SEAT Leon 5 doors test drive since 2012 Hatchback
With a Spanish accent
Seat Leon Car in Russia is rare. It is rare. As, however, other representatives of the Spanish brand. In general, the Spaniards should be insulting that today most Russians are familiar mainly due to the Chinese fake on the first -generation Toledo theme. It is logical that after a small pause, Seat returned to our market. The market that demonstrates fantastic growth recently, a priori is attractive to any manufacturer by almost guaranteed sales. Considering that in the model range of the Spanish company there are several very interesting offers for popular classes, the return seems logical and justified. In addition, the appearance of the entire modern line of the company is fresh.
These machines have not yet become familiar even on Moscow roads, which can be considered a plus and a seal with a visor. A bright representative of the modern style of the Spanish company Leon. It is he who puts into life the ideas of the SALSA concept car, which was shown to the public for the first time in 2000 at the Geneva Motor Show. This three -door hatch marked the beginning of a new era in the development of the Spanish brand. The SEAT chef was then appointed from Alfa Romeo Walter da Silva, who developed a new corporate identity. Then the VW began investments in Spanish production and the technical center.
Today, SEAT cars are assembled at a factory in Martorell. They also make bodies and salons. Suspens, motors and transmission, of course, German, only tuned them according to Spanish recipes so that the new CEATs minimally resembled the donor (the fifth generation VW Golf platform) and corresponded to the slogan of the company, who was advancing for the emotional movement. However, the first meeting with my almost namesake could not be called emotional. Night, street, piercing November wind and dirty black leon in the weak light of the distant lantern. Rather in the salon, start the motor, turn on the seats heating Heating, by the way, turns on, as well as on most available models of the VW concern, a rotating wheel with five steps. In my soul, I was glad that this very wheel was the first and last element of the salon, which clearly reminded of the German donor. In contrast, for example, a relative, a Czech company Skoda, the interior of the cars of which causes an ongoing feeling of Deja Wu, Leon’s interior is individual. He has an interesting architecture. The high front panel reminded of the Audi models of the early 90s you sit low, and you feel reliably protected behind a high panel. But the mood is different at the same time.
It immediately gives birth to devices located under a small visor. A tachometer, although almost half the speedometer, proves that it is not size, but the location. The engine revolutions are strictly in the middle, and the eyes always rest on its arrow conveniently with active driving! The central console is laconic. It neatly compared the control keys of separate climate control and audio system. Three small displays on the consoles have a pleasant reddish backlight, as well as the instrument shield. German chairs. Although civilian, but quite tough, with visual lateral support, which becomes even more obvious in corners. The steering wheel is three -spokes, sports with comfortable tides in the places of grip, covered with good skin. The lever of the checkpoint is also sheathed. And the picture of excellent German-Spanish ergonomics completes a convenient pedal node with a floor accelerator. The salon is assembled with high quality, but according to the materials of the decoration, it is slightly behind the German. This is especially true for the hard plastic of the door panels. But the handles are metal, pleasantly refracting a hand. In detail, I examined the appearance of the car the day after washing. And at first, the new Leon seemed unnecessarily unlimited. The first generation of the car was more courageous, its aesthetics are clearer. And this one is too similar to its family relatives in the person of Altea and Toledo.
Like the past generation, Leon has very attractive food. A special charm is given to her by the nearby narrow lanterns (in the style of the Silvai Alfa 156 created at one time), also in the large emblem of Seat (which is part -time handle of the fifth door) and the inscription in the center of Leon. Nice are also good, but the front part is for an amateur. Leon has a couple of interesting solutions. The first disguised rear door handles. Moreover, it is curious that the excavation by the arm is made in the form of a recess in a small rear window made of plastic. In the dark, my friend could not understand for a long time how to open this door. The second wipers, which in the off position are pressed against the windshields of the windshield. Such a solution has three obvious advantages: wipers do not leave an uncleaned surface in the area of \u200b\u200bthe racks, reduce air resistance, make the front of the car more aesthetic. However, it should be noted that when you evaluate the appearance of the car visually, the final rating may be incorrect. But when I already traveled by car, you know its character, then you begin to perceive the appearance a little differently. Generally. It becomes clearer that it was the creators that was put into it, what is the character of the car.
And the character of the new Leon is hot, truly Spanish! And the slogan about the emotional movement justifies 100 percent. Oddly enough, even in the simplest modification with the views of the 8-valve 102-horsepower VW motor and 5-speed mechanics! However, this is not so strange. After all, as practice shows, cars that are truly focused on the driver show their character, even being equipped with weak power units. So it was at one time with the 1.6-liter Mazda3, BMW 1st series, VW Golf. Now this list has replenished Seat Leon. This is really a car for the driver! Convenient landing is right away. The visibility forward is excellent, worse back, but tolerant for me. The transmission mechanism works filigree, the process of changing the steps is pleasant. The steering wheel is equipped with an electric power, but its settings differ from VW Golf. But the principle of operation is the same minimum of efforts in parking and more information when fasting. And the length of the steering wheel is optimal about 2.7 revolutions from the stop to the stop. A pleasant surprise was presented by the dynamics. Even with such a weak motor, Leon is going very vigorously! It accelerates well in the first three gears, allowing you to feel confident in urban conditions and even a little fuck. The point is the altered gear rates of the manual transmission.
Do not look at the acceleration numbers to 100 km/h. After all, this line of Leon reaches with two switching. In fact, the car is perceived significantly more dynamic than boring 11.7 seconds to hundreds in the passport. Yes, and the car is gaining a maximum speed of 184 km/h quite easily, even when there are three adult men in the cabin. Eh, to try this car with a 2-liter turbo engine, preferably in the sports version of Cupra! However, even a simple 1.6-liter modification can offer its owner a well-knocked, sporting elastic suspension and tasty behavior in corners. The genes of the fifth Golf, of course, are felt, but Leon cannot be called plagiarism. This is a verified Spanish tuning of an excellent German car.
The car shocks the riders a little on bumps, and this is the only thing that can be perceived as a lack of chassis. The rolls are minimal, there are no clicks during braking and a lifted nose at starting. The steering wheel is light, but the effort on it quite transparently informs the driver about the position of the front wheels. At the entrance, the car rests a little, and standing on the arc, behaves well. In response to the discharge and adding of gas, soft reactions in the form of straightening or reducing the trajectory follow. At high speed, Leon is stable, allows sharp restructuring and instills confidence in his abilities sitting at the wheel. The brakes did not fail: verified effort, intensive slowdown. Leon leaves a very pleasant impression on the go and will surely delight the active driver. However, with practicality he is all right. The interior is spacious, there are plenty of space behind. The fuel consumption for the entire time of the test did not exceed a mark of 10.2 liters per 100 km, which, subject to the constant location of the tachometer arrow near the red zone, is an excellent result. The trunk is large and, of course, the backs of the rear seats are folded in proportions 1/3, 2/3. But do all these advantages justify the high price for the basic package of slightly more than $ 24,000 per car with a 1.6 engine and manual transmission? After all, even VW Golf V with such a motor and automatic can be bought today for about $ 22,000! Not to mention cheaper Japanese and a number of Europeans will tell the correctness of the choice of such a price policy. In the meantime, we can admit that the Seat assets are richer standard equipment and novelty. If Golf has always been and will remain a gray spot in the traffic flow, then the catchy and original Leon will clearly avoid such a fate. Prices and configuration
The basic equipment of the Seat Leon is estimated at $ 24 190 in ruble equivalent, set at the rate to the dollar on the day of purchase. This is a machine with a 1.6 liter and ICP-5 engine in the Reference configuration. For this money, the buyer will get a package for bad roads (reinforced suspension, plastic crankcase protection, trout anti -gravel, enlarged road lights), ABS, TCS anti -circulation system, pillows for sitting in front and side curtains for all passengers, adjusting the steering wheel in height and departure, adjustment of the driver's seat in height, seats with developed lateral support, leather steering wheel and gearbox lever, immobilizer, front electric windows, heating and electroregulation of mirrors with parking function, air system, audio system with CD, MP3, 6 speakers, AUX output for connecting external carriers Information and antenna on the roof, front fog lights, automatic turnover of headlights, steel discs with R16 caps, tire pressure sensors, high -capacity batteries. A more expensive version with the same motor and checkpoint is called Stylance and costs $ 26,390 (there is separate climate control, cast discs, 8 speakers). A version with a 2-liter FSI and a 6-speed handle is already estimated at $ 32,890, and with an automaton $ 33,890! The charged version of the FR with a 2-liter turbo engine costs $ 39,900, and for the top version of the sports Cupra they ask for biting $ 44,990.
Leonty Tyutelev
Source: Motor magazine [December 2007]
