- Olga Kokorina
- Translated by Olga Apetenok
- Ru He Fr
The 2020 fourth generation SEAT Leon Hatchback
The SEAT Leon (the Spanish word for ‘Lion’, as well as the city of the same name, the center of the province of Leon) is a five-seater hatchback or estate of the golf class, produced by SEAT (Spain) since 1998. In 2021, the Israeli buyers can purchase the fourth-generation five-door hatchback, offered in two versions: FR 1.5 and Style 1.5.
Exterior
The 2020 SEAT Leon has a bold, aggressive and sporty image. It looks athletic, stylish and strong. A piercing narrowed ‘gaze’ of LED headlights, a low-lying hexagonal mesh grille, and a powerful bumper complement its expressive image. The profile is dynamic and invites you to travel, charming you with a long sloping hood, beautiful architecture of the sides and a sloping roofline, an elegant rear part decorated with fancy taillights connected by an LED ‘bridge’, as well as a convex bumper with a pair of exhaust pipes.
It is impossible to miss an exquisite ‘Leon’ nameplate on the fifth door, as if it was drawn by an artist. It’s easy to believe that the aerodynamics of the new hatchback have improved by 8%. The body is available in 8 colors, 6 of which are metallic (white, silver, gray, red, blue and black) plus “standard white” and “classic red”.
The vehicle is based on the upgraded MQB platform, and the wheelbase has been increased by as much as 50 mm and is equal to 2,686 mm, just like the Skoda Octavia. The Leon has become noticeably longer: the hatchback is now 4,368 mm long (86 mm more than before). However, its width has been reduced by 16 mm (1800 mm), and the height has remained almost the same (1,456 mm). The interior has become noticeably more spacious, but the trunk volume is the same: 380 liters under the stealth shelf.
Interior
It has undergone some changes, but still looks traditionally similar to the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia models. The number of analog buttons and switches has been drastically reduced, even the basic 2020/2021 Leon is equipped with a ‘digital cockpit’ with two screens. The first is the dashboard, display with a diagonal of 10.25 inches, and a touchscreen measuring 8.25 (Style 1.5 trim level) or 10 inches (FR 1.5 trim level) in the center, which is focused on managing the media system, climate control and other minor functions. In general, the interior is very attractive, with a sporty touch being provided by a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel with a raised rim, slightly cut at the bottom, and a center console turned towards the driver.
The Leon has a five-seater passenger compartment, with a sufficient space for both rows of seats. In the front, there are ergonomically profiled seats with distinct lateral bolsters, dense padding and wide adjustment ranges, and in the back there is a welcoming backseat with a folding center armrest. The trunk of the compact hatchback has a volume of 380 liters. The backrest of the backseat folds in a 60:40 ratio, thus almost tripling the cargo space. In the trunk underfloor space, there is a small spare wheel and a minimum set of tools.
Power trains and chassis
In Israel, the new SEAT Leon hatchback comes with a single engine. It is a powerful turbocharged 1.5-liter gasoline direct injection engine with phase shifters at the inlet and outlet. It produces 150 hp at 5,000-6,000 rpm and 250 Nm of torque.
The engine is paired with a 7-speed DSG with two clutches and driving wheels of the front axle. And the selector of the semi-automatic DSG has turned into a small joystick and is now deprived of a mechanical connection with the gearbox. The suspension is borrowed from previous generations: the front MacPherson strut suspension and the rear multi-link suspension. The car is equipped with anti-roll bars in its front and rear parts. All wheels of the five-door model are equipped with disc brakes (ventilated on the front axle), performing their functions together with ABS, EBD and BAS.
Equipment
The new Leon hatchback, sold in Israel, is very well-equipped, including the following elements: tire pressure monitoring system, electronic stability control, driver fatigue control, pedestrian detection, engine start button, electromechanical handbrake, start-stop system and much more. The 2020/2021 Leon is the first model of the brand to be equipped with a three-zone climate control system. It also have adaptive cruise control with a lane keeping assist function, operating at speeds up to 210 km/h.
The superior Leon FR model features interior decor, 18-inch wheels and a sportier suspension. It also has more options: voice control of multimedia, blind spot circular monitoring, warning and auto-brake while reversing, etc. As before, the SEAT Leon is created for those who care about how their car looks and performs.
