SEAT Leon 5 doors test drive since 2012 Hatchback
Small predator
During a close acquaintance with this car, I involuntarily thought: why is there more German or still Spanish? The SEAT of the 90s of the last century, when it was bought by the Volkswagen concern, was rather German. Then at the plant in Martorell, one might say, the assembly production of variations on the topic of VW models operated. However, it was not for nothing that the Germans invested and continue to invest up to 200 million euros per year only in the work of the design and research centers? The Spanish cars have German platforms, German engines and a German transmission, but their spirit is still special, hot, because even Spanish engineers reconfigure car brains in their own way. And the Spaniards also adopted the German idea of \u200b\u200bmarketing, selling through sports. And Seat Leon wins in numerous competitions over and over again. After sitting for several days driving Leon, I understood or it seems to me that I realized what the raisor of the brand is.
In crowded, but not offense
Acquaintance with the lion cub (Leon, with an emphasis on E, in Spanish lion, but the size of the hatchback still forces it to talk about it diminutively) began with the curses. To which I myself was the reason.
Sitting behind the wheel in the darkness of the underground parking of the newly built office center, for some reason I decided that I was driving Leon with an automatic transmission (even if my more experienced colleagues laughed at this revelation). In any case, the gas pedal was felt right away, but the clutch pedal did not find something, although the rear gear stuck and the Seat started, gently gaining move, and not thinking of stopping. I had to apply the handbrake stopped, I put the lever on a neutral gear and, just in case, drowned out the engine. Then I guessed to turn on intra -tanning lighting, and I understood everything. The pedal node is mounted very closely: obviously not on the Russian foot. The gas pedal to the limit is squeezed into the beard, the clutch pedal is accurate in the place of the brake, and the brake somehow miraculously managed to squeeze into the gap between them!
The first few minutes I clung to the neighboring pedals, but soon I was somehow used to it. And soon I found a plus of such a layout: during sports driving, less time is spent on transferring the legs from left to right and vice versa.
Corrida color The first thing that catches the eye of the brick-red color of the multisystem display. The same color and the window of the trip. Because of this, you do not immediately pay attention to the rather faceless edging of the speedometer, odometer and sensor of the temperature of the coolant and fuel level. It is noticeable in the design that this model was developed not without the participation of the famous Walter de Silva, now the main designer of the entire VW concern, and in the past Alfa Romeo: with the engine turned off, the arrows hang in a position for six hours. But how pleasant they come to life when turning the key and the first light gas pressure!
Plastic, as I said, is gray. But this does not mean that we can also say about the salon itself. Let Leon call the hatchback, in front he reminds of his design more likely minivan mowed windshield, so taken forward that from the chest to the lower edge of at least a meter. On the sides are tiny windows, rather for a style than for a review. With the review, by the way, not everything is in order, in my opinion: the side mirrors are too small. But they add up.
The anterior seat would not say that it is the top of ergonomics, in addition, its adjustment is manual. The lever below the right forward and forth, the lever on the left is the tilt of the seats, two handles of the lumbar back and tilt of the back.
There are several more complaints to ergonomics. With the height of 181 and not short legs, the right knee rested all the time against the ot stroke of the open box located under the beard. And let the buttons be adjusted and for some reason the right passenger on the steering wheel is on the steering wheel. Once this passenger was digging in his handbag and silence suddenly came in the car, the display went out. It turned out that a light touch is enough to cut down the radio.
But with microclimate, everything is clear, simple and clear: symbols and arrow. You can choose many options for blowing from automatic to economical. Heated seats, the temperature is adjusted to the wheel, there are as much as five. But already on a deuce is baking.
With containers for trifles in Leon is tight. From the closing only a glove box and, except gloves, you can’t put anything there. There are two open cup holders without fixers, there is an open box under the central console and one more in the casing of the tunnel, behind the front seats: apparently, so that the rear passengers can put at least something somewhere. Most likely, these will be toys: despite the fact that Seat Leon is considered a five -seater car, the three of the back will be crowded. Unless these three are children.
Symbiosis product From afar, Leon is really similar to a very successful symbiosis of Golf V and Alfa. Large bodies of the body, a sloping hood of the hood with interesting stamping, in which clouds are reflected on a sunny day. The anterior lighting lighting is strongly elongated. By the way, Seat Leon The embodiment of the ideas of the Salsa concept, which was first shown in Geneva eight years ago. Then it was a three -door hatchback that Walter de Silva worked on. Since then he has been condemned: they say, Seat or Audi and he copies his beloved Alfa. In particular, most often they recall the wave of the famous stamping on the back, adding a car with swiftness. I personally like it.
On a relatively small radiator grill (made as a single whole with a bumper and a slightly climbing hood) a large Seat logo. Another large S lied to the trunk lid: it serves as a door hand. The trunk itself is small: two suitcases and a couple of handbags and it is filled. Although, if you fold the rear seats, the volume will grow by more than three times from 341 to 1166 liters.
I want to finish the review from the back with a story about the rear lights. Their shape of the stretched drop again resembles the rear lights of Alfa, and their device is such that they imitate photodiodes as in expensive cars.
Trying to open the back door and your hand grabs the air. The door handle is not at all on the door. As in Alfa, it is hidden behind the frame at the level of the rear window. The window itself is plastic, with a protrusion under the hand of the hand. Stylish, comfortable and not clogged with dirt.
Provocateur Seat Leon, which I got to the test, was the weakest in its pride: an engine with a volume of 1.6 liters and a capacity of 102 hp. Acceleration to hundreds of 11, 7 seconds. Not cool? Well, this is how to look.
The lion cub has a very tasty sound of the exhaust system that a group of engineers works in Martorell on its configuration, so I want to promote a motor. And Moscow streets allow this. How many times in a few days, being on the starting line at the traffic light, I went with great pleasure in a gap from cars with much more powerful engines. It is impossible to go to Leon slowly: he provokes activity: they say, what are you weaving? Here's the gap on the right come on there! And now left and gas! So we rode with him. Avoiding, naturally, emergency situations.
Leon's suspension forgives a lot. It is almost not sensitive to the comb of the tram tracks, even swallows for bedroom policemen, allows you to easily jump from low borders. But here and the puffin does not like pits, passing them rather not to the steering wheel, but to the fifth point.
The steering wheel itself is light. But again, the Spaniards believe that the sports car does not have to be heavy. With its void in a bend, it allows you to intuitively dose the angle to pass the turn without crawling out into someone else's strip. And if you twist it stronger! .. The tail goes into a skid, which immediately signals the stabilization system, but the front wheels are already clinging to the road, the short base helps to briskly align the car, and Leon is already quickly carried away, bassovito roaring at high speeds.
Yes, this is really a golf-class car, but made in the Spanish style: maybe it is not so strong, but very hot. But there are versions with more powerful engines (there are five of them, as in the same Golf) and much more interesting transmissions, including DSG.
Well, now it's time to talk about prices and competitors.
Leon prices vary depending on the set and engine power. They begin with 572,500 rubles (1.6 liters, 102 hp) and end 1,065,000 rubles in the CuPra configuration (two -liter engine with DSG). The price of prices is huge, there is something to choose from.
In this niche, the Audi A3 (the same 102-horsepower 1.6) worth 877,839 rubles, ALFA 147 (1.6 l., 120 hp) for 795,600 rubles, Honda Civic 5d (1, can be a competitor. 8 l., 140 hp) for 707 000 rubles and, of course, all the same Golf (1.6 liters, 102 hp) for 529 702 rubles.
And soon a turbodiesel version will enter the market. Interesting? Me too.
Dmitry Semenov
Photo by the author and Seat
