seat Leon road tests and consumer car reviews

SEAT Leon FR 2.0 Litre TDI CR 2009

SEAT’s Leon FR diesel is, without a doubt, a lionhearted car committed to a crusade on behalf of better motoring. Modern, functional and thoroughly alluring, it’s a leap away from the mundane - from boring clone ’cars-as-an-appliance’. It’s an indulgence: a lot of fun and more. At your first involvement, the word ’humdrum’ is removed from your vocabulary. From most angles the lean, low profile looks tremendous - a coupe with five-door practicality. Stand back and feel the sense of integrity and solidity of that arresting shape with its glossy paint and startling presence. Fastidiously sculpted and with just the right hint of bicep in the design to let you know that it’s a thoroughbred for keen drivers - the Leon is still a capacious, comfortable, family sized car. Getting into a Leon is always to be reminded of that ample interior space and splendid ergonomics. Big seats, loads of room, excellent visibility and a cohesive air of quality (SEAT is part of the Volkswagen Group) let you know that this car is a finely honed machine. Second only to the range-topping Cupra version, the FR is the civilised performance model for ’Captain Sensible’. ’Zesty’ rather than ’ballistic’ it has that everyday charm for today’s traffic conditions - yet with a capability to go supersonic when conditions allow. The most important ingredient for capturing that elusive essence of fun in any car is its engine and in the FR version of the Leon there’s either a 2.0 litre 211PS petrol or a willing and lusty 170PS diesel. Testing the diesel version, I could tell that engineers who really understand what makes one engine a workhorse and another a pure delight, had been at work. Smooth and restrained at low revs for relaxed urban use - yet ride on the crest of the creamy torque and the once unassuming engine thrusts you forward with impressive alacrity - satisfyingly bowling you along at speeds up to nearly 135mph. All this though, would be a chore if the six speed gearbox was less than delightful. Thankfully the changes are light, swift and pleasant - slotting home with almost military precision to provide you with enjoyment pure and simple. But you can only have so much fun travelling in a straight line, so bend swinging must match the straight-line experience. Thankfully the Leon FR is deliciously ’chuckable’ letting you ply your chosen line with total confidence to make ’press on’ driving a pleasure. The test model was vivid Crono Yellow (Sunflower yellow to you and me) that left the cheeky young stripling driving a Focus ST, blinking in our wake as we scorched along Shropshire’s secret roads at Warp Speed. Whilst the Focus was burning fuel at an alarming rate I delighted in enough pep to make Salvador Dali’s moustache curl - with a surreally low fuel consumption to boot. Averaging nearly 55mpg overall means that even if you can’t stretch to a Goya, you should be able to stretch to this ’goer’ at £19,500. You have to pay more, of course, if you want to add the various ’option’ packs - ’Winter Pack, Bluetooth ’wired to Mars’ Communications Pack, Convenience Pack (No lavatory included I’m afraid) or Technology Pack. But this is certainly one of the few cars available today to offer all the convenience you need plus the performance you crave to shrug-off the traffic queue and take the freelance route - a practical combination that sacrifices nothing in the driving stakes. Decent ride comfort and sharp handling makes for a lovely car either to drive like fury or to savour slowly. The Leon FR is a splendid ’all rounder’ - and it’s not only me saying this. Jaded old colleagues with advanced rigor mortis assure me that they have been rejuvenated by Seat’s Leon FR. "Keep it on the road! There’s a good chap" cried my old pal Dougie. "The lady wife’s expecting a late holiday". But he needn’t have worried - the Electronic Stability Programme, Emergency Brake Assist and Stall Warning Buzzer - plus lovely sticky tyres were guaranteed to save our bacon. Similarly the man from the Saturn Five Gazette assured me that it met with his full-boost, inter-galactic approbation. So I’m pleased to report that this is no Spanish donkey. Indeed it will give many an Italian stallion a run for its money. It certainly hit the spot with me. An ’Ole!’ in one for SEAT, you might say.