The Seat Leon Sportstourer is a lower middle-class station wagon, which is not at all easy compared to its competitors. After all, among its main juices are mainly the concern siblings VW Golf Variant and Skoda Octavia Combi .
However, they have it very well thought out in the concern, while the above models are aimed more at a more established clientele, Seat is here for those who simply want to stand out. The car does not lack a certain amount of temperament, which is evident both on its exterior and on the interior itself.
We currently sat in a car with a sporty FR trim, which was fitted with a 1.5 TSI petrol engine with an output of 96 kW working with a six-speed manual.
Exterior
The Leon Sportstourer is a station wagon of fairly classic proportions, but its sporty character is completed by individual, sensitively chosen details. In the case of the tested FR equipment, these are differently shaped bumpers, a 15 mm lower chassis clearance or effective shaping of the front and rear headlights.
The rear LED "coast to coast" headlights are a separate chapter. The FR version will offer rear lamps that are effectively connected by a light horizontal line. They give the car a very imaginative and original light signature.
The daytime lighting of the front LED headlights also brings a similarly effective light signature. They have a simple and continuous line, which is significantly bent within the front lamps and thus creates an interesting three-dimensional effect.
I would also highlight the 18″ wheels on the tested piece, which adequately completed the positive feeling of the overall perception of the car.
Interior
In the case of Leon, the sporty character of the exterior is also successfully transferred to the entire interior. This is not without excellent concern processing and very good internal ergonomics. The advertised sportiness is then mostly prescribed in the shaping of the dashboard itself and its individual details. Optically sharp edges and distinctly curved curves complete the sporty atmosphere of the entire interior.
Paradoxically, as part of the FR's top-of-the-line equipment, our dashboard is not equipped with the best that the current concern infotainment can offer. So we have to settle for the smaller of the displays offered.
I don't have the slightest problem with it regarding the processing and handling of graphics, regarding the current digitization of the interior (i.e. the absence of classic controls) not only of the Group's cars, it's starting to get a little more complicated. For example, controlling the air conditioning, namely calling up its main menu unfortunately appears to be a more complicated task given the size of the display (8.25″) and when driving the car.
However, I have to praise the fully digital instrument panel, which has nice graphics and also offers more display styles. An interesting detail is the "pulsing" button for starting the car, which is quite unconventionally located within the center panel. Other positive elements of the interior definitely include the multifunctional steering wheel, which offers excellent workmanship including elegant stitching, and its proportions are just as good.
In terms of internal spaciousness, the Leon ST is also very good, the generously dimensioned wheelbase has a positive impact on the space for the crew's knees in the second row. The tested FR equipment then enriched the individual seats with sportier shaping and imaginative decoration.
The luggage compartment is also generously dimensioned, with a volume of 620 liters in the basic configuration.
Offered motorizations and driving impressions
Seat Leon comes with a relatively wide range of power units, the basis is a liter petrol (1.0 TSI 81 kW power), we also have a petrol fifteen-cylinder in two power variants (1.5 TSI 96 kW and 110 kW power), a two-litre petrol (2.0 TSI 140 kW power ) and of course there is also a diesel variant, which is represented by a two-liter (2.0 TDI 85 kW and 110 kW power).
The electrified variants are represented by the mild hybrid 1.0 eTSI and 1.5 eTSI, or the plug-in hybrid 1.4 e-HYBRID. A CNG engine is also available, here it is a 1.5 TGI drive unit.
We have currently tried a certain middle ground in the engines offered, because under the hood of our car was the weaker of the two offered petrol 1500 units, which worked with a classic six-speed manual.
We already have some experience in the editorial office with the concern's 15-litre gasoline engine, so even under the hood of the Leon it comes with its traditional advantages. The main ones include very quiet and refined operation accompanied by decent consumption (6.5 l/100 km in the editorial test).
The chassis of the car is a bit further than the performance value to which the currently tested petrol 15-litre is tuned. Despite the fact that the tested car was equipped with a classic rear axle, 18″ wheels and a sports FR chassis, it offered a pleasantly comfortable, very sure and stable driving performance.
The sporty character of the driving performance is complemented by the precise steering, which in the interior is supported by an excellently shaped steering wheel and a pleasant backdrop for shifting the manual gearbox.
In conclusion
You can buy a Seat Leon Sportstourer with a liter engine (1.0 TSI 81 kW) and the basic Reference equipment from CZK 524,900 including VAT. The cheapest diesel version is available from 614,900 CZK including tax, again it is the basic equipment of the Reference.
The other trim levels are Style, Xcellence and our tested, sporty FR. The top-of-the-line FR starts at CZK 654,900, the car is equipped with a 15-liter gasoline engine (1.5 TSI 96 kW) and a manual transmission. The top of the price list is the plug-in hybrid version (1.4 TSI e-HYBRID DSG), which you can buy from CZK 884,900 including VAT.
The Leon ST is therefore a family car with a sufficiently dimensioned interior space, its main added value is a certain amount of sporty character, which has made its way both into the shaping of the exterior and quite successfully into the interior as well. However, its inherent sporty character would deserve a slightly more "explosive" drive unit than the car we tested. Fortunately, the range of engines is so varied that this choice is simply possible.
Source: Author's text
Image source: Author's own photos
