Sorry to the Arsenal fans amongst you, but Barcelona fans are probably still celebrating as this is written... Fans of Spanish cars should celebrate too, as SEAT will unveil the first sporty version of its Leon hatch at next week's Madrid Motor Show.
The new SEAT Leon FR comes with a choice of 197bhp turbocharged petrol (as fitted to the
VW Golf GTi) or 168bhp turbodiesel engines and a host of styling changes, inside and out. You can order yours now, but deliveries don't start for UK customers until July.
SEAT's previous Leon FR accounted for a massive 40% of sales in the UK so the new car is an important one. First impressions are good, with new, sportier front and rear bumpers taking inspiration from various SEAT concept cars and the company's touring car racers. As with other FR models in the SEAT range, the door mirrors are painted silver and sharp five-spoke alloys are fitted (17-inch as standard, with 18-inch as an option).
Inside, the FR logo is everywhere you look; including on the chunky leather-rimmed steering wheel, silver gearknob, white-faced instruments and even embroidered into the backrests of the standard sports seats.
Prices have yet to be announced, but going on past form it is likely that the SEAT will undercut the Volkswagen equivalent, which means that the Leon FR could turn out to be a rather good value alternative to the VW Golf GTi it is based closely on. With the turbocharged petrol engine, the Leon FR will crack the 0-62mph sprint in 7.3 seconds (Golf GTi manual: 7.2 seconds) and top out at 142mph. The diesel FR compares favourably with the new Golf GT too, thanks to 168bhp and a massive 258lb.ft of torque available. This version is about a second slower to 62mph than the petrol alternative, but also returns a claimed 47.1mpg on the combined cycle.
Using the FR designation for this car, SEAT has allowed room at the top of the range for an even more extreme version to stick the Cupra R badge to, presumably with even more power. Can't wait!
Pricing update
Since we ran the original story above, SEAT has released UK pricing information. As predicted, the Leon FR undercuts the Golf GTi. The petrol version will be £16,995, with the 168bhp diesel hatch retailing at £17,495.
Whilst remaining cheaper than the Golf, the new SEAT Leon FR will have its work cut out against the forthcoming new Honda Civic Type-R and the smaller RenaultSport Clio 197.
SEAT will display the Leon FR at the
British Motor Show in July alongside a surprise display, possibly the Altea FR with the same powerplant. We'll be there and we should also get behind the wheel for ourselves later in the summer.
Shane O' Donoghue - 26 May 2006
