Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr Car Review - March 2012

REVIEW
List Price: £14,890
Tax Band: F
Insurance Group: 8
MPG: 44.8
CO2: 147
0-62 Mph: 14.1 secs
BHP: 84 BHP
Range: 542 miles
CarSite Verdict:  3/5
The Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr is a great value for money hatchback, which offers practicality and good handling, although the refinement of the engine is not great. The engine is not particularly powerful either, so the car is best suited for everyday urban driving rather than long distance motorway driving.

PROS:  The entry-level Leon hatchback has a sporty look and good handling, at a very reasonable price.

CONS:  The boot is awkwardly shaped, making loading a little bit difficult and the engine is noisy.

Behind the Wheel

The gear change is smooth, the steering accurate and road grip very impressive. The 1.4-litre engine does feel a little on the slow side though. Refinement is not great and the engine can sound quite noisy.

Producing 97 lb-ft torque power at 3800 rpm and 84 bhp at 5000 rpm, the Leon S 1.4 can reach 0-62 mph in 14.1 seconds and has a top speed of 107 mph.

Visibility to the front is not great, due to the windscreen pillars which are quite thick.

Looks & Equipment

The Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr has a spacious and solid cabin. The dashboard appears to be coated with a padded material, the other parts of the interior are however created in a hard grainy plastic. The S trim is the most basic, but still has enough kit to cover all the essentials.

The equipment that comes as standard with the Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr includes air conditioning, power steering, electric door mirrors and electric front mirrors. Metallic paint and alloy wheels are available for an extra cost.

Practicality, Safety & Reliability

The 341 litre boot is a little awkwardly shaped, with it being quite shallow with a low floor in relation to the boot lip and the Seat Leon certainly lacks a few much-needed cubbyholes. The moulded plastic centre console doesn’t come fitted with a storage box and the glove compartment is relatively small.

The Seat Leon is both robust and reliable. Front, curtain and side airbags are fitted as standard yet the Euro NCAP safety crash test results have only offered the Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr a total of four stars. For security the Leon comes with stability control, alarm, central locking and an immobiliser.

Value for Money

The Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr is an entry-level model and is priced at £14,885.

The Leon S has a combined economy of 44.8 mpg and CO2 emissions of 147 g/km, so running costs will be reasonable, although the emissions are quite high considering the relatively small engine.

Overall the model represents decent value for money, although its poor amount of equipment is a disadvantage to buyers.

Seat Leon S 1.4 5dr Car Review - by 
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