In October last year, Volkswagen unveiled its eighth-generation Golf — a much awaited, much 'leaked' hatch with awfully big shoes to fill. And this morning, its Spanish sibling from Seat also broke cover.
The new Seat Leon (much like the last one) shares the Golf's architecture underneath, while adopting its own slant on hatchback design. A character line connects the headlights and taillights, fading out of clarity on top of the rear wheel arches to simulate rear width. Seat's distinctively shaped LEDs feature in those headlights, with an aggressive secondary grille not unlike that featured on the Golf complimenting its face.
From the side it appears to have a certain last-gen Mazda3 qualities (like the shape of the C-pillar and upswept glasshouse), but all in all the new Leon appears to be a handsome addition to the busy hatch segment.
Given that the Leon is a Golf underneath, it's no surprise that its engine options at this stage are largely borrowed. It too is set to be offered with a petrol 1.0-litre TSI three popper making 66kW or 81kW depending on spec. Those wanting a little more go could move into one of two 1.5-litre four-cylinder options (making 96kW and 110kW respectively), or go for the 140kW 2.0-litre.
There's also diesel, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. The former is represented by a 2.0-litre TDI making 85kW or 110kW of power depending on spec, and the latter utilises a 1.4-litre TSI combined with a 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack to product a combined output of 150kW and a claimed pure electric range of around 60km. The hybrids in the middle, meanwhile, are based on versions of the aforementioned 1.0-litre and 1.5-litre petrol engines.
To view Volkswagen Golf vehicles listed for sale on Driven, click here
Most curiously, there's also a 96kW 1.5-litre compressed natural gas (CNG) engine in the global Leon line-up. According to Seat it features Miller cycle combusion and variable turbine geometry turbocharging system, and can run on either CNG tanks or petrol. Having four different engine format options (petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and CNG) make the new Leon one of the most versatile hatches in class — although it's worth acknowledging that New Zealand's engine options haven't yet been confirmed.
Inside, the Leon features a cabin similar in style and substance to that of the Golf (but with maybe a little less shine and shimmer). Featues include a 10.25in digital instrument cluster and either an 8in or 10in infotainment system atop the dashboard. As you'd expect, the system includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — with the latter wireless.
Other tech features include a reasonably comprehensive safety suite. This includes radar cruise control, and Seat's Dynamic Chassis Control, Emergency Assist 3.0, and Travel Assist systems.
It isn't all about the Leon hatch, either. The firm has also unveiled a station wagon variant (or as they call it, a Sportstourer) with an elongated tail for improved practicality. It features a wonton 617 litre capacity, compared to the hatchback's 380-litre capacity.
The Leon is slated to go on sale in Europe in the second quarter of 2020, with New Zealand expected to follow later in the year.
