No other sporty supermini in its class can offer the same amount of power per pound as the lively Seat Ibiza FR 1.8 20V T.  Coming in at just £12,195 (RRP on the road) and fitted with a punchy 150 PS turbocharged, 20-valve petrol engine, this sprightly Spaniard leads its ‘warm hatch’ rivals in the bang-per-buck stakes.

The model forms part of the FR Series, SEAT’s hot hatch range that fits in just below the sizzling Cupra models.  The Ibiza FR (also offered with a 130 PS 1.9 TDI diesel) is a handsome pocket rocket with plenty of standard equipment, including climate control, MP3-compatible CD player with ‘AUX’ input for iPods etc, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, electric windows, Traction Control System, sports seats and a trip computer.

The FR differs visually from lesser Ibiza models, thanks to its 17” alloy wheels, white dials, twin chrome exhaust pipes, honeycomb grille, silver door mirrors, silver-grey tail lights, headlight inner-casing in dark grey, lowered sports suspension and ‘FR’ badging.

The value message doesn’t stop at power-per-pound: Seat cars enjoy some of the most competitive residual values in their respective classes, and the Ibiza FR 1.8 20V T is no exception, with a retained value of 37% after three years and 60,000 Miles (source: CAP).

For retail customers, now is an even better time to look at an Ibiza FR, because there are some great low-rate Hire Purchase offers from now until the end of September.  The first is a typical APR of 5.9% over 3 years, with zero deposit, while the second – also with zero deposit – is over 4 years at a typical APR of 6.9%.