More than 22 years ago, the very first Seat Leon rolled off the production line. The hatchback is now four generations later. The youngest member of the bloodline, the Seat Leon KL, has been in our endurance test fleet for three months. A great moment to complete the lion family for a day and to bring in its predecessors. The Leon 1M that was available from the late nineties to 2005, the Leon 1P that represented Seat in the compact middle class until 2012 and the Leon 5F that did that until last year.
The Leon was never fully developed by Seat itself. In 1986 Seat already came into the hands of Volkswagen and in the period before that, the Spaniards worked together with Fiat. Volkswagen wanted to diversify in the C-segment and so in 1996 the Audi A3 came to stand next to the Golf as the more expensive and luxurious alternative. The Seat Leon was added in 1998 as the sporty, more dynamic option. The hatchback is named after the Spanish city of León, which also means ‘lion’. Peugeot is not the only manufacturer to involve the king of the animal kingdom. Only in 2000 did the Leon enter the Dutch market. From that year on, the slogan ‘auto emoción’ had to reinforce the sporty and youthful character of Seat even more. However, de Leon did not need that slogan to confirm his right to exist. The Seat was never as popular as its somewhat more bourgeois brother with a Volkswagen badge, but nevertheless more than 65,000 Leons have rolled out of the Dutch showrooms since 2000.
CHARACTERISTICS
A clear evolution can be seen over the years in some model lines. The Golf is a good example of this. Put the different generations side by side and you can see at a glance that you have ended up at a family reunion. This is a little less obvious with the Leon. After seven years, the second generation entered the market in 2005. This model, the 1P, is more like an MPV due to its convex roofline, the steeper sloping hood and the extra window at the A-pillar. It also has a friendlier appearance than the 1M, the model designation for the first generation of the Leon.
In 2012, Seat threw that friendly disposition overboard with the Leon 5F. Sharply drawn lines predominate in the design. Especially in FR gear with the optional LED viewers, as we find it on these pages, it looks quite temperamental. Like its two predecessors, it stands on a Volkswagen platform. While the 1M and 1P use the PQ34 and PQ35 platform respectively, the 5F has the MQB platform as its base. The 5F was also the first time different body styles came into play: from now on, the Leon was not only available as a five-door, but also as a three-door, which was called SC, and as a more spacious ST.
The Leon 5F lasted a year longer than its two predecessors. After eight years, the KL relieved him in 2020. While the first three generations of the Leon differ from each other in many ways, the current Leon KL is much more like the 5F in terms of design.
Despite the increasing competition in the C-segment, also internally within the Volkswagen Group, the Leon proudly remained and has gathered a loyal crowd of enthusiasts around it over the years. Why does De Leon appeal to them so much? On a foggy Wednesday afternoon in December, we meet up with Mathijs, Tom and Maikel, all three proud owners of a Seat Leon.
LEON 1M • ‘AN ANALOGUE DRIVING EXPERIENCE’
Mathijs Dik has a first generation Seat Leon 1.8 20VT Top Sport, built in 2003. At the time, the 180 hp Top Sport was the second most powerful model among the Cupra. The exterior of the first Leon has its own face, which looks a lot more aggressive than that of the Golf IV, especially from the front. The interior of the Leon 1M has been taken over one on one from the Audi A3. The black Leon in question has had five owners, who have collectively clocked more than 287,000 kilometers, but with a few minor adjustments it is still exactly as it was when it rolled out of the factory. That is striking, because the Leon 1M designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro is generally a popular tuning object.
Mathijs has not always driven Seat. He once started with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV. “Unfortunately, I ended up in a meadow due to failing brakes,” says Mathijs. “That car caused a lot of problems. Then I started looking for another car and that became a Leon 1M. I later converted it for the rally. ” Since this Leon, he has actually always stayed with Seat.
He then bought a Leon 1P 2.0 TDI as a daily car, which he chip to 170 hp. That car came to an unfortunate end. “I was driven briefly from behind on the A28. Then I started looking for a more analog driving experience and ended up again with the first generation Leon. ”
As an avid rally driver, Mathijs is particularly a fan of the dynamic characteristics of the Leon. This applies to both the chassis tuning and the engine under the hood. The performance of the 1.8 Topsport does not lie, because it spurts to 100 km / h in 7.7 seconds and, if desired, shoots through to 229 km / h. That Spanish temperament is clearly present.
LEON 1P • ‘SOLD AFTER CURVE ONE’
Tom Lenting is a Seat enthusiast from the very beginning. In the past, his father, who works at the local Volkswagen and Seat dealer, took him to the business every week. He soon decided he wanted to too and went to study to be a car mechanic. His career then started at the Seat dealer in Heerhugowaard, but his first car was a Volkswagen Golf III. However, his eye soon fell on the Leon 1P. He deliberately ignored the Golf GTI. “The Golf is certainly a beautiful car in my opinion, but you see it a lot. In addition, the exterior of the Leon appeals to me more ”, says Tom. He found his black Leon FR with the 200 hp 2.0 TSI after a short search. “After the first corner I knew: this had to be him!” The Cupra was just out of range, but now you can almost speak of a Cupra with Tom’s Leon. His car looks neat.
Prior to the report, the wheels were even removed for better cleaning. It is noticeable that the Leon is lower to the ground and behind the wheels are larger brake discs. Furthermore, the ‘Seat Sport’ on the flanks does not lie. “I tackled the car with original parts as much as possible,” says Tom. “The brakes and side skirts are original Cupra. Furthermore, there is a coilover from KW underneath and VAG technology raised the power to 260 hp and 380 Nm of torque. An upgrade of the exhaust is planned soon. That’s not going to be too extreme, it has to remain a bit civilized. ”
With such a peppery Leon in the driveway you would say that a Seat enthusiast is satisfied, but Tom has his eyes on the white Leon 5F from Maikel. “That one, but as Cupra, that’s my current savings goal.”
LEON 5F • ‘IT HAD TO BE A LEON’
Prior to the photo shoot, Maikel van de Spreng quickly grabs the cleaning cloth to remove the last bits of dirt from the ride. “That’s what you get, with a white car in the winter,” he says. Maikel says he was infected with the VAG virus at an early stage through his side job at the local dealer. He started his automotive career in a Volkswagen Polo 6N, but after a while it fell prey to the rust demon. Then he switched to Seat, a Leon 1M 1.8 20VT. That car was unfortunately assigned the same fate as the Polo. After that, Maikel drove his wife’s Aygo for a while, but the arrival of a small one and the lack of comfort made a new car high on the list. “One thing was certain: it had to be a Leon! Then the 5F soon came into the picture. After a long search, I decided to go for this white copy after the facelift. ”
The Leon FR in question has the 150 hp 1.4 EcoTSI four-cylinder under the hood, which is linked to a manual six-speed gearbox. The Leon van Maikel is good in the options, including an Alcantara interior, a panoramic roof, lane keeping assistant and adaptive cruise control. Maikel himself made some subtle adjustments. He made the logo in the radiator grille black, as did the exterior mirrors. Furthermore, Maikel programmed the mood lighting in the interior in such a way that he can now choose from 20 different colors. “Nice modifications that you can adjust purely through software.” As a test driver at a tire manufacturer, Maikel drives many different types of cars, but he still swears by his own car. “Every time it is a pleasure to step into the Leon, it feels a bit like coming home.”
He hasn’t finished his Leon yet. “I have had it for almost a year now and I have never regretted it. Now I am quietly adjusting it a little further to my will, so that it becomes just that little bit more beautiful and sporty. ”
LEON KL • SOME POINTS OF CRITICAL
Mathijs, Tom and Maikel are all Seat enthusiasts through and through. Our endurance tester can therefore count on approving looks. Its blue color really stands out in this black and white group. In terms of motorization and design, ‘our’ 1.5 eTSI FR is comparable to Maikel’s Leon 5F. Both cars offer 150 hp and 250 Nm of torque, but the latest addition has a mild hybrid powertrain and a seven-speed DSG. Furthermore, both the headlights and the rear lights have been radically renewed. It is especially the continuous light bar at the rear that stands out. However, Maikel almost immediately focuses on another detail: the antenna. His Leon 5F has it hidden, but our endurance tester has a ‘shark fin’ on the roof. “They did that a lot nicer on my car”, is the critical note.
That criticism continues towards the interior. Although the screens look nice and the whole looks tidier than before, the ease of use has deteriorated. Where the seat heating and climate control in the Leon 5F can still be operated via separate buttons, everything is now in the touchscreen. The mood lighting is another element that stands out in a positive sense. Although Maikel has programmed his mood lighting to multiple colors, he cannot match the LED strip that extends from the doors over the top of the dashboard. In terms of handling, the Leon is closer to the Golf than ever. The previous three generations were markedly more dynamic, a characteristic that their owners love, the current Leon, on the other hand, is a good all-rounder with a relatively soft chassis tuning. The Leon Cupra will also not return. Seat reverses the roles, because that variant will now be known as Cupra Leon. The brand could not have made a clearer distinction, but that is at the expense of a bit of sportiness at Seat.