The SEAT León becomes the new car of the Italian police

The Carabinieri and the Polizia di Stato, Italy’s law enforcement bodies equivalent to Spain’s Guardia Civil and Policía Nacional, awarded the renewal of part of their fleet a few weeks ago. What matters most about this news is that the new cars that will serve both forces are not of Italian origin: the contract has been awarded to SEAT.

Specifically, the SEAT León is the model both forces have chosen to replace some of the police vehicles serving in the country. This model will replace several units of the Alfa Romeo 147 and FIAT Bravo, which are already outdated for police service.

The contract has already been signed, as each SEAT León unit costs 83 euros less than its closest competitor and also offers better equipment and a more powerful engine.

The agreement is valid for three years, during which SEAT will supply 4,000 units, fully equipped, of this model, with exterior livery adapted to the force in which they will serve. In addition, the contract includes maintenance for six years or 150,000 kilometres for each unit.

Specifically, the chosen model is the five-door SEAT León, powered by the 150 CV TDI engine, which will cost the Italian treasury 43,897 euros per unit. Competing with the León was the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Unlike the León, this model uses an engine producing 120 CV, well below the offer from the Group’s brand Volkswagen. Its price, however, was 83 euros higher than the SEAT León’s offer, which, multiplied by 4,000 units, made the total considerably higher.

This is not the first time Italy’s police and law enforcement forces have trusted SEAT, as the SEAT Exeo ST was used previously, so the brand’s presence is no novelty for Italians. For now, 206 units are ready for delivery at the Martorell factory. Of these, 100 are for the Polizia di Stato, while the other 106 are destined for the Carabinieri.

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackSEAT Leon68 versions · from 27,822 €