What's the news?
SEAT has launched yet another variant of the sharply styled Leon. This one's called the X-Perience and it's based on the Leon ST estate. Think of it as the Spanish equivalent to Skoda's high-riding Octavia Scout. It rides 15mm higher than a standard Leon estate and has a four-wheel drive system controlled by Haldex clutches, which SEAT claims can transfer power from the front to rear wheels in milliseconds - and which is lighter by 1.4kg than the previous generation of the system.
Engines range from the 105hp 1.6 TDI diesel to a pair of 2.0-litre diesels with either 150- or 180hp and emissions of around 126g/km.
The extra 4x4 plumbing doesn't affect boot space, which remains at 587 litres, and the Leon X-Perience is visually altered from the standard car by some big plastic side and wheelarch mouldings and specially designed 17-inch alloy wheels.
"The new Leon X-Perience interprets our emotional design language in a whole new way. This functional aesthetic, this elegant robustness and safety shows an openness to new ideas. We maintain the youthful spirit with a distinctive feel for the practical things in life" says Jürgen Stackmann, President of SEAT S.A. "The Leon X- Perience is the perfect fit for SEAT. As the next step in our brand strategy, it will expand and consolidate the great success achieved by the Leon."
Anything else?
Still waiting for SEAT to produce a proper SUV? You'll have to wait until the Paris Motor Show in October, where SEAT will likely unveil its Qashqai-fighter.
Neil Briscoe - 24 Jun 2014