VW’s Spanish offshoot Seat seems determined to make all its cars look alike, if the first ‘official’ picture of the new Leon that will make its public debut at the Barcelona motor show in May is any guide.
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The Leon may well be the third model in a new generation of models after the Altea and Toledo but they all look the same to us.
This latest Leon is based on the 2000 Salsa concept car and is a five-door hatchback. Seat claims to have given it a “coupe effect” by concealing the rear door handles in the door frame.
The new car has the vertically-parked windscreen wipers first seen on the Altea but they are fully visible and not hidden in the A-pillars.
The new Leon is slightly larger than its predecessor: 132mm longer at 4,315 mm, 26mm wider at 1,768 mm on a wheelbase lengthened 65mm to 2,578 mm. Boot capacity is 341 litres.
Launch engines are 102ps 1.6 and 150ps 2.0FSI petrol and 105ps 1.9 and 140ps 2.0 TDI diesels, all Euro 4-compliant. Gearboxes are a standard five-speed manual with the 1.6 and 1.9, while both 2.0 litre engines will have 6-speed manual gearboxes as standard, with the choice of an automatic with sequential Tiptronic function with the FSI or the DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) with the 2.0 TDI.
Six airbags are standard and rear side airbags are an option.
The new Leon will be built exclusively at Seat’s Martorell plant in Spain.
