The article was originally produced on December 18, 2013, some facts and prices may have changed since then.

Seat Leon ST

The fiery Spanish temperament doesn't really shine through anymore. The new Seat Leon has become a more reliable car with elements of German efficiency and quality. Is it for the better or for the worse and is it possible to rediscover the Spanish nerve or not, however, is the question?

For a long time, Seat has been the brand under the Volkswagen group that has lagged behind the other brands. Skoda, for example, is doing incredibly well with bestsellers such as the Octavia. Now it finally seems to be letting up a bit for the Spanish brand, which in its home country is as common as Volvo here in Sweden. The advantage of being a brand in the VW group is that you can pick already working technology from the shelves at VW and use it in new models. This of course means guaranteed functionality and a greatly reduced cost during production. In the case of the new Leon ST, those who have driven the latest generation of Golf can recognize a number of details. Precisely this also means that the Leon ST lacks a bit of the Spanish feeling that existed before.

The size of the Seat Leon ST is a mid-range car in a combi version. In other words, it is an optimal car for the small family 

which grows to its breaking point. The load space is well sized and holds a whopping 587 litres, which is larger than many competitors, but not the Golf Sport Kombi or Octavia Kombi. Thanks to a biased space under the cargo floor, a lot can also be stowed here. The driver's environment is very easy to feel at home in - if you like the German layout, that is. All buttons and controls are easily accessible with clear symbols. But even here, a bit of the pulse of cheeky design lines is missing. It is, on the other hand, a timeless shape that the eye will hopefully not tire of. Something that makes the heart rate rise a little are the really cheeky rear-view mirrors with their angular shapes. Nice! If we continue to look at the choice of lines on the outside, Seat has actually succeeded in making a stylish station wagon. The choice of lines goes hand in hand with the angular rear-view mirrors. Pointy, sharp shapes play right from the rear headlights to the taillights. So on this point, the Spanish heart definitely shines through in the German, austere suit. If you add just over SEK 11,000, you can get the front headlights with LED lights only. An equipment detail that is mainly found on premium models. 

The new Leon is the best car the brand has produced, says Sanna Strömbäck, marketing manager at Seat. It is built for the Swedish climate and is also the first car with which we now reach the very important company car market. Sanna also says that the Leon is a model that spans a wide spectrum with the different body and engine options that are available. If you have a family, you choose the combi version and if you are more interested in a sporty version, there is a 180 horsepower 3-door version. The engine in this test car is a 105-horsepower petrol engine that is expected to be a big seller according to Sanna. This is an engine that won't make Rally-Kalle overjoyed, but on the other hand, won't bore anyone either. The six-speed manual box that sits inside is reliable with nice steps between gears. The beauty of this engine option is that consumption is very low. Mixed driving results in fuel consumption of less than half a liter per mile, which is really good as there are by no means boring miles to drive. If you still think this is not enough power, you can get the Leon ST with the powerful 180-horsepower engine and a reptilian 7-speed DSG gearbox. In this combination, of course, the consumption figures increase slightly, but at most marginally to just over 0.6 liters per mile.

In terms of safety, the Leon ST has also received a lot of technology that both makes the journey safer but is also guaranteed to help avoid unnecessary suffering and costs. Nowadays, the Leon ST can be equipped with automatic braking and adaptive cruise control. The cost of the package is just under SEK 5,000, which can be seen as cheap insurance to avoid accidents. 

Of course, you might get a bit more of a German quality car if you choose a Volkswagen Golf over a Seat Leon. But what speaks for Leon is that there is actually little of the Spanish nerve left. However, what speaks most for the choice is the price tag. A Seat Leon ST is almost SEK 18,000 cheaper than the equivalent Golf. If you spend that money on equipment, you get a very well equipped Leon ST!