SEAT León 2020 review: why is it the best compact car right now?

We were already really eager to get behind the wheel of the fourth generation of the SEAT León. After a first “failed” attempt to do so at the international presentation in Barcelona in early March, cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic, we have finally covered some kilometres with the new Spanish compact.

Up to now, we have talked a lot about the new León. The first official images and the first technical data of the SEAT León 2020, a lot has happened before we got behind its controls. For example, we also analysed the new León in 10 key points. Of course, we have told you how the range looks. And we have reported on the arrival of the new versions after the launch, with the basic engines that give access to the petrol and diesel range.

We have also not failed to analyse how the León compares with some of its more complete rivals in the compact car category. We even dared to compare it with its “cousin”, in a Seat León vs VW Golf to see how they are alike, what the differences are and which may be the better purchase.

Now we are going to talk about the reasons why the new SEAT León 2020 seems to us, considered overall, the best compact car right now.

Design: finally a León that looks great when you see it

We cannot ignore it: however good a car is to drive, however good its engines are… if the styling does not match, it loses points. And the SEAT León still lacked a bit of “spice”, both in exterior and interior design.

This new generation wipes out that handicap in one go. And not only in terms of exterior design, it also applies to what the interior conveys when you get behind the wheel. We can accept what the brand argues, that this is a bolder León.

Here it is worth knowing that the dimensions of the five-door version increase by almost 9 cm in length (it measures 4.37 metres), reducing the width slightly by 2 cm (it stays at 1.80 metres) and keeping the height at 1.46 metres, just 3 mm less. Built on a completely new platform, the wheelbase is 2.67 metres, 5 cm more than in the previous generation León.

In the case of the version with estate bodywork, the SportsTourer, the same change in proportions is maintained. The length in this case is 4.64 metres, almost 30 cm more than the five-door.

The new Seat León inside

It still boasts minimalism. Now even more so, since in the best-equipped versions – we did not have access to the lower trim levels – almost total digitalisation has arrived, and there are hardly any physical buttons left.

But now the new SEAT León also has that touch that makes you feel, when you get behind the wheel, that you are in a higher-class car. Especially, as I say, if the top trim levels are chosen, such as the FR we had the chance to drive. The new ambient lighting, which wraps around the dashboard and continues along the doors, adds the sophisticated touch.

As a curiosity, it is worth noting here that the FR trim accounts for more than 50% of sales of the León. This is no surprise: as we will see, it adds sporty design features without looking overloaded and, above all, it has a very complete equipment list. Not a single complaint about ergonomics: perfect seats (again I am talking about those in the FR trim), space to empty your pockets with practical compartments, good visibility…

Another important aspect we cannot overlook when talking about the interior: the new León maintains a roominess that remains above average in its class. The boot capacity of the five-door does not change, still at 380 litres, not reaching the best in its class. Meanwhile, the Sportstourer goes up to 620 litres, which is 30 more than its predecessor, and one of the best boots among compact estates.

The first SEAT with full connectivity

Let us not kid ourselves. Connectivity beyond the home is an increasingly important factor for users. And the SEAT León has advanced both in connectivity and multimedia to take the lead.

At least in the most complete version, the Navi System equipment with 10-inch screen (the standard one is 8.25 inches and does not have Retina technology), the user experience is fantastic. It takes a little while at first to move around the menus with ease, but you pick up the trick quickly.

It also includes gesture recognition (moving your hand in front of the screen, without needing to touch it), voice control using natural language (without having to learn fixed commands), and it keeps “touch” but direct-access buttons for the sound system volume and for adjusting the air conditioning temperature.

More interesting details. In addition to a button on the steering wheel, to activate voice control you only need to say the word “HOLA” twice. And the Full Link system opens up a whole world of possibilities in terms of connectivity. Of course, you have compatibility with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, in the latter case even via Bluetooth, without needing a cable.

Nor should we overlook the SEAT Digital Cockpit instrumentation, which lets you choose between different display modes, the one that represents classic analogue dials, with additional information in the centre of each dial and between them, being the one that convinces me most.

The integration, for the first time in SEAT, of a SIM card in the car expands connectivity possibilities. It still does not allow online updating of the infotainment applications. But the permanent connection and access to the cloud do make possible functions such as the eCall emergency call, sending key data (position, vehicle, number of occupants, severity of the accident) to the emergency services.

Real-time traffic information, parking and petrol station information with prices and opening hours, radio with internet connection… Add to this the functions allowed by the SEAT CONNECT app (remote control of vehicle data, setting speed alerts or managing the charging process in the case of the León Plug-in Hybrid), which set the bar very high. These are functions that, until recently, were reserved for vehicles in the Premium segment.

On the León, all these connectivity services are free for the first year. From the second year onwards, to keep enjoying them you have to pay a fee from 50 euros per year, a little more if the download and updating of navigation maps is included.

Engine range: petrol, diesel, CNG, MHEV, PHEV…

Another reason why the León is among the best compact cars is the wide variety of engines it offers. You have combustion engines with different power versions in both petrol TSI and diesel TDI, also mild-hybrid variants eTSI and the TGI with natural gas, both with the ECO label. And the León e-Hybrid with plug-in hybrid technology, in this case with the CERO label for emissions from the DGT.

The petrol TSIs: 90, 110, 130, 150 and 190 CV

In petrol, the fantastic three-cylinder 1.0 now has important improvements: a Miller combustion cycle and a variable geometry turbo. You can choose this engine with 90 or 110 CV.

Above it sits the four-cylinder 1.5 TSI, with 130 CV or 150 CV, in the latter case with cylinder deactivation system. The most powerful petrol León, for the moment, is the 2.0 TSI with 190 CV.

Across the whole range, we would stick with the 1.0 with 110 CV as the reasonable minimum, most advisable, and with any of the 1.5 TSI versions (depending on your budget) for its balance between performance and consumption.

The TDIs: are you sure you still want diesel?

The new León’s diesel offering centres on the 2.0 four-cylinder engine, offered in 110 and 150 CV versions. In the more powerful one you can choose a 7-speed DSG gearbox. For the León Sportstourer 2.0 TDI with 150 CV, the transmission is always automatic DSG and is paired with four-wheel drive 4Drive.

Both turbodiesel engines use the group’s new dual SCR system Volkswagen, with double AdBlue injection, to reduce NOx emissions. They can be an alternative for those who will cover many kilometres a year, but the sums hardly add up when you compare diesels, always with a more expensive starting price, with equivalent petrol versions.

Our recommendation when buying a León comes now.

ECO and CERO versions: the Mild Hybrid is the one to go for

If we had to choose the best Seat León in the range, we know which one: the 1.5 eTSI. It justifies the 2,300 euros it costs more than the 1.5 TSI, which has no mild-hybrid system, for two reasons: you get it with a 7-speed DSG gearbox and you forget about pressing the clutch forever, and it also has all the advantages of the DGT’s ECO label.

At least for now, it is the only mild-hybrid eTSI version available. It does not consume as little as diesels, but it is a very pleasant engine to drive, it has already been well proven in other models of the group, and if you go easy on the accelerator consumption will never be a problem, not even in the city. If the budget does not stretch, you know: the 1.0 TSI with 110 CV, or the 1.5 TSI with 130 or 150 CV and a manual gearbox.

As for the León TGI, it uses the 1.5 engine with 130 CV, and its 3 CNG tanks give a range of 440 km running on gas. It is the option if you want the lowest possible cost per kilometre, cutting it by up to 30%, or more, compared with diesels. But you depend on a CNG supply network that is still scarce.

And the plug-in hybrid? For now it occupies the position of “flagship” of the range. It has 204 CV and 60 km of electric-mode range, thanks to the propulsion system with the 1.4 TSI engine, an electric motor and a 13 kWh battery. It will still take a few months to arrive, and it will be the most expensive in the range.

Behind the wheel of the Seat León 1.5 TSI 150 CV: a benchmark for dynamic behaviour

We keep adding arguments in favour of the León, and we expected nothing less of its dynamic behaviour. The MQB Evo platform, which the new Volkswagen Golf 8 and Audi A3 also use, goes through the hands of the magicians at the Seat Technical Centre, who add their special touch.

We checked it by driving a 1.5 TSI León with 150 CV with manual gearbox and FR trim, which includes specific settings, somewhat sportier but never uncomfortable. And we loved it. It filters bumps with quality, without being harsh or excessively loose. The steering responds well when pointing the car… and when it comes to reporting what happens under the wheels, it does not matter whether you are carving through winding roads or holding your line with poise on the motorway. Best of all, it does everything well, even if the road surface is not completely smooth.

The result is a car that deserves an outstanding rating in the dynamic category. Especially with the new electronically controlled DCC damping, which offers an interesting novelty: it is no longer just a choice between the settings linked to the programmes of the Seat Drive Profile driving mode selector. Now you can adjust it on the multimedia screen by sliding a cursor through up to 14 intermediate settings, some softer even than the comfort mode, and others firmer than the Sport setting.

As for the engine, the 1.5 TSI with 150 CV is already very well known and widely used in many models of Audi, Seat, Skoda, Volkswagen… It is not the most refined in its class, but it is one of the best for balance between performance and consumption. It pulls well in long gears, and the feel of the manual gearbox goes hand in hand with a precise and pleasant gear lever.

Price and equipment: watch out for discounts, because there are some

We come to a key factor in being able to say a car is a “masterful buy” in its category. Mind you, the new León faces off against cars as complete as the Ford Focus, which for us would be its toughest rival. Not forgetting the Opel Astra or the Renault Mégane. And even the very Volkswagen Golf.

And if we go by list price, the Seat León seems a little more expensive than its rivals. That is why it is advisable to visit the brand’s website and configure the car, to get the price with all applicable discounts.

In that case, with the discounts applied, the León does have a very competitive value-for-money ratio. Here you can see the difference, with the main prices of the Seat León with the discount applied, which reaches up to 3,840 euros.

Bear in mind the wide standard equipment from the entry Reference versions, although our recommendation is to start from the Style, which adds rain and light sensor, wireless phone charger, Full Link connectivity and cruise control. The options are also very affordable, grouped into packs with a competitive price.

For example, the adaptive chassis with progressive steering and the driving profile selector (standard on the FR) costs 770 euros. The safety pack, which includes adaptive and predictive cruise control, a high and low beam assistant and traffic sign recognition (standard on the Xcellence and FR), costs 260 euros.

And by way of a summary, here is what would be our ideal Seat León for tight budgets: the 1.0 TSI 110 CV with manual gearbox and Style Launch trim, which comes to about 22,000 euros with navigation included. And the 1.5 eTSI with 150 CV with DSG gearbox and the very complete FR trim, if you can invest 28,000 euros. Without losing sight of the Sportstourer estate body, which in either case costs about 1,100 euros more.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSEAT Leon68 versions · from 27,822 €