SEAT Leon Mild Hybrid

The Seat Leon is undoubtedly the more interesting choice of the hatchback lineup, but should you get one?

This Seat Leon is certainly still a rather unusual choice when lined up against the Golf, Jazz, etc. But you should not be deterred by the only-now growing popularity of the brand.

I decided to go down for a test drive of the Seat Leon after seeing images of it online. In the flesh, I must say that it looks every bit as good as it did in pictures. The exterior is really presentable, with a premium look. It certainly looked like a car which belies its lower price (relative to other cars).

However, the car is not just all show and no go. The spec sheet which reads 148bgp from the engine and acceleration from 0-100 at 8.5 seconds truly translates into the real world. The 250Nm from the engine is more than ample in Singapore traffic, allowing me to overtake other cars with relative ease.

The Leon's handling was also planted at higher speeds while remaining an easy steer at lower speeds. This is no sports car but I felt confident taking it through the test route regardless of whether I was doing 30km/h or 100km/h.

Not to mention the mild hybrid system which provided power whene there were gaps in the power band. It was good of Seat to include this feature.

Space was also ample. Standing at 6 foot tall, I had ample head and leg room.

I believe this Leon is a hit from Seat and compares very favourably in the company of other cars such as the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3. In fact if you are alright with overlooking the slightly less premium badge, the Seat is absolutely a no brainer.

Think the design of the Volkswagen Golf is too mundane? Looking for something a little different than what all your neighbours aspire towards? This Seat Leon is sure to appeal.

Coming from a 3rd Gen SEAT Leon with the 1.0TSI engine. I'm currently looking for a replacement car. I waited days, weeks and months for the launch of the Mk. 4 after hearing the launch of it coming to Singapore. Thanks to Magdalene at Kung Chong site in catering to my questions and constant worries about the Leon Mk. 4.

The Mk. 4 certainly has a very nice look, a massive uplift in quality, space and as well as features. While the Mk. 3 Leon was a nice car to drive, it was too basic and too rudimentary for a car. Though it was well equipped with infotainment features. The Mk. 4 Addresses a ton of issue the Mk. 3 had and I am willing to make the change over to it.

Before all these, when I was at the showroom, I was receiving bad news after bad news that the test drive models are delayed and that the FR model would not have a lot of features. Until one day, Magdalene told me that Vertex was willing to allow customers to spec the Leon up with the FULL suite of Smart Assist Systems as well as the full LED Headlights. The ones equipped on the FR out of the factory looks very soulless. Would definitely recommend to change it out if you are someone who likes your car to look as advertised.

When I test drove it on the 1st of October 2021, the Mk. 4 Leon felt so much at home. The driving cockpit, the layout the orientation of the controls. All of it was very familiar and all I had to get used to was the shift-by-wire dongle for the gear selector. The test drive experience was very good. Instant acceleration from the 1.5TSi and Mild Hybrid ISG, steering was very very good. It was more fluid and had better response compared to the Mk. 3. The cloth seats are very comfortable and not something I would want to change out because it is a vast improvement, as well as it does keep your butt cool under the hot sun. The LKAS is a good system to have as a standard on the base model FR. But you would need to top up extra for all the rest of the safety assist systems, which is something I would do.

I had just booked the Seat Leon at the Leng Kee showroom and I had a wonderful experience throughout the whole process and particularly impress with the sincerity and friendliness of the sales agent.

Exterior Styling

My wife and I both agree that the Seat Leon had the best overall styling. We had booked the red car which looks so sexy. We also love how the rear LED light stripe stretches across the rear of the car that looks (like a Porsche Macan) as well as the twin exhausts to complete the sporty looks.

Interior

We are both techjunkie and we love the high-tech feel of the car with digital instrumental panel and the large display screen and the fact that everything is controlled and operated by touch controls. We were impressed by the very cool looking ambient lighting that stretches across the front of the cabin.

Driving Experience

Good overall drive. 1.5L turbo mild-hybrid system is punchy while at the same time being quiet and smooth. We also like how planted the car is around corners.