SEAT LEON 1.4 S
The
SEAT Leon Regularly Picks Up Awards For Value For Money. Why Not Maximise The Benefit By Opting For The Entry Level 1.4S Variant? Andy Enright Reports..
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Ask most people to picture a
SEAT Leon and theyll doubtless think of bright yellow Cupra models, all liquorice-strip tyres and heavy horsepower. Its an image that SEAT like to perpetuate but at the other end of the Leon spectrum, the 1.4S offers similarly competitive value, albeit with a little less pizzazz. If low pricing is a key Leon attribute, the £10k 1.
4S offers a compelling argument for your attention.
The SEAT proposition is now relatively well known. Enveloped some years ago into the VW Group, SEAT have emerged as a budget sporting brand. The Germans being what they are, however, theyve been singularly unable to pare back on quality to the extent that the price tags would suggest. This means that when you buy a £10,215 Leon 1.
4S, the quality of fit and finish is comparable with an original
Audi A3 that cost twice as much. Yes, the same does go for an equivalent
Skoda, but check the pricing and SEAT even undercut the Czech company model for model. Indeed, take a good look at the Leon and youll soon betray its essentially Germanic nature, many parts being stamped with bold VW logos. This is a legacy of Ferdinand Piechs reign in charge of the VW Group when acquisition of brands seemed more important than management.
Thus, you would have Skodas competing with SEATs and Volkswagens for the same market, Volkswagens and Audis going head to head and even proposals for a mid-engined
Volkswagen supercar. Fine if the VW Group didnt already own
Lamborghini but otherwise? Volkswagen Golf and Volkswagen Bora estates were even offered on the continent. Whilst industry observers may have been bamboozled by the corporate logic the end result was huge choice and competitive pricing for the consumer. Cars like the Leon 1.
4S were churned out at the end of this vast, mad, automotive sausage machine.
"Even here at Leon base camp, the equipment list is impressive."
For SEAT brand managers, the corporate approach may have been unfathomable but Leon 1.4S customers may well raise a glass of Rioja to Ferdinand Piech and can ponder what may be a strange coincidence. Piech was a man obsessed by air conditioning. He hated it.
Stories abound of him carrying a personal toolkit and dismantling hotel windows to allow the free flow of natural air. Few who attended will forget the sauna that was the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show, an event so hot attendees were keeling over from heat exhaustion. Rumour has it that this was down to Piechs irrational hatred of artificial climate control. No sooner does the good doctor retire from the VW Group than the Leon 1.
4S is fitted with air conditioning. Coincidence? Who knows, but owners will certainly value the absence of a sweaty back in summer. It also underlines the Leons good value. You can pay around £16,000 for a
Honda Civic Type-R and still search in vain for the air con switch.
The 1.4-litre engine fitted to this particular model is a punchy 16-valve unit good for 60mph in 14.6 seconds and a top speed of 105mph. True, its a little shy on auto emocion but whos complaining when it returns an average of 41mpg? The above average residual values of the Leon also mean that on a pence per mile basis, the 1.
4S is cheaper to run than even the lowliest
Ford Focus. That £10,215 buys a lot of five-door car. The Leon appears to be longer than Astra or Focus-class alternatives (from the outside at least) and is (not that this means a bigger cabin). The styling's
smart and purposeful too: the kind of car you really might buy if you fancied a specialist brand but couldn't face the hassle. The rear section is cleverly crafted, with nice touches like a boot handle incorporated into the SEAT logo. Space in the back isn't huge but is more than adequate for the family hatchback sector in which this car competes. Even so, you can understand why SEAT decided not to do a three-door version. Sheer space apart however, that interior should be seen as one of the SEAT's strongest suits. Like all VW-sourced products, you feel behind the wheel that you're in something much more expensive, thanks to the choice of trim materials and the way the switches and stalks snap into place with an expensive click. There are lovely touches everywhere, including red backlit instruments and a steering wheel adjustable for rake and reach. On the road, the driving experience isn't much different to that of a mkIV Golf (or an Octavia or an original Audi A3 come to that). Surprise, surprise. That means a predictable, easy, forgiving but not particularly inspiring recipe. If you plan to cover intergalactic mileages, the 1.
9TDi model may well work out cheaper to run over the course of three years, but the sheer versatility of the petrol powered car will win many admirers. Even here at Leon base camp, the equipment list is impressive. Air conditioning, front fog lamps, power steering, twin front and side airbags, ABS and EBD (electronic brake distribution), electric front windows and remote central locking are all included. Its illuminating that £10,215 will barely buy you a 1.
4-litre Polo let alone a Golf. As such, the family-sized SEAT Leon 1.4S appears remarkable value. Although the shape has been with us for a few years now, its still a handsome thing.
Besides, you know what they say about looking gift horses in the mouth
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: SEAT Leon 1.4S
PRICE: £10,215 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 4
CO2 EMISSIONS: 163g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 105mph / 0-60mph 14.6s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [urban] 31mpg / [extra urban] 51.4mpg/ [combined] 41.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Driver, passenger and side airbags, ABS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4184/1742/1457
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