SEAT LEON (2012- to date)

MODELS COVERED:

5dr hatch / 3dr ‘SC’ Coupe / 5dr ‘ST’ Estate (1.2 TSI, 1.4TSI, 1.8TSI, 2.0TSI / 1.6 TDI, 2.0 TDI)

BY JONATHAN CROUCH

Introduction

The third generation SEAT Leon family hatchback proved to be a very complete package. Better looking than its predecessor, it proved to be sporty to drive, classy inside and out and was fitted with super-efficient engines and plenty of hi-tech equipment. It was exactly the car the Spanish brand needed to resurrect its fortunes in the Focus-class sector. Does it make a good used buy? Let’s find out.

* The History

Like its predecessors, SEAT’s third generation Leon model took most of the ingredients you’d pay thousands more for in a Volkswagen Golf or an Audi A3 and re-packaged them into a sportier-looking design costing thousands less. By 2012 and the launch of the third generation SEAT Leon model we look at here, things were changing a little. The Spanish brand aimed to give this MK3 version a classier feel in its own right.

For many UK buyers, the Leon has always epitomised what SEAT stands for but some of these people had to adjust their thinking a little with this third generation design. For one thing, this MK3 model was offered not only as a five-door hatch but also as a three-door ‘SC’ coupe and as an ‘ST’ estate. For another, equipment was fitted in this car that previously, buyers simply wouldn’t have associated with a ‘value’ brand like SEAT. It was a promising package.

* What To Look For

As a whole, buyers of the MK3 model SEAT Leon seem to be a pretty satisfied lot, though we did come across a few issues in our survey. There were quite a few gearshift issues, so check that out on your test drive. One owner we came across had had trouble selecting first; another with selecting 2nd and 3rd; and yet another with selecting 4th, 5th and 6th. Whilst you’re on your test drive, look out for any signs of sluggish running – a few owners reported that. Oh and listen out for suspension rattles, another reported issue.

One problem that SEAT are apparently aware of is the occasional tendency for a few rogue 2.0 TDI diesel models to suffer an occasional loss of power when cruising on constant throttle. One owner we came across had a door seal leak, another had a dashboard lighting issue. Bear in mind too that headlight bulbs are very expensive to replace.

* On The Road

A SEAT is supposed to feel sporty. We’ve always been told that. Whether it should be is another question. After all, there’ve been times over the last decade when we’ve driven SEAT models on which such sportiness has been somewhat forced, with over-firm suspension bringing an unwelcome touch of Silverstone to the school run. Fine perhaps for more dynamic FR and Cupra Leon models but calculated to alienate customers used to the smooth-riding excellence of a rival Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.

So this third generation version had to get its act together here: it has. In this, the Spanish engineers have been helped immeasurably by the fact that like its Volkswagen Group cousins, the Audi A3, the Volkswagen Golf and the Skoda Octavia - but unlike SEAT’s other family hatch, the Toledo - this car rides on the organisation’s hi-tech MQB platform, underpinnings upon which billions of euros have been lavished. It shows too, this car able to handle even the poorest surfaces with supple confidence, yet hold its own on the twisty stuff, where bodyroll is well controlled.

This is proper ‘sportiness’, complementing the agile, eager feel that’s always epitomised Leon motoring in its pokier guises. Yet even if you choose one of the more firmly-specifed ‘FR’ models with their lower, stiffer suspension and wider tyres, it’s a dynamic recipe you’ll be happy to live with in the traffic jams, urban jungles and motorway mileages of real life. There’s an extra dash of spirit in this car which for some reason, you don’t feel in an apparently identical Volkswagen Golf. Perhaps the sportier styling and more dynamic brand image that this SEAT has lead you to push it that little bit harder, revealing unexpected handling talent that a Golf or an Octavia could also offer if only given the chance. Maybe. But somehow we doubt it.

* Overall

This MK3 model Leon marked a fresh chapter in SEAT history. Redesigned from the ground up, it proved to be more confident, more dynamic and filled with bright ideas. Buyers got a wider range of bodystyles, a more efficient range of engines and hi-tech that not only lay under the skin but also sat within the cabin where owners could appreciate it every day. It was all beautifully functional.

Whether there really is ‘latin spirit in every one’ is another question of course. In the case of sportier versions like the FR models, we’d be tempted to say yes. Live with one of these, then check out what the same money will buy you and you might well agree.

And that could make all the difference. On a pure value-versus-quality basis, this MK3 Leon sits amongst the pick of the Volkswagen Group offerings in the Focus-class sector in its era. And that also makes it one of the key segment benchmarks outside the Wolfsburg family of brands. Which in turn, makes it a very good car indeed.