SEAT León, Presentation and road test in Salamanca (II)

Today we continue with the second part of the presentation and road test of the third generation SEAT León, the last Spanish compact. Yesterday we were able to comment on the first kilometres at the wheel of the León FR 2.0 TDI 150 CV manual, some of its extras as well as its exterior and interior design and the space inside the cabin.

The most curious thing about this model, paired with the two-litre diesel engine, is how little it consumes. On the outward journey, in heavy rain and having driven through the city, traffic jams, national roads and motorways, overtaking and constantly using the vehicle’s maximum acceleration capacity, it did not exceed 6 litres/100 km. This figure could drop below 5 litres/100 km if we drive with a little more care. We did not have the opportunity to measure urban consumption.

On arrival at the hotel in Salamanca, the SEAT organisation was waiting for us. We left our luggage in the room and, after a tasting of wines, cheeses and oils, dinner was served. There, we shared a table with Sebastian, the brand’s marketing manager. With him, we were able to discuss many of the new León’s features and talked about upcoming special editions of the smaller models in the range. We also talked about future events.

The next day, the alarm clock went off at eight in the morning. The weather had improved, the rain giving way to brilliant sunshine. At reception, the brand had parked three cars so that we could do a photo session, which I didn’t miss.

The day looked interesting. SEAT had arranged a visit to the city of Salamanca before heading back to Madrid. There, we had the opportunity to see how the León would handle the cobbled streets of the oldest university city in Spain.

As on the road, the firm suspension of the FR trim transmitted every irregularity of the road surface to our backs. Without having tried the standard suspension, I would recommend it to anyone who will use the vehicle mainly in the city and even on motorways. Anyone who wants it for roads with bends, where grip is a priority, will find the FR the ideal trim.

The 150 CV 2.0 TDI engine, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox, offers a smooth, linear response that is very easy to modulate with the accelerator. The strong point of this unit is between 1,500 and 2,500 rpm, where the engine delivers plenty of pulling power with minimal fuel consumption. Revving it higher is pointless. It also surprises with how smoothly it responds at 1,000 rpm, with hardly any vibration reaching the cabin.

The gearing was very long. In sixth, at 120 km/h the engine turned at 2,000 rpm, but contrary to what one might expect, when accelerating, the car gained speed easily. It must be said that with a shorter gearbox, the kick of the 2.0 TDI’s more than 320 Nm would be more evident.

We did not get the chance to try the softer suspension and other powertrains, but from what we could gather from other colleagues, the 1.4 TSI 122 CV engine consumes little more than the TDI and is very smooth. The standard suspension lets you cover many more kilometres without fatigue.

Images | Test team

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSEAT Leon68 versions · from 27,822 €