IF ever a car has come to characterise a brand then it's the SEAT Ibiza.

It is the Spanish car maker's top seller and every one has lived up to its name in the 30 years since it first hit the scene.

Ibiza is the place where the young and trendy go to have fun and that is exactly what SEAT's supermini has always been about.

Now the Ibiza is getting a revamp, smartened up inside and out and coming with extra technology including a first from its Volkswagen parents in the form of a new 1.0-litre three cylinder engine.

It is available across the 32 model Ibiza range and SEAT is the first in the VW Group to offer all three derivatives of the new engine with power outputs ranging from a normally aspirated 75ps to a turbocharged 110ps.

Not only is it a lively performer it is also frugal and in eco guise comes boosted to 95ps yet with emissions of only 94g/km - the equivalent of 68.9mpg.

With the new engine in the mix, the Ibiza range is now priced from £10,000 - some £1,500 cheaper than before - and that gives it an edge with rivals including the likes of the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall's Corsa.

The so-called EcoTSI engine, as SEAT is calling the 95ps unit, is available only in mid-grade SE trim and costs from £13,525 for a three-door Ibiza, £450 more for a five door version and £14,675 for the ST compact estate model which is the one we tried.

Impressive would be an understatement. Among the current crop of three cylinder, 1.0-litre turbos this is one of the best and something of a bargain compared to the tiny turbo variants of the Corsa and Fiesta.

In the Ibiza it is nicely nippy with 0 to 60 coming up in 10.8 seconds with power on demand from anywhere in the five speed box if required.

Be gentle with the throttle and it is easy to discover that this is one of the cleanest petrol engines around and mid to high 50mpg is readily achievable.

For most of our run the onboard trip computer was hovering around 57 to the gallon and overall it returned an average of 54.4mpg on a mixed route which took in everything from country lanes to motorways.

On the road the ride quality has been improved and so has the feel through the steering. All round it feels much more composed.

Eco driving is helped with gear shift prompts on the instrument panel and a stop/start system while the car itself has a subtle aero pack to help streamlining.

For a model that is out to take on Britain's top seller the Ibiza makes a fist of the job.

Inside it has been smartened up with a new look to the facia and some soft touch materials appearing in the dash as well as multi-function buttons on the steering wheel. There are also neat touches around the air vents which now come with coloured or gloss finishes to the bezels.

However, it is on the techno front where the greatest changes have taken place and the new Ibiza now comes with a full smartphone hook-up that can be used with iPhones and Androids alike.

With a 3D navigation display coming from a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen complete with proximity sensor operation the cockpit is bang up to date and although that particular feature is a £750 option it keeps the new Ibiza right on trend.

As a compact estate the Ibiza ST offers a good amount of luggage space for a relatively small car and comes with a 430 litre boot - almost a third larger than that of the hatch. Fold the rear seats and maximum capacity is 1,164 litres making it nicely practical.

All round this is a very impressive little car which is clean cut and stylish throughout and with the EcoTSI engine under the bonnet it offers the best of all worlds at a very affordable price.