Seat launches the all new Leon

Seat has unveiled the all new Leon, adding connectivity, new electrified powertrains and automated safety systems to the popular compact car.

The all new Seat Leon builds on the appeal of its predecessor with a stronger, more purposeful character, aided by smooth flowing surfaces and a mix of curves and edges.

A coast-to-coast light design at the rear also makes the vehicle stand out to other road users. The new Leon now includes dynamic indicators, making the vehicle's intended direction of travel clearer to other road users and adds a further technical appeal to the vehicle.

Inside, the new Leon's design continues the evolutionary theme, putting the driver and other occupants at its centre. A smooth-surfaced dashboard gives the appearance of lightness and appears to float in the cabin. The effect is aided by decorative mouldings that surround the dashboard and continue through into the front doors.

The cabin has also been designed to increase comfort, with everything within decluttered by keeping the number of physical buttons to a minimum, allowing the focus to rest on the main infotainment screen. Gesture recognition will facilitate all key interaction and commands from the occupants.

At the heart of the Leon's interior is the Seat Digital Cockpit, which brings together a high-resolution 10.25-inch configurable driver instrument cluster and 10.0-inch infotainment system. Its 'diagonal' graphic design positioning gets its inspiration from the Diagonal Avenue of Barcelona, and is the first that has been created at the new Seat Digital Lab.

A suite of new powertrain technologies for the Leon means that consumers can choose the vehicle that most closely matches their lifestyle and needs. The new Leon's petrol engines are all direct-injection, turbocharged units and provide power outputs between 108bhp and 187bhp.

For the first time, the Leon is available with a 1.0-litre three-cylinder 108bhp TSI engine paired with a six-speed manual. Also available with either 128bhp or 148bhp is the larger 1.5-litre TSI four-cylinder unit mated to a six-speed manual. A 187bhp 2.0-litre TSI unit linked to a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission is also available.

The new Seat Leon can also be specified with mild hybrid technology, further enhancing efficiency. The system, which is available with the 1.0-litre TSI 108bhp and the 1.5-litre TSI 148bhp petrol units, mates 48V mild hybrid technology to the combustion engine.

Seat will also expand its lineup of electrified vehicles with a plug-in hybrid electric version of the Leon. A 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, electric motor, 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack and six-speed dual-clutch DSG transmission combine to produce 201bhp of power and is recharged via a 3.6kW alternating current charger. The battery can be fully charged from 0% in less than 3.5 hours.

The plug-in hybrid version also allows users to drive the Leon via electric power only, for a usable range of 60km on the Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure, and will be offered on both the five-door and estate models.

The new Leon gives occupants greater opportunity to take their digital lives with them with Full Link offering seamless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay connections. Away from the vehicle, users can access their vehicle's data remotely via Seat Connect as well as manage the battery charging and control the electronic air conditioning for the plug-in hybrid models.

Safety is also at the heart of the new Leon. The Modular Transverse Matrix Evo architecture provides an inherently strong and stiff safety cell and allows the integration of some of the most advanced driver assistance systems available, including Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control and Emergency Assist 3.0, to make it the safest car that Seat has made to date.