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Driven: SEAT Leon Estate eTSI. Image by SEAT.

Driven: SEAT Leon Estate eTSI
Our first chance to try both the wagon body style and SEAT’s 48-volt mild-hybrid drivetrain in the Leon.

   



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SEAT Leon Estate eTSI

4 4 4 4 4

Good points: sharp appearance, nice cabin, smooth and cultured drivetrain, typically sharp SEAT chassis

Not so good: relies too much on infotainment screen, eTSI drivetrain is actually slightly less clean on paper than 150 TSI Evo

Key Facts

Model tested: SEAT Leon Estate FR 1.5 eTSI 150 DSG
Price: Leon Estate range from £21,555; FR 1.5 eTSI £28,510 as tested
Engine: 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol with 48-volt mild-hybrid technology
Transmission: seven-speed DSG dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door mild-hybrid estate
CO2 emissions: 133g/km (VED Band 131-150: £220 in year one, then £155 annually thereafter)
Combined economy: 47.9mpg
Top speed: 135mph
0-62mph: 8.7 seconds
Power: 150hp at 5,000-6,000rpm
Torque: 250Nm at 1,500-3,500rpm
Boot space: 620-1,301 litres

Our view:

While it is no longer called the ST, for 'sports tourer', the all-new fourth-generation SEAT Leon Estate is a damned fine-looking machine. It takes the hatchback's styling and runs with it, measuring fully 274mm longer than its sibling to make the most of its MQB underpinnings. That results in a huge boot with all five seats in play, the Estate's 620-litre cavern eclipsing the Leon hatch's cargo area by fully 240 litres. There's also more space in the back of the passenger compartment too, while SEAT's typically stylish cabin arrangement up front continues to impress. Not as much as that in the Skoda Octavia, mind, and there's still too much reliance on the central infotainment touchscreen - which includes the climate control functions - but overall it's still nicer in here than it is in a Volkswagen Golf Mk8.

Tested here is SEAT's new mild-hybrid (MHEV) 48-volt drivetrain, which goes under the badging eTSI. There is a full plug-in hybrid (PHEV) derivative available in the Leon family but that's the e-Hybrid, whereas the car we're driving here is one which can coast, engine-off, at higher speeds, as well as recuperating energy during deceleration phases and even in-filling torque while accelerating - all to save a bit of fuel when compared to the 'plain' TSIs.

Oddly, though, as the 150hp TSI is only available as a manual and this 150hp eTSI is a DSG, there's a £2,040 price gap between them in favour of the former 1.5-litre Leon. And, not only that, the manual TSI actually records slightly better economy and CO2 figures than the eTSI DSG. So you can probably guess what we're going to say next: admirable though this MHEV SEAT is, you're better off saving your money and sticking with a cheaper Leon Estate.

If you were to do that, you end up with a cracking family wagon nonetheless. The Leon is a more accomplished, refined car in this generation and the Estate is no exception to that rule, although we would say that if plush ride quality and impeccable in-cabin noise suppression are your bag, then Skoda's Octavia Estate nudges ahead on these scores. That said, the Leon still feels one of the best in this class for mechanical isolation and comfortable damping, which is not something we've always been able to say of sporty-looking FR SEATs of the past. Perhaps the fact the FR is only on 17s this time around, rather than arch-stuffing 19s or the like, is to thank for the improved comportment.

And the Leon Estate still handles crisply. Sweet steering, if a touch lifeless and lacking outright feel, couples with supple body control to make the FR eTSI fluid and swift across even rucked-up lanes. One of the key points here is that, even with its MHEV gear onboard and a much longer body than its hatchback source material, the Leon Estate tested in this specification still weighs a relatively trim 1,410kg, so it feels light and eager, rather than leaden and unwilling. The 1.5 four-pot gets a little strained and vulgar nearer the redline, but in essence both it and the DSG transmission it is couple to work perfectly fine here.

There's also the benefit of SEAT's 'no options' policy, which means what you see is what you get on this £28,510 FR eTSI - and what you get is a lot of desirable kit plus the striking good looks. There are no cost options, not even a fee for the lovely Desire Red paint. And this car proved reasonably economical, as per its claims. On a run down the A1, a best of 46.7mpg is pretty much bang on the WLTP claimed figure and an overall 41mpg set against 141 miles of mixed-roads driving is also decent for a 150hp petrol wagon that'll run 0-62mph in the mid-eights.

It's just that, when we drove the 130hp Leon hatch, we managed to coerce nearly 57mpg out of it on a non-motorway run with little effort whatsoever. So we say again that we're not sure why you'd go for this halfway-house hybrid in the Leon range, rather than either a cheaper, just-as-efficient pure-petrol model or going all-in on the PHEV e-Hybrid. In summary, then, this is probably the right C-segment estate car body, just not fitted with quite the right drivetrain. Overall excellent, though.

Alternatives:

Ford Focus Estate: always due consideration in this class, the latest Focus wagon does everything to a polished standard, although its interior isn't quite as flashy nor as advanced as the SEAT's - yet some folk will prefer the Ford's physical climate controls - and it doesn't (yet) have the same spread of hybrid options.

Skoda Octavia Estate: it was always a battle between these two VW Group products of the Skoda's classy pragmatism versus the SEAT's racier looks and dynamics. It still is, to a degree, but the splendid Octavia feels like it is edging ahead of its Spanish cousin in most regards.

Toyota Corolla Touring Sports: while 'Corolla' was once synonymous with 'bland beigeness', the latest model looks sharp, has a quality cabin, drives well thanks to its TNGA underpinnings and has mastered the whole hybrid thing a lot earlier than most European rivals. Well worth a look.


Matt Robinson - 16 Feb 2021



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2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.

2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.2021 SEAT Leon Estate eTSI FR UK test. Image by SEAT.








 

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