What they said when the Seat Leon was new… (Aug 22 2005)
YOU can't go far wrong with SEAT these days.
For a start you get real Spanish flair in the styling and then you get the excellent technology and quality from sister brands VW and Audi. It is a potent mixture and the new SEAT Leon makes the best use of it.
Marketing boss Mark McKenna makes no secret of the fact that the new Leon is aimed at a younger market who have 'edge'.
And to back that up SEAT is using tennis genius John McEnroe in their advertising campaign and he is a man who is known for having 'attitude'.
The new car goes on sale on September 17 and comes from the pen of designer Walter de'Silva.
The new shape is sporty and aggressive and makes the Leon a medium-sized hatch that stands out from the crowd.
Longer, wider and taller than the car it replaces, the extra size results in considerably more interior room, especially for rear passengers.
The Leon features a steeply raked windscreen and a curving roofline which drops substantially at the rear. With the rear door handles hidden in the door frame, the look is almost coupe like.
Four engines are being offered from day one and they are all familiar VW group units. There is a 1.6-litre 102bhp petrol and a two-litre FSI petrol with 150bhp, as well as two diesels, a 1.9TDI of 105bhp and a 2.0 TDI with 140bhp.
From November there will also be a high-performance two-litre TFSI offering185bhp.
The smaller diesel and petrol engines get five-speed manual gearboxes while the bigger units are mated with six-speeds. The larger petrol is also offered with the option of a Tiptronic automatic box.
All the engines are lively performers and will meet the needs of their respective buyers.
The 1.6 petrol unit reaches 60mph in just 11.7 seconds and has a top speed of 114mph while offering an overall consumption figure of 38.1mpg.
The larger two-litre petrol does the sprint in 8.8 seconds and goes on to 128mph while still returning an average 35.7 miles to the gallon.
But for me the best of the lot is the two-litre diesel which offers superb torque and tackles the sprint in 10 seconds. It goes on to 125mph but it offers excellent fuel economy of 50.4mpg and has low exhaust emissions of 154g/km so it will be a strong contender in the company car market.
The sporty looks of the new Leon are thankfully transferred to the road.
The car features electronic power steering and a new multi-link rear axle, together with revised chassis and suspension settings which combine to make it a nimble performer with excellent manners.
Inside the cabin is crisp and well designed, although the plastics are a bit harsher than in its more expensive VW and Audi siblings.
Five trim levels are offered and some of them have stupid names. Would you know what to expect from an Essence, Reference or Stylance?
Neither would I, but they are all reasonably well equipped for the money, although surprisingly the entry level model does not feature air-conditioning.
The boot is not huge at 12 cubic feet but you can increase this by folding the rear seats should the need arise.
Prices start at £11,295 and rise to £17,295 and a really hot Cupra version is expected next year.
SEAT hopes to sell 14,000 Leons in the UK in a full year with the split being equal between private and business sales and this good looking newcomer may just reward them with an even better result.
Take my advice though and opt for one of the diesels.
Words: John Murdoch
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