ibiza was always a decent little package to drive and this car carries the same small, nippy handling, but adds a good deal more subtlety to the ride quality. Push it too hard and like every other model in this class it will understeer, but if you get the speed right there's little bodyroll, while the firm ride doesn't mean a sacrifice in terms of comfort.
On the open road, the car sits back as confident and sturdy as many larger family cars. There's nothing flimsy about its feel, and it's more than able to handle the 120km/h limits. On the tighter, twisting bends it holds its line well, with little or no pitching or leaning, allowing you to maintain a steady speed all the time. It's a confident, reassuring little chassis, the closest Seat could probably come to injecting some "emocion" into this segment.
The new platform has political significance for the Seat brand as well. This is the Volkswagen Group's new supermini chassis, and it will be the undercarriage for the next generation Volkswagen Polo and Audi's new MINI rival, likely to be called the A1. The fact that Seat got first option on the new undercarriage is something of a coup.
Unfortunately for Seat, the news is not so good under the bonnet. The current engine line-up features a range of engines that have been in the Volkswagen family for some time. A new 1.4-litre diesel is due to arrive next year, but for now the firm has reverted to some of its old reliables, many of which are starting to show their age when compared to rivals.
We've tested the 1.2-litre petrol and 1.9-litre diesel in recent weeks, and both have the same positives and negatives. The 1.2-litre can seem peppy and enthusiastic as you nip around town, but on a longer journey the constant whine - like a washing machine on spin cycle - is annoying.
The engine note may be more gruff in the bigger 1.9-litre 105bhp diesel, but the effect is the same. It's a heavy-set engine for such a small car. It's a pity, because the diesel has a few positives going for it, not least the low emissions of 119g/km. This means that while such a big engine in a supermini a few months ago would have seemed as sensible as goldplating the bumpers, under the new CO2 tax regime, it falls into the same tax band as a Toyota Prius, with just 14 per cent Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and annual motor tax of just €100 a year. It's actually lower in both of these tax instances than the introductory 1.2-litre petrol.
Arguably the best engine in the range will be the upcoming 1.4-litre diesel, with just 114g/km and the fuel efficiency of diesel to match it. Inside the new Ibiza, and sadly the emotion of the exterior is not carried through to the interior. We have the same complaint with the lovely Leon, and while Seat has made inroads to improving its interior trim, the hard plastics and poor choice of colours give the car a value feel rather than an emotional buy. While the central switchgear and short gearshift is sportier than some competitors, the overall finish is not quite on a par with the likes of the Opel Corsa.
There's a wealth of contenders in this class, and the new Ibiza can compete with any of them, thanks largely to its new chassis. Our current trio of favourites in this class - the Suzuki Swift, Opel Corsa and Mazda2 - still take some beating, and the Corsa edges it over the Ibiza for its interior finish and runs it close on styling. The Swift has more going for it in terms of value, while the Mazda2 pips it in terms of driving fun and ability.
In such a crowded market, the Ibiza warrants consideration, and is up there with our favourites, if not quite able to take top prize. It might not have the winning ways of Spain's sports stars, but this supermini deserves plaudits. Seat has the power to change and a long line of strong concept cars show the emotion is there, if only VW will let them introduce it. The Ibiza is a step in the right direction.
Factfile:
Engine:1198cc three-cylinder petrol engine putting out 68bhp @ 5,400rpm and 112Nm of torque @ 3,000rpm
Specification:front, head and side airbags; ABS; rear ISOFIX fittings; auxiliary integrated Bluetooth system; 12v socket; radio/CD with audio controls on steering column and six speakers; front electric windows; split folding rear seat; 15" steel wheels; space saving spare wheel; alarm system.
"S" version adds: cruise control; rear electric windows; bumpers in body colour
L/100km (mpg):Urban: 7.6 (37.2) Extra-urban: 4.9 (57.6) Combined: 5.9 (47.9)
CO2 emissions:139g/km
Tax:annual road tax €150 - 16 per cent VRT on band B
Price:€14,850 (€16,290 for S version)