What they said when the Seat Toledo was new… (Jan 19 2005)
TOLEDO in Spain is famous not only as a beautiful city, but the home of the finest steel blades.
So it is not surprising that the new Toledo is at the cutting edge of Spanish manufacturer SEAT's in your face image.
It is the car with attitude in the VW empire and SEAT have set out to adopt a sporty look that is almost Italian in styling, particularly at the front end.
Conversely this is offset by a distinctly French looking derriere which could have been copied from a Renault, but that serves a sensible purpose.
The boot area offers a very handy 500 litres of boot space, the rear seats split 60/40 and when all three backrests are folded flat there is acres of room.
The space is not confined to the boot. Both driver and passenger have plenty of legroom and even the tallest driver should have headroom to spare. The rear accommodates two passengers comfortably, but a third would definitely be a bit of a squeeze.
The rear bench is designed to accommodate the optional multifunctional rear box, which has more combinations than a Transformer to accommodate cups, plates bits and pieces and virtually anything needed to keep the kids quiet. It's OK for the adults as well.
It also offers 30 integrated storage compartments cleverly hidden inside door, under seats and in the dashboard area. It even features a cleverly-concealed umbrella holder.
The interior is simple, but robust and at the same time very stylish. The dashboard is the piece de resistance, dominated by a trio of instrument pods and the ultra-stylish steering wheel.
On the road proves a mixed experience. Typically the SEAT features sharp handling with a firmish, sporty ride. The big cabin does accentuate road noise however although wind noise is not too bad.
I tried two engines. The two-litre, 140PS turbo diesel engine provides plenty of power, but the new 150bhp petrol engine is a disappointment. Acceleration seems flat and a colleague who drove the 1.6 petrol said that engine had more guts than its big brother.
Fuel consumption figures on all models looks impressive and the higher spec models offer a superb six-speed gearbox.
SEAT has always offered plenty of kit for your money and the new Toledo is no exception. Even the entry level Reference model features air con, electric windows, CD player with six speakers and remote, central locking.
Move up to the Stylance and you get 16in alloys and cruise control and automatic dimming rear view mirror.
All models feature a raft of safety kit including front, side and curtain airbags, ABS and traction control. They also feature three, three-point rear seat and Isofix. Immobiliser and alarm are designed to keep the light-fingered at bay as is the security marked glass.
The new Toledo comes in three styles, Reference, Stylance and Sport and offers four engine choices: the 1.6 petrol, the two-litre petrol and 1.9 turbo diesel and a two-litre turbo diesel.
Prices start at £13,350, rising £18,100 for the top of the range two-litre diesel automatic.
Words: Bill McCarthy
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