OK, so you've reached that motoring mid-life crisis.

You're envious of the boys driving around in their hot hatches but, with a young family, you're grown-up enough to realise you need to watch the pennies and take care of the environment.

Spanish car makers SEAT may have just the answer you're looking for with their Ibiza SE Copa 1.2 TDI CR Ecomotive.

The name may be a bit of a mouthful but, in short, what you get is a sporty looking hatchback with a very efficient and frugal diesel engine.

The exterior is eye-catching. Sharp lines along the flowing body, tinted glass, angular front lights, a beefy nose and 10-spoke, 16in alloys combine to give the car its sportiness.

At the rear, a spoiler and chunky lights and bumper say hot hatch.

Inside, the sporty theme is continued with a leather steering wheel and hooded, silver-trimmed, round binnacles and air vents.

Gloss black audio and air-con units add a touch of class, while the plastics feel very durable.

SEAT, of course, are part of the VW group and the interior finish is certainly as good as that of the German giants' cars.

The sports-style front seats are very supportive, with plenty of adjustment on them and the steering wheel to ensure the driver can easily achieve a comfortable driving position.

Visibility is very good all round and any blind spots are easily catered for by the large mirrors.

There is good head, leg and shoulder room all round for a supermini, although it would be a bit of a squeeze for three adults in the back on a long journey.

Storage space includes a cooled glove box, three cup-holders and deep door pockets.

The 292-litre boot can easily hold the weekly shop or a couple of pieces of luggage, while the 60/40 split folding rear seats drop flat to increase that capacity to 554 litres.

Despite its three-cylinder, 1.2-litre diesel engine and just 75ps, the car is sharp, responsive and a pleasure to drive.

Around town, the start/stop technology is barely noticeable and very effective.

It no doubt helps the car to achieve an astonishing 80.7mpg combined (better than many hybrids) and CO2 emissions of just 92g/km - meaning no road tax.

Out on faster roads, the Ibiza easily holds its own against bigger cars - powering away nicely on an uphill stretch of motorway out of Glasgow, with a nice burble from the engine.

Acceleration is smooth, with plenty of availability through each of the five gears. The gear changes are short, precise and solid.

A gear-change indicator aids fuel efficiency. Braking can be rapid, if necessary, but is always steady. The light and precise steering comes into its own in town traffic or along country lanes, the car holding the road reassuringly well.

Plentiful creature comforts include climate control, automatic lights, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, cruise control, a six-speaker audio system with MP3-compatibility and CD player and audio controls on the steering wheel column.

SEAT has packed a full list of safety specifications into the model, such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability programme with hill-hold control, a tyre pressure monitoring system, numerous airbags and plenty more.

Even the price tag of just under £15,000 makes this a very attractive car that's ideal for those who want a bit of fun on the road but not at a high cost to their pocket or the environment.