Quite a few evo readers will instinctively baulk at just how this particular engine delivers it torque. It twists out a thumping 243lb ft at just 1900rpm by burning diesel. True, SEAT also offers a 1.8-litre 20v turbocharged petrol engine in the Cupra which has more power (176bhp to the 1.9-litre TDI's 158bhp) but less wallop (181lb ft at 2000rpm), but we reckoned the diesel was a more intriguing proposition. On paper the petrol engine has the edge on top speed and acceleration but such comparisons can be misleading because the diesel engine gets a six-speed manual 'box while the petrol makes do with five cogs.

Manufactured by SEAT Sport on the outskirts of Barcelona, the Ibiza Cupra is easily the best-looking model in the range. The base models can look a bit dumpy but the Cupra body kit - which consists mainly of new cutaway bumpers - gives the car a more aggressive and purposeful edge. The sharp 17in alloys can just about accommodate the 312mm discs and red four-pot callipers.

The interior is rather dark but the driving position is excellent. Grip the fat steering wheel and the first - and very welcome - impression is of the extra weight dialled into the electro-hydraulic steering.

As expected, the diesel is initially noisier than its petrol counterpart, especially when accelerating through the lower gears. But when it's extended to the red line I'm not sure it's much noisier than some petrol units. The 35deg plus ambient temperature at the car's launch in Seville might have also helped mute it. Breathing such hot air might have significantly dulled the output of our test car's engine, too.

Even so, there was very strong performance on tap. Above 2500rpm the car is driven forward with deep-seated urge which makes overtaking a breeze. This engine has big lungs. As you approach the red line it doesn't seem to run out of breath - a common problem with diesels. The gear ratios are also well spaced and matched to the torque. The six-speed 'box shifts cleanly, too.

At cruising speed much of the engine noise is dispersed in the slipstream and only an annoying whistle from the door top intrudes into the cabin, but on very coarse and rough surfaces a real din could be kicked up by the low-profile tyres - a concern for UK-bound cars.

As we wound up into the hills above Seville it became clear that the Cupra has a superb chassis - at least on these roads. An exceptionally grippy car, it was possible to load it up on fast sweeping bends and play against the high side-forces generated by the chassis. No matter how much we pushed the car, it seemed that it would just grip and grip.

The damping is fabulous too. It's firm, but not stiff-legged or crashy. Aside from really badly broken surfaces it was pretty supple. It's not perfect, though. The damping was caught out on a couple of occasions by repeated low frequency undulations which briefly had the car pitching vertically, though it quickly settled down. Interestingly, compared with the FR (Driven, 066), the Cupra has shorter, stiffer shocks, a lower ride height and slightly thicker anti-roll bars but softer springs.

This is a very tidy package. There's little roll, virtually no understeer, strong brakes and poise enough to make it easy to push right up to its limit. But before I declare this car the best hot supermini I've driven for many years, a word of caution. We need to test the car in the UK, mainly because tyre and engine noise might be a bigger problem and the subtle tuning of the Cupra chassis might not translate perfectly.

Otherwise, just forget about the diesel bit. On a blistering day in southern Spain this car was very, very good indeed.