2013 Seat Leon review and pictures
Posted on Monday, 16 July 2012 , 10:07:06 byVeronica
Filed under SeatEuropeanTechnologyHatchbacksVolkswagen
Seat carmaker revealed the 3rd generation of the Leon. The official debut will take place in September at the Paris Motor Show. The new model will be available as a three-door hatchback, but also as an estate variant and five-door trim. Before the end of this year, the three models will be available on the market. The Leon is actually the first Seat car to have the newly designed badge that will be used by all models soon.
For the interior, the carmaker offered a contemporary design with an instrument panel that looks a lot like the one found on the Audi A3. The model also features a new infotainment system that comes with a 5.8-inch touch screen with 3D graphics in high definition, a DAB tuner offered as optional, voice recognition and also iPod connectivity. The carmaker used a new VW modular MQB platform.
The new Seat Leon is approximately 5 cm shorter than the outgoing model, but the wheelbase is up by around 6 cm. This actually increases the interior space. The overall weight was reduced by 90 kg thanks to the use of lightweight materials and thanks to the advanced construction techniques. The engines available are turbocharged TSI petrol ones and TDI diesels, just like the ones used by the German VW Group which decrease the fuel consumption by up to 22%. The Seat Leon will be powered by a 1.6-liter turbo diesel at launch time, capable of developing 104 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque. The other one available is the 2.0-liter turbo diesel capable of producing 148 horsepower and 320 Nm of torque. The carmaker will also offer the 1.2-liter TSI with its 85 and 104 horsepower and the 1.4-liter TSI capable of developing 120 horsepower. Last, but not least, we have a 1.8-liter TSI capable of developing 178 horsepower. In terms of diesel, Seat offers a 1.6-liter TDI capable of developing 89 horsepower and a top of the range 2.0-liter TDI with a 181 horsepower and 380 Nm of torque as output. All the power will be sent to the wheels through 5- and 6-speed manual transmissions and a 6- and 7-speed DSG dual clutch transmissions.
