SEAT León 1.5 TSI 150 CV Xcellence Road Test: balance in a compact package

The market is extremely crowded, which makes it hard to find a car that is balanced in every respect and ready to offer a bit of everything in one package. The SEAT León has always been well received thanks to its value for money, a quality that has been refined over time up to its fourth generation, which boasts combining technology, modernity and safety like never before, allowing it to keep claiming the title of the most balanced contemporary compact.

To verify the truth of that reputation, we have decided to take the wheel of the 150 CV SEAT León 1.5 TSI with manual gearbox and Xcellence trim. With this premise, we are going to unpick every detail of the Spanish compact and find out whether it really is the choice if you are looking for an all-round package.

A modern and fresh design

When it comes to design, we find a fresher and more modern fourth generation of the León. Although the previous generation aged very well, the new SEAT León has made the previous model look somewhat dated thanks to a more aggressive, imposing and elegant look; although we all know that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The Xcellence trim of our test unit brings out the most refined side of the Spanish compact. This is evident at the front, with an imposing grille with chrome details, a more subtle bumper than the one fitted to the FR trim, and a side profile that boasts 18-inch alloy wheels.

The rear stands out with a new light signature featuring an LED strip running across the entire tailgate, culminating in slim taillights. The new typography for the word “León” also stands out, although it has no accent, and we are not sure why, as well as a rear bumper where, fortunately, there are no simulated exhaust outlets. Bravo, SEAT.

A well-finished cabin, technological but overly minimalist

The fourth-generation SEAT León has changed not only on the outside but also on the inside. Here we find a complete renewal of the cabin, governed by the latest design trends of the Volkswagen Group; yes, there are many similarities with its German sibling, the Volkswagen Golf.

The first thing that catches the eye is a flat-bottomed steering wheel that feels pleasant to the touch and has buttons on both ends. Behind it sits the well-known Digital Cockpit, a fully digital instrument cluster configurable to the driver’s liking, displayed on a 10.25-inch screen. This is complemented by a floating screen that can be optionally up to 10 inches.

It dispenses with almost all physical buttons, even integrating the air-conditioning functions. Visually it looks very nice, but in terms of functionality it is rather awkward. Now, in front of the screen itself there is a control without haptic feedback designed to raise or lower the air-conditioning temperature and the radio volume. The problem? It is not illuminated at night, and during the day it is already annoying to use without light. The physical shortcut button that the Volkswagen Golf does have has also been removed, which makes it more complicated to access different submenus in the SEAT León.

But not everything is negative. The Spanish compact boasts good finishes, with a dashboard that feels very pleasant to the touch thanks to soft plastic; a central section trimmed in a wood-look finish; and a lower area of hard plastic that nonetheless conveys a good sense of solidity.

Rear seat passengers also deserve praise: two average-height adults can travel without any problem, with enough space for both head and legs. The middle seat, as usual, is somewhat cramped and is best reserved for occasional use or for children. As for the boot, which in this generation of the León offers 380 litres, a figure that is more than sufficient and is complemented by regular shapes that help carry the luggage of four passengers.

Dynamism as a flag-bearer

But what happens when we take the wheel of the new SEAT León 2020? Before getting into the details, allow me to introduce its engine, the well-known four-cylinder 1.5 TSI. This powerplant produces 150 CV between 5,000 and 6,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque available between 1,500 and 3,500 rpm.

In this case those figures were managed through a manual gearbox with six pleasant-shifting ratios and rather long gearing. This engine is an old acquaintance, and stands out for delivering its power in a very linear way without big peaks, suffering from a somewhat empty low range when you let the revs drop below 2,000.

It is an engine with more than enough performance to get around any environment, and is complemented by a good set-up. In the city, the SEAT León is a good ally thanks to its compact dimensions and the various driver assistance systems it is equipped with, such as the blind-spot warning that alerts you to the presence of another vehicle with a light running along the door mirror.

The suspension is somewhat firmer and more brittle than that of the Volkswagen Golf, and the 18-inch wheels fitted with the Xcellence trim do not help much; but, although it is somewhat firmer than other competitors, it is not uncomfortable. Moreover, the engine is more than sufficient as long as we do not let the revs drop too low. In urban driving it is easy for average consumption to rise to about 8.2 litres per 100 km.

On the motorway the León boasts the MQB-A0 platform, which gives it behaviour more typical of a D-segment car than a C-segment one. Comfort is good as long as we do not encounter very pronounced potholes or broken surfaces, and the sense of stability is also considerable, so long journeys in the Spanish compact are more than feasible. Here it is easy to record an average consumption of 6.2 litres per 100 km, not much more than the figure homologated for the eTSI variant.

As far as pure dynamics go, the car has more refined cornering than the Volkswagen Golf. This is due, in part, to the set-up of its chassis and the tuning of its suspension. With this premise, the SEAT León is a fairly fun car to drive, complemented by a precise, quick steering with little feedback, a common ailment of modern cars. It is true that the 150 CV 1.5 TSI is not the best ally for sporty driving, but the package hints at a lot of potential for the CUPRA León, a model whose versions all take the SEAT León as their starting point.

Conclusion

The eternal question has always been whether to choose the Volkswagen Golf or the SEAT León: which one to buy and which to go for. The truth is that this decision depends on several factors, but above all on personal taste. The León feels slightly sportier and firmer than the German, offering similar quality—even better in certain respects—but its minimalism plays a bad trick on it.

Overall, the starting price of the SEAT León 1.5 TSI in Xcellence trim is 25,150 euros, a fairly reasonable figure compared with the competition, and considering that yes, the León is one of the most balanced compacts on the market, combining comfort, dynamism and technology with a value for money that is hard to beat.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSEAT Leon68 versions · from 27,822 €