Review of the new SEAT Leon 1.4 TSI

It doesn't seem that long ago now that the Volkswagen Group's strategy was in a real mess. It didn't know how to properly manage brands such as Audi, Skoda and SEAT, models often overlapping, competing and just plain unable to justify their existence. In recent years the vision has crystallised and of all the brands perhaps SEAT has come to enjoy the strongest brand identity. A SEAT is less likely to feel like a Volkswagen, Audi or Skoda product with a different grille and headlights anymore but it's good to be able to dip into the group's engineering locker, especially if it turns up a gem like the engine found in this Leon 1.4 TSI.

The entry-level powerplant in the Leon range is a normally-aspirated 1.6-litre lump good for 101bhp. This turbocharged 124bhp 1.4-litre unit is better in virtually every regard and it's the unit that buyers should try to stretch their budget to.

As you would expect from a car that packs another 23bhp over the one below it in the range, the SEAT Leon 1.4 TSI is significantly quicker than the entry-level 1.6-litre model, registering a sprint from 0-60mph in just 9.5 seconds compared to 11.4 seconds for the 1.6-litre car. The Volkswagen Group also has an engine with both turbocharger and supercharger that makes up to 170bhp, but this powerplant is a more conventional turbo installation. It's still a high-tech piece of engineering though, with direct injection and a water-cooled intercooler helping the engine to a peak torque figure of 200Nm, or about what you'd expect from a decent 2.0-litre petrol engine from, say, Renault or Peugeot.

As you might expect given this car's heritage, it's pretty much like a Golf to drive with a firmer suspension set-up that offers a ride and handling compromise aimed at SEAT's supposedly more sports-orientated clientele. The standard cars are comfortable on most surfaces but the sporty FR and Cupra derivatives really let you know you're in a hot hatch with their hard ride. There's good feel through the electric power steering and the manual gearboxes are a joy to use, with mechanical precision and a lovely slick feel to the action. A top speed of 122mph means that normal motorway cruising isn't putting the engine under any great stress, despite what the modest capacity of this engine suggests.

"A powerplant that offers the best of both petrol and diesel."

The Leon is a good deal bigger than you might expect for this class of car and this extra space is particularly noticeable in the rear where there's plenty of knee-room, even if you're transporting six-footers. Although there's no armrest in the back and the bench is a little flat but you wouldn't feel hard done by undertaking a longer journey here. The rear tailgate opens wide to reveal a load bay that's a little awkwardly shaped for bulky items but is otherwise perfectly adequate for this class of car. The latest facelifted models are tough to spot with SEAT apparently reluctant to mess too much with the Leon's cohesive curves but look closely and there's are reshaped light clusters, revised bumpers and a different grille with a smaller SEAT badge at its centre. The Leon's interior design has never been as fresh as the outside of the car and it even gave the impression that the SEAT had been deliberately dumbed down to preserve the quality gap to its Volkswagen Golf sister vehicle. Improvements in trim materials on the latest models help, as do the re-designed centre console and instruments.

Both the front seat and the steering wheel are multi-adjustable and there's plenty of headroom up front even for taller drivers. The nose curves rapidly out of view and shorter drivers may want to specify parking sensors. The windscreen pillars are annoyingly chunky which means that you'll probably be doing a fair bit of see-sawing in your seat as you negotiate roundabouts. One can almost excuse this feature due to the fact that the windscreen wipers park vertically into the pillars - a rather neat trick that helps with the vital showroom wow factor. Visibility out the back isn't great either, but the latest models improve the situation with an expanded rear screen.

This is a well-equipped car. Even in its most basic form, Leon buyers will get air-con, electric windows, electric and heated wing mirrors, a CD player with six speakers, split folding rear seats, 16-inch wheels and a trip computer. Interesting options include the Hill Hold Control function that stops the car rolling backward on hill starts and the XDS electronic differential that mimics the action of a mechanical limited slip differential to help drivers get the most out of the car's performance.

The design brief for the 1.4-litre turbo engine was to create a powerplant that generated the running costs of a diesel engine but which also offered the responsiveness and verve of a decent petrol engine. Of course, many manufacturers try to square this circle, but this engine comes closer than most. Fuel economy is a notable highlight. Despite offering much more power this 1.4-litre engine is more economical than its 1.6-litre predecessor with a combined economy figure of 44.1mpg versus 3.2mpg. It's also massively greener, registering a 155g/km CO2 figure compared to 180g/km from the 1.6-litre unit. Company car operators won't need reminding how much this will save them.

The Leon has, thus far, stood up very well in terms of retained value, driving down the crucial three-year pence per mile cost. Insurers seem to look kindly upon this model as well, with cost of repair being very low. That's on top of an excellent reputation for both security and safety.

A trip back in time helps frame SEAT's achievements with this latest Leon. We don't have to go back too far. Let's say late 2000. Back then the entry level model in the range also sported a 1.4-litre engine but it was a very different thing. It managed just 75bhp, would lumber to 60mph in 11.9 seconds, emitted 158g/km and returned 42.8mpg. Today's 1.4 TSI car adds airbags, air conditioning and a host of other extras, is way more powerful, and is also quicker, safer, more economical and kinder to the environment. It's a have your cake and eat it scenario.

Even compared with the best of today's family hatch offerings, the Leon 1.4 TSI makes a strong case for itself. The pricing is keen and the engineering of a level that all but a handful of manufacturers fail to match. Throw in distinctive and bold styling and decent driving characteristics and you have a formula that can't fail to impress.