- 683
Hi guys, on we go with a
4. Seat Leon TDI Sport !
Actually this was another drivers training car, and I only got to drive it once, 2 hours, in a mixed Autobahn and City lesson.
It's got the well known 150hp 1.9L Turbo-diesel engine from all VAG models, with the Pumpe-Düse technology, being coupled to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual and through the Cupra 18" wheels.
After the E46 320d, the interior did indeed feel rather.......well.......not exactly boring, but a bit main-stream and cheap looking
Fortunately the aluminium trim and the leather on the steering wheel and gear knob made for a sportier appearance in comparison with the 1.6l model 
That aside, the controls are almost as well placed as in the BMW, with one taking very little time for getting used to their placings. The instrument cluster was in white and casted a very attractive red glow, a bit towards red (not towards the orange BMW color) as did the whole buttons, which gave it a touch of sporty flavour (the car was also red, to match the interiour lights.....or the other way around 
)
A pleasent surprise were the semi-bucket seats, which were specially made by RECARO. They hold your body like only something else can, and you feel very connected to the car through your back side. They're also quite comfortable despite their harder paddings. You have to be careful though, getting in and out, not to lie your weight on the side supports (oversized, and that's good 👍 ), or else, after 50.-100.000 km they'll look very second-hand
.
Starting the engine you hear the known rumble from the 1.9TDI unit, but it does that in a sporty manner (As in the BMW 320d), helped by the sports exhaust (fitted as standard) which makes it sound a bit more refined (albeit: you still get the tractor noise, at low RPM though
) so don't expect too much.
On the move, you realize what a different animal this is, in comparison to the 320d. The clutch and acceleration are literally light as a feather and extremely easy to operate. The same goes for the 6-speed tranny, changing gear with 2 fingers never seemed easier. While the BMW makes you grab the lever with a sporty determination, this almost changes gear for you. I personally liked the BMW character more, but if you're looking for an extremely comfortable use, you can't go wrong with the SEAT.
Thanks to the 18" wheels and lowered suspension, the car felt at home in the corners, though not as active as a MINI or as dynamic as a BMW 3 series. The handling seemed fair, with good feedback coming from those large wheels and tires. Unfortunately this tire-and-wheel combination make the car quite twitchy while going over ondulations (especially longitudinal ones), so you'd better keep both your hands on the wheel at ALL times (especially while cruising at over 200kmh on the autobahn:tup: )
As I said, in town the car is very easy to control and handle, but at parking it sometimes feel like a car with no power-steering, because of the tires, you have to gently get moving before turning the wheel in order to make it easier. In general, the car has lots of sporty accents (suspension, wheels, seats) but unfortunately the package is not 100%, with the steering and shifting, as well as the pedal feel being at a normal 1.6 litre level. Sadly that's not the point, on a 150hp sports model you should feel a bit of occasion while driving it, not only a 1.6 Leon with bigger engine, wheels and harder suspension. Maybe I'm being a bit hardcore about the overall package, so please ignore the last bit about all aspects being equal sporty.💡
It's a pleasant car to be in and even to be seen in, that will bring a smile to your face, not only when accelerating ( 0-100kmh in around 8.7 sec.) or cruising at 220kmh+, but also when putting diesel in, drinking only 5-6 litres of fuel for 100km's, or 8-9 when you really hammer it......Values, that the MINI Cooper S can only dream about
4. Seat Leon TDI Sport !
Actually this was another drivers training car, and I only got to drive it once, 2 hours, in a mixed Autobahn and City lesson.
It's got the well known 150hp 1.9L Turbo-diesel engine from all VAG models, with the Pumpe-Düse technology, being coupled to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual and through the Cupra 18" wheels.
After the E46 320d, the interior did indeed feel rather.......well.......not exactly boring, but a bit main-stream and cheap looking
That aside, the controls are almost as well placed as in the BMW, with one taking very little time for getting used to their placings. The instrument cluster was in white and casted a very attractive red glow, a bit towards red (not towards the orange BMW color) as did the whole buttons, which gave it a touch of sporty flavour (the car was also red, to match the interiour lights.....or the other way around ) A pleasent surprise were the semi-bucket seats, which were specially made by RECARO. They hold your body like only something else can, and you feel very connected to the car through your back side. They're also quite comfortable despite their harder paddings. You have to be careful though, getting in and out, not to lie your weight on the side supports (oversized, and that's good 👍 ), or else, after 50.-100.000 km they'll look very second-hand
.
Starting the engine you hear the known rumble from the 1.9TDI unit, but it does that in a sporty manner (As in the BMW 320d), helped by the sports exhaust (fitted as standard) which makes it sound a bit more refined (albeit: you still get the tractor noise, at low RPM though
) so don't expect too much.On the move, you realize what a different animal this is, in comparison to the 320d. The clutch and acceleration are literally light as a feather and extremely easy to operate. The same goes for the 6-speed tranny, changing gear with 2 fingers never seemed easier. While the BMW makes you grab the lever with a sporty determination, this almost changes gear for you. I personally liked the BMW character more, but if you're looking for an extremely comfortable use, you can't go wrong with the SEAT.
Thanks to the 18" wheels and lowered suspension, the car felt at home in the corners, though not as active as a MINI or as dynamic as a BMW 3 series. The handling seemed fair, with good feedback coming from those large wheels and tires. Unfortunately this tire-and-wheel combination make the car quite twitchy while going over ondulations (especially longitudinal ones), so you'd better keep both your hands on the wheel at ALL times (especially while cruising at over 200kmh on the autobahn:tup: )
As I said, in town the car is very easy to control and handle, but at parking it sometimes feel like a car with no power-steering, because of the tires, you have to gently get moving before turning the wheel in order to make it easier. In general, the car has lots of sporty accents (suspension, wheels, seats) but unfortunately the package is not 100%, with the steering and shifting, as well as the pedal feel being at a normal 1.6 litre level. Sadly that's not the point, on a 150hp sports model you should feel a bit of occasion while driving it, not only a 1.6 Leon with bigger engine, wheels and harder suspension. Maybe I'm being a bit hardcore about the overall package, so please ignore the last bit about all aspects being equal sporty.💡
It's a pleasant car to be in and even to be seen in, that will bring a smile to your face, not only when accelerating ( 0-100kmh in around 8.7 sec.) or cruising at 220kmh+, but also when putting diesel in, drinking only 5-6 litres of fuel for 100km's, or 8-9 when you really hammer it......Values, that the MINI Cooper S can only dream about
