LINE them up side by side and there appears little in common between a Lamborghini and a Seat Ibiza.

But stay with me if you will, for there is one component, or should I say person, that is key to both.

Step forward Luc Donckerwolke, formerly of the Lamborghini design house and the man responsible for the Ibiza ST.

You could have forgiven Mr D for treating his latest design brief as a bit of a come down after working on one of the world's foremost supercars.

But to all intents and purposes this design is just as, if not more, important than those already on his CV.

After all this is a car for the masses, not just the chosen few, and we all know that without vehicles for the masses there would not be those for the few.

The ST or Sport Tourer has become the name of choice for what was previously known as the common or garden estate car.

Car companies keen to get away from the rather utilitarian nature of such vehicles have now taken to adorning them with this new moniker in the hope of making them appear sexier.

Whether that is true or not is open to debate, for while they may now and then be used for sports and for touring, in the main they will be used for getting the kids to and from school and bringing the groceries back from the shops.

For those tasks the Ibiza is well-suited, being, as it is, big enough to cope with the demands of the modern family, without being too big to manoeuvre around our increasingly crowded roads.

Bolting an additional few inches on the rear of a car can affect its appearance, but sporting the fresh new looks of its hatchback sibling, the ST makes for a not unattractive package.

The inside is also none too shabby. While we are a long way from the luxurious end of the market, thought has clearly gone into the design and layout. Whereas many cars' interiors are a study in black or grey, Seat has done its best to brighten up the cockpit by breaking up the colours.

What could have been a potentially drab environment in which to while away the hours becomes light and airy, thanks in addition to the optional panoramic sunroof.

There's plenty of room for the driver and passenger, the leather seats were a welcome aid to comfort, and vision is good in whichever direction you care to look.

I had no complaints from those in the rear and, when it comes to carrying your possessions, the boot is deep enough and wide enough to cope with most requirements.

The 1.6 litre diesel engine in our test car, though growly on start-up, is well insulated on the inside once you get going and though there is a little road and wind noise it is not overwhelming.

Bumps are well ironed out thanks to the set up of the suspension and though the ST can lose some composure in corners, it does, in the main, handle well enough.

So while many of us would like to own a Donckerwolke-designed Lamborghini, in reality only one of his cars is up to the job on a day-to-day basis.