What's the news?
SEAT has confirmed that its X-Perience off-road version of the Leon Sports Tourer (ST) will start from £24,385 when it goes on sale later this year. With a compact SUV coming from the Spaniards in 2016, this rugged Leon wagon is intended to get the customer ball rolling until then.
Exterior
Running on Skoda Octavia Scout underpinnings (they're both MQB, after all), the Leon X-Perience follows the usual 'soft-roader' styling memes; namely, hike the suspension up, slather the sides in plastic and give it chunky wheels and tyres. So you'll spot one over a 'normal' ST in an instant, thanks to protection mouldings on the door sills and wheelarches, plus aluminium 'skid plate'-aping touches low down at the front and rear. The X-Perience has integrated front fog lamps, twin chrome tailpipes and larger front air intakes. It also gains LED headlights and taillights, electrically folding door mirrors and 18-inch alloys bespoke to the X-Perience (on higher spec models, at least).
Interior
The cabin has Alcantara upholstery with simil leather side bolsters, while the boot remains as capacious as ever, despite the all-wheel drive componentry underneath - it's a huge 587 litres with the seats up, a gigantic 1,470 litres with them folded away. Beyond that, there are two trim levels and two engines - the badges are SE and SE Technology, while the motive power comes from the redoubtable 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel in either 150- or 184hp guise.
SE starts with 17-inch twin-spoke alloys, black roof rails and dark tinted rear windows. Rear parking sensors and the twin tailpipes are also included, while inside is dual-zone climate control, a bespoke leather steering wheel with orange stitching and cloth/simil leather sports seats. Buyers will also be blessed with Hill Hold Control and a chrome loading sill for added boot lip protection.
Step up to the SE Technology and you'll need to find an extra £1,985, but SEAT says you get £3,500-worth of kit for that. Included amongst this bounty are SEAT Media System Plus with its 5.8-inch colour touchscreen, DAB and satnav, plus automatic headlights, wipers and a dimming rear-view mirror.
There are other individual options across the line-up, such as a panoramic sunroof, tow bar pre-install, SEAT Sound upgraded audio system and an 18-inch space saver spare wheel for those who actually intend going off-road in this thing.
Mechanicals
Riding 15mm higher than an ST, the X-Perience's all-wheel drive system is controlled by a torque-shifting dynamic control system (incorporating a fifth-generation Haldex multi-plate clutch) and an extended electronic differential lock (XDS) for more traction in the bends. As mentioned, there are two variants of the 2.0-litre TDI engine and on the more powerful, 184hp version with the DSG transmission, you'll also get SEAT's Drive Profile, allowing you to switch the car's drivetrain between Normal, Sport and Eco modes.
Anything else?
The X-Perience range starts at £24,385 for the SE 2.0 TDI 150 manual, rising to £26,370 for the same car as an SE Technology and topping out at £28,870 for a 2.0 TDI 184 with the DSG transmission.
If all of the above isn't enticing enough to get you into SEAT showrooms on September 1 to order your X-Perience ready for December, then there's a £1,250 Lux pack to take things to top-level luxury. It equips the car with black leather upholstery, heated front seats, headlight washers and washer nozzles, an electrically adjustable driver's seat and chrome roof rails - fancy.
Matt Robinson - 26 Aug 2014