NOT so long ago we counted ourselves lucky if our set of wheels had a stereo system but these days it is connectivity all the way.

This new trend of being in constant touch with the digital world, is, for many people, a major part of a modern, urban lifestyle.

And SEAT, the Spanish arm of the giant Volkswagen Audi Group, has taken the philosophy very much on board.

This is reflected in the latest CONNECT models from SEAT offering the latest generation of infotainment systems.

The CONNECT editions of the Mii, Ibiza, Leon, Toledo and Alhambra thus offer innovative technology with intuitive operation.. They also come with an individual look and exclusive features.

SEAT buyers are, in general younger than average so it is natural that they should be offered a natural relationship with connectivity.

This is perhaps seen to best effect in the CONNECT edition of the company's supermini, the Ibiza, a name which has been familiar in SEAT showrooms for many years - since the 1980s in fact - but the latest version is a thoroughly modern Spanish take on personal and family motoring.

SEAT draws on Volkswagen know-how and the Ibiza is no exception, being a long way from the first car bearing the name in the UK which was very much bargain basement.

But this is certainly not the case with the Ibiza CONNECT which commands a price of £14,620 and is these days a quality drive with power coming from 1.2 TSI 90ps four-cylinder petrol engine via a smooth five-speed manual gearbox.

It is capable of a top speed of 114mph with a 0-62mph sprint of 10.7 seconds.

But the amazing thing is that it is capable of a combined mpg figure of 57.6mpg, which was at one time considered unheard of in a petrol-powered car of this size. Its CO2 emission readout of 116 g/km is impressive too.

The SEAT CONNECT system includes a high-resolution touchscreen display and the very latest processors for much faster booting and rapid route calculation. And they offer a completely new level of connectivity - Media System Plus and the sat nav system can be connected with MirrorLink, Google Android Auto and Apple Car Play using SEAT Full Link.

This forms the direct connection between smartphone and the in-vehicle display and enables a large number of apps to be safely operated via the touchscreen.

A new and exclusive function is gesture control. Functions such as calls or contact addresses can be called up onto the touchscreen of the SEAT Infotainment System using brief finger gestures.