Last month we named the Leon our top nearly new family car buy. If that’s piqued your interest, here’s all you need to know before taking the plunge In production 2020-present Price from £15,000 Our favourite version 1.5 TSI 130 FR
Mark Pearson Mark.Pearson@haymarket.com
PICTURE A VOLKSWAGEN Golf with its body stretched around it as tightly as a matador’s trousers and you have the essence of this fourth-generation Seat Leon, a sharp-looking and good-value cocktail that’s brought more than a whiff of the Mediterranean to the family hatchback category. In fact, it’s such great value that we recommended it as our top nearly new buy in its class at our Used Car of the Year Awards last month.
Potential buyers can choose from a good spread of engines. Petrols start with the 1.0 TSI 110 (producing 108bhp), followed by the 1.5 TSI 130 (128bhp), 1.5 TSI 150 (148bhp) and 2.0 TSI 190 (187bhp). There are also mild hybrid versions of the 1.0 TSI and 1.5 TSI 150 (badged eTSI) that promise slightly improved fuel economy. At the top of the range, there’s the 201bhp plug-in eHybrid, which combines a 1.4-litre engine with an electric motor and has an official electric range of 40 miles. As for diesels, there’s a 2.0 TDI 115 (113bhp) and a 2.0 TDI 150 (148bhp).
All versions of the Leon are well equipped. The entry-level SE gets 16in alloy wheels, air conditioning, keyless start and cruise control. Step up to SE Dynamic and, in addition to infotainment upgrades, you get front parking sensors, 17in wheels and tinted rear windows.
FR trim comes with a standard sports suspension. You get more goodies, too, including an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, rain-sensing wipers and climate control. Finally, Xcellence comes with LED lights all round, heated front seats, three-zone climate control, a rear-view camera and keyless entry.
If you go for SE trim, you’ll get an 8.3in infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring. All of the higher trim levels come with a larger, 10.0in touchscreen, built-in sat-nav and natural voice recognition.
WHAT’S IT LIKE?
All of the engine options move the Leon along with reasonable gusto. The 1.0 TSI pulls well from low revs and doesn’t struggle in traffic. The 1.5 TSI 130 isn’t quite as smooth as the other engine offerings but has noticeably more punch than the 1.0 TSI; in fact, it’s gutsy enough that we don’t really see the need to step up to the pricier 1.5 TSI 150 or 2.0 TSI 190. The manual gearbox that you get with the regular 1.0 and 1.5 models has a sweet shift action, whi
