SEAT reveal New Leon spec, and announce 2.0 T FSI

Timthebrief

Barmy Army sleeper cell
m0rk said:
pull up, engine off - flash your lights & they stay on for 30 secs or so - this means you can get to the door of your house in time.
In time for what though? Now I'm finally on the broadband at work what's to rush home for? :confused:

Has anyone got even a hint as to pricing for the new Leon. Faster and better is bound to mean dearer and dearer even if it still undercuts Audi.
 
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Niall

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Zboyd if i read this properly it should be a 200Bhp 2.0TFSI

LeonTFSI.JPG
 

225

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Looks OK, black one looks very nice especaially as its not even a sporting model. I leave the pink top and white suit mind.
Would be good to see some more normal shots, i.e boring side on and rear views from a distance or compared with say a golf, but I am sure that wont take long.
I told myself I wouldn't get another uber hatch but we shall just have to see...

BTW good lot of info there, as usual on SCN :thumbup:
 

ZBOYD

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Niall said:
Zboyd if i read this properly it should be a 200Bhp 2.0TFSI

Indeed like the VW Golf GTi and A3 FSI T, we all know what it's capable of

But SEAT are currently listing it in their press release as a 185bhp, i didn't just make it up :)

Be interesting to see how it pans out though. I'd fully expect the 200bhp to be available to them though, seems a bit daft to wind it back in power. :confused:
 

cordobabrendy

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Aug 24, 2001
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i think seat is going downhill fast with their alfa designs (i know he designed them too!)
after the leon if they dont bring out a nicer body shape ill be looking elsewhere....
 

ZBOYD

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cordobabrendy said:
i think seat is going downhill fast with their alfa designs (i know he designed them too!)
after the leon if they dont bring out a nicer body shape ill be looking elsewhere....

Where will you be looking :) Remebering cost and what they compare with, in terms of standard equipment.

Staying in the family AudiA3? Golf GTi? a Skoda offering?

or elsewhere a Ford? an Alfa :p
 

Feel

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Jun 12, 2003
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ZBOYD said:
Some comparisons with the MK V Golf, as side on as i could find.

The red Leon has a massive front overhang (well, massive might be an exaggeration) compared to the Golf, but the blue one doesn't - it looks shrunk/shrinked.

Personally Idon't like this trend for big front overhangs, makes cars look odd/front heavy.

Other than that - the leon looks good in red doncha think?
 
Apr 2, 2004
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The black one does look smart!!

Don't like the look of that dashboard with the integrated radio though, I've never been a fan of factory fit radios and have always changed them for a decent head unit.

Hazzard warning light is in a strange place too!
 

cordobabrendy

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Aug 24, 2001
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z id try t stay away from jap cheapo interiors but i really cant stand the mini mpv look, seat will no doubt sell them by the bucket load to the over 40's and school run brigade.
what was wrong with developing the current look a little, similar to what ford did with the focus without making it look like a megane scenic wannabe.
golf has evolved not beyond recognition, a3 is lovely looking since its facelift, octavia/superb looks well, leon has gone all well..wrong. there are a few plus points for example the front of the car from head on but the whole windscreen angle and extra windows that dont "need" to be there are a waste of a good chance of impressing and bringing in more customers...anyone remember the infamous renault vel satis? (toloedo beware too!)
 

ZBOYD

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Ford just developed the Focus into the Leon and SEAT developed the Leon into the old Focus but a bit more rounded. :p

Im not over 40 yet and im seriously considering jacking in the R for one, i want comfortable seats, and a car with a proper working chassis not just a rear beam.

Better ride, better equipment, more upto date technology and innovation, the Leon's i've had have been great cars, but i need to move on to something else.

No doubt i'll be goign around the car dealers though, I want to try out lots and weigh up the competition.
 
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Timthebrief

Barmy Army sleeper cell
cordobabrendy said:
i think seat is going downhill fast with their alfa designs (i know he designed them too!)
after the leon if they dont bring out a nicer body shape ill be looking elsewhere....

I agree the Alfa look is too obvious , the rear view especially but what goes around comes around.

Those of us who are over 40 can see that the current shape Leon has mutated out of the old Alfasud, which I admired as a boy and although it was a rust bucket it was the Cupra of it's day for a while before the GTI really took hold.

The new features sound fine but if they are ultimately going to produce a Cupra version of this new shape it needs to be much more distinctive from the "cooking"versions, like the current LC and LCR are.

There's no point paying for the grunt if everyone else just sees a squashed Altea going past them :(
 
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andyb

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Aug 29, 2001
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The front overhang is only very slightly longer. However, its a visual thing, becuase on the Leon you have this long sweeping bonnet (picked out in green) and its lower, making the overhang appear thinner and narrowe. Compare how it relates to the Golf, as I've overlayed the green line onto the Golf which has a higher and straighter bonnet.

Adding to this is the more curved front end (when looking in top view) which means that in pretty much every 3/4 shot more of the front end gets shown and there isn't a hard corner.

What suprises me (if these drgs are accurate - and then tend to be drawn off of, or from CAD) is how much lower the Leon is.

attachment.php


Personally I think SEAT are really going to pay for this. its just too similar to the Altea despite its reducing in height. The Interior isnt up to quality you'd expect, mainly the console. Look at a Audi or a VW console or the new Focus, no dark grey slabs of plastic for the console :(

I hope the Cupra ends up looking like the prototype. I may consider it when I return, but if not, I'll probably end up the Audi route and SEAT will have lost a customer (How many times have I read that regarding the Altea-Leon-Toledo), shame as my Leon was easily the best car I had.

Discuss :roflmao:
 
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GAmbrose

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4car.co.uk review of the new Leon, Including mention of the 185 BHP version and talk of "Cupra AND Cupra R versions later"

http://www.channel4.com/4car/road-tests/S/seat/leon05-/leon05-.html

"We tried the 185bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrol that'll come to the UK a few months after Leon's initial launch. A Leon so equipped is undeniably quick, but torque steer is an issue, as is a clutch so sudden to bite that it makes driving this Leon smoothly more of a challenge than it should be."

Gary A
 

Pagnobito

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I'm still not keen on it.

I think my next car will be a bus, then at least I might make some money driving to work.

When the R expires, I'm not really sure where I will go next at the mo. Maybe the Astra sport hatch, but hate the service from the dealers.

The Seat range is starting to look far too similar, it seems to me they have built three cars the same but one has a higher roof, one has a sticky out boot and the Leon sits in the middle. weird.
 

GAmbrose

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I'd love an Alfa Romeo Brera Coupe, but I reckon the decent one will cost about 30k :(

I'm really not sure where to go next with cars, But I want it to be as fast, preferably faster than my Cupra R.

Still got another year to go though...who knows what wonderous machines will be out by then.

Gary A
 

m0rk

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hopefully better than the New Toledo pricing - that looks about 2k more for the 'sport tdi' model from mk2-mk3 which will be a lot to swallow.