The Seat Leon has always been a somewhat sportier and more affordable alternative to the Volkswagen Golf, with which it shares most of its features, but is the facelifted model worth looking into?
Introduced late last year to serve as a mid-life refresh for the third generation, which is now 5 years old, the latest Spanish compact hatchback looks good, and it drives pretty well too.
The steering is accurate, but less refined than on its German cousin, according to the review posted by WhatCar, there is some wind and tire noise coming into the cabin on the highway, and the suspension is quite comfortable. Go for the FR, which is the car being tested, and the ride will become firmer and the body roll in corners reduced.
Just like the pre-facelifted version, the 2017 Leon has enough legroom and headroom on the rear seats for two tall occupants, but add a third person, and things are bound to get crowded. Storage spaces are on a satisfactory level and there is a decent sized boot, which can be increased in size by folding the rear seats flat.
Basic variants get air conditioning, touchscreen infotainment and Bluetooth, but if you want a tad more, then you should go straight for the FR, which adds dual-zone climate control, larger display, sat-nav, 17-inch alloy wheels and parking sensors on both ends.
Choosing one of the six petrol engines and three diesel units is no easy task, but most consumers should be fine with the 1.4-liter TSI and its 150PS (148hp). However, if you plan on putting many miles on its odo, then you should select the frugal 1.6-liter TDI, that makes 115PS (113hp).