Seat Leon

摘要

FINAL REPORT Sporty, good looking and cheap to run, our Leon FR 2.0 TDI has proved to be the sort of capable all-rounder that England's cricket team could do with recruiting. When the Leon hit the fleet last summer, I had two big questions: could I uncover any shortcomings in the VW Group's multi-billion-dollar MQB platform, and could this particular model deliver 90 per cent of the thrills of a conventional hot hatch with much-reduced running-costs? In answer to the first poser, it is an unequivocal no. The shared MQB platform is money well spent, and although it'll take many years to recoup the eye-watering sum it was rumoured to cost, it'll surely put the group in good stead for the future. The second question is far more relevant for the average buyer. There are some who will still sniff at the prospect of a warm hatch powered by diesel. What has been very apparent during my time with the Leon is that what it loses in a wide rev range, it more than gains in mid-range thump.