New Leon SC SE delivers a real punch

AT-A-GLANCE Seat Leon SC SE 1.4TSi 138bhp.

Price: £17,720 (on the road).

Top speed: 131mph.

0-62mph: 8.1 seconds.

Fuel: 54.3mpg (combined figure).

C02 emissions (g/km): 119.

Verdict: Great fresh styling, strong and economical motor, cutting –edge technology, well- equipped, user-friendly cabin.

BRITISH buyers have been responsible for a significant increase in Seat sales during the past year.

They like the German engineering coupled with Spanish design flair and prices that are appealing for such a quality and efficient product.

Partly responsible for the sales hike has been the launch of the new Leon. First version on the road was the five-door hatch and then came the three-door sports coupe, both with great looks.

But the coupe certainly has the sharper and more sporty lines and easily turns heads in the high street. It is shorter than the five- door with a sharply-raked rear screen, a more pronounced shoulder line and prominent side creases carried from the five-door which give the car a more muscular stance. And inside the quality of materials is high, though the excellent layout is rather understated as in other vehicles produced under the wing of the giant VW Group.

As one might expect with Seat there is a good selection of petrol and diesel motors with tempting prices.

One of the engines becoming very popular is the 138bhp 1.4- litre TSi petrol unit. This is a cracking motor offering plenty of punchy performance and delivering sufficient overall power to suit most people’s needs. With a top speed of 131mph and a 0- 62mph sprint time of 8.1 seconds it can show many larger motors a clean pair of heels. It is good on fuel, too, with an average return of 54.3mpg while C02 emissions are just 119 (g/km).

The engine remains surprisingly smooth and is particularly impressive during mid-range acceleration which helps to make it great fun to drive.

This unit is coupled to a slick six-speed manual gearbox with has well-spaced ratios for a good blend of performance and economy. And besides manual transmissions, Seat also offers a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox which is popular with the larger engines.

The lower-powered Leon models houses well-tried but dated suspension at the rear but despite this the 1.4-litre holds the road extremely well on fast, twisty routes. The steering has a sharp and sporty feel and generally the ride and handling is first rate, helped by the car’s compact dimensions and weight reductions.

Undoubtedly, part of the Leon’s advancement in the ride and handling stakes is due to the successful new VW platform also shared with other cars in the group.

But there have been many other improvements to make the Leon, in both five-door hatch and three- door forms, a great choice for buyers.

Generally, the ride is firm but comfortable and the car retains its composure remarkably well over poor-surfaced roads.

The interior is a big improve ment. It is solidly built and very well laid out, though it lacks the flair and extra style of the exterior. As one might expect the inside of the coupe is not quite as practical as the five-door but there is room for two large passengers in the rear. However, headroom is restricted a little because of the raked roofline.

The boot space is generous for a car in this class and at 380 litres is the same as the five-door.

The coupe also boasts an impressive amount of kit. Its touch screen infotainment system is included across the range and comes with Bluetooth, MP3 connectivity and CD player.

There is stability control and other electronic safety devices, airbags galore and air con