All-New Seat Leon SC 3d Hatch Starts from £15,370 in the UK

The new and more restrained Leon is a significant departure for Seat, a manufacturer which had styled its previous generation of cars completely against the design directions of the time. After seeing the five-door new Leon, we were hoping that they would adopt a more radical approach to the appearance of the SC model, but they didn’t. What they have done is announce the UK pricing for it.

The all-new MQB platform-based Leon SC starts from £15,370, and the order books will be opening on April 15, with first deliveries poised to commence in early July. That means it is £300 cheaper than the five-door model, so for those with not much need for the rear seats, it is an enticing proposition.

Despite it being simply styled, it is 35 mm shorter, nicer and sportier to look at, as well as being ever so slightly lighter, which should translate into marginally better performance than the 5-door model.

So what do you get for the stated base price? Well, the Volkswagen group 1.2 TSI, with 105 PS / 103 hp, is what powers the base version, with all SC models coming equipped with sport seats as standard. Manual air-con, Bluetooth connectivity, a touchscreen infotainment unit and a total of seven airbags complete the list of features for the base S trim cars.

The engine range is exactly the same as that of the five-door, and if you spec your car up with all of the goodies, and the highest-powered 180 PS / 177 hp 1.8-liter petrol engine coupled to a DSG gearbox, then you’re looking at a final figure of £21,540.

If diesels are your thing, then there’s the 1.6-liter unit, with 105 PS / 103 hp, which can be had at £18,190, and the top-spec 2.0-liter unit, which is all-new, and puts out 150 PS / 147 hp –is the range topper, and will set you back £22,335 in FR trim, when you opt for the seven-speed DSG.

By Andrei Nedelea