SEAT Leon 5 doors test drive since 2012 Hatchback

Don Seat Leon

Have you decided to buy Volkswagen Golf? Great choice! But you are not quite satisfied with its appearance - the forms seem heavy, devoid of lightness and grace? Or do you not want to meet at every traffic light with a couple of exactly the same golfs? And at the same time, the priority properties of the car, you, of course, consider quality and running characteristics. Well, in the bins of the Volkswagen concern, one non -terrible option is stored. No, no, we will not campaigning for octavia and Audi third - cars, without any doubt, worthy, but not direct competitors of the golf. And even more so - behind an exotic beetle or shocking Audi TT. Although all these cars are closest relatives, because they are built on a common platform.

 

In distant Spain, they have a brother named Seat Leon. Just by equipment and price, he is closest to the golf. And outwardly strikingly from the German differs. A rising waist line, deep cuts of wheeled arches, developed architecture of air intakes - all this speaks of the militant character of the car. Poking the back with a prisoningly highly planted lighting technology only confirms the correctness of such a conclusion, and slyly narrowed headlights and a powerful nose bridge with a proprietary emblem scatter the latest doubts. Hot hatchback? Outside - unconditionally. Not without reason, in recent years, the head of Volkswagen AG Ferdinand Pih sought to give the Seat brand a democratic-sports image. However, appearance is half the battle, if not less. Now, if Leon drives as well as it looks, then before turning the key to turn the iron mechanism into a living creature, we will look inside.

 

The interior of the car is another variation on the topic of golf. The variation was a success. The Spanish stylists retained the organization of the front panel into inviolability, but worked to deprive it of geometric straightforwardness, making it more chubby, voluminous. The Leon panel is clearly divided into two floors: the upper one, with a Volkswagen combination of devices and deflector mi, and lower, with a headlight control unit, a central console and a mess.

 

However, all these are purely artistic techniques, much more important than another - high quality assembly and materials. The excellent study of ergonomics cannot but rejoice: a convenient driver's seat with good lateral support is adjustable in height, you can change the height and length of the steering column. The only weak spot was viewed through the salon mirror, strongly cut by the narrow glass of the rear door. And so - all pens and buttons are located in their places, handling them does not require intelligence stress. But there are very useful secrets that reveal in the process of communication with the machine. For example, the right steering switch is enough to swing down so that the wipers make one swing. Just to genius.

 

Of course, it was not without oddities: the radio display on Leon is tiny - probably the designers considered that this was enough, since the radio parameters are displayed on the dashboard. But I would not advise manipulating the radio receiver in motion. In any case, until you sit down to manipulate the buttons to the touch. From the standard equipment of the car we mention air conditioning, two airbags, a full electric package and heating the seats. Plus anti -lock system. In general, it is normal for a golf class car.

 

This is not to say that the sports spirit lives in the salon of Leon. Rather, it is in. Its presence is felt in a small three-spoke steering wheel, perfectly lying in his hands, in the raspberry-raspberry backlight. This spirit teases, deprives rest and spurks to decisive action. But still a little patience. Before you need to try yourself as passengers. The level of comfort in the rear seat directly depends on the growth of the driver and his neighbor. In the case when tall people are in front, the knees will not be enough, despite the recesses in the backs of the front seats. And an attempt to take a more vertical position It will turn into a meeting of the head with the ceiling. If your companions are people of medium height, there should not be any special problems. You won’t enjoy the spaciousness, but it doesn’t press anywhere. Very good trunk. The optimal shape of the opening, moderately protruding wheel arches, folding in an unequal proportion back of the rear seat. The original method of opening the trunk lid is original: rotate the Ceatov emblem and pull it up. Under the emblem, the larva of the cover of the cover is hidden.

 

May the reader forgive us a small historical excursion. Where did the name Leon come from? It has nothing to do with predators of the cat family. According to the branded tradition, all models are assigned the names from Spanish geography: Ibiza, Alhambra, Malaga. So, Leon is the center of the Castile -Leon province, a city that has reached the peak of its glory in the tenth century, in the era of the reign of King Ordono II. And romantic, and respect is involuntarily causes, isn't it? Unlike its own behalf, the car, in fact, the five -door version of the Toledo sedan, appeared on the market relatively recently, two years ago.

 

It's time to measure the temperature of this hatchback. Is our Idalgo ready to fight with real rivals, and not just with windmills? The prerequisites seem to be available. Under the hood - a high -tech motor with five valves per cylinder, a manual gearbox allows you to fully realize the potential of the motor and suspension. However, the beginning does not look as optimistic as it seemed a minute before. At idle speeds, a slight trembling runs through the control organs, the uninformative pedal does not allow to catch the moment of turning on the clutch, and there is no excess of the moment on the bottoms.

 

But away disappointment! The further the tachometer arrow deviates, the more powerful becomes more powerful. Acceleration inspires not only the intensity, but also a pleasant capture in the region of 3000-3500 rpm. Moreover, each time, upon reaching the treasured mark, the motor makes a barring sound, as if warning that the jokes had ended and the game began in a large way. With an evil roar, the engine famously pops up in the red zone of the tachometer, and only in order to repeat its throw again in the next program. But his steel emotions can be easily calm down with effective brakes. They do their work confidently, but correctly, throwing an ABS bridle on a raging engine only in case of extreme necessity.

 

The controllability of such enthusiasm did not cause. No, it is perfect in its own way, but completely non -ring. Smooth, but accurate reactions without annoying delay, logically increasing returning force on the steering wheel. The driver always knows what angle the wheels are turned and how well their adhesion to the road. The car confidently stands on a straight line and holds turns perfectly, showing a tendency to light insufficient rotation at the entrance to the turn. A similar characteristic of controllability allows you to maintain reliable control over the machine, but no more: there is no desire to cut the turn over the bend, going on the verge, does not arise.

 

Leon’s suspension is tough, but energy -intensive, although she reacts to a good half of road bumps, she practices their elastic, protecting the body from sharp jerks even on large pits. The undoubted merits of the suspension include the absence of the body swing at any speed and weak rolls in corners.

 

A few degrees were not enough for the Spaniards to prepare a real hot hatchback from Leon. Probably, to surpass Golf, he was initially prohibited by strict laws of corporate policy. And yet, against the background of his German cousin, Seat does not look like a victim of savings and a by -product of unification.
 
   
 
   

 
 

Source: Wheel magazine [No. 54/2002]