MODEL TESTED: SEAT Leon 1.5 TSI EVO 130 Xcellence

PRICE: £24,565 ENGINE: 1.5-litre 4cyl, 128bhp

THE SEAT Leon was once a class-leader, and it’s been a while since we last tested one – so does it still have what it takes in this competitive class? To find out, we’re testing the latest 128bhp 1.5-litre petrol in Xcellence trim (although the car in our pictures is an FR). It costs £24,565.

Design & engineering

THE Leon was one of the first cars to use the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform, which now underpins a number of other models, including class rivals the VW Golf and Skoda Octavia. In the Leon it allows the use of MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back, matching the Astra and Focus’ suspension set-ups.

Its 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine produces 128bhp and a maximum of 200Nm of torque, and unlike the other cars here, it’s a four-cylinder motor. The extra cylinder helps with smoothness, but in practice this engine performs similarly to its rivals’.

At 1, 239kg, the Leon sits in the middle for weight; the Astra is the lightest, at 1, 205kg, and the Focus is a bit heavier, at 1,322kg. Compared with most modern cars, though, all three have relatively low kerbweights, which gives them a good base for being efficient and good to drive.

Despite its age, the Leon’s interior design is still clean and classy, and has aged relatively well. It helps the car to feel upmarket, but material quality can’t match the newer Focus’. Some areas, such as the doors, feel cheap. And although the eight-inch infotainment display was one of the best systems around when it was launched – and it’s still good now – it is starting to look comparatively old.

The screen includes sat-nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality, so it doesn’t miss out on kit. There’s also a wireless phone charger on Xcellence models, plus a reversing camera, parking sensors, AEB, heated seats and even metallic paint included, so it matches both the Astra and Focus for kit.

Driving

CARS on the MQB platform tend to share handling traits, which is a good thing in the Leon’s case. For example, the steering is direct and accurate, but it’s lighter and slower than the racks on its rivals here. It means the SEAT is really easy to place on the road, but there’s not as much involvement for the driver.

Another shared trait is its light-but-slick gearshift, which is satisfying to use, while the 1.5-litre engine is smooth and doesn’t suffer from the relative low-rev dip in power that the Vauxhall and Ford engines have. The SEAT took 8.8 seconds to go from 30-70mph through the gears, matching the more powerful Astra in that test. It was also faster than both rivals from 30-50mph in fourth gear, taking 6.4 seconds where the Vauxhall took 6.8 seconds and the Ford 6.7 seconds.

It was a match for the Ford in top gear, too; both took 12.7 seconds to go from 50-70mph in sixth. The Astra was a second quicker in that test, though. Its 1.5-litre engine isn’t as much fun to use as its threecylinder rivals, but the Leon does have a grown-up feel.

The SEAT ’s controlled and grippy stance through corners is another reason you get that sense of

maturity in the Leon, but keen drivers will prefer the more agile Astra and Focus. Any driver will appreciate that the Leon’s rivals ride more smoothly, though. The SEAT isn’t uncomfortable, but it suffers from more constant movements over rough roads, and potholes jerk into the cabin more readily than in the others here. Refinement is good at motorway speeds, although there were a few creaks from cabin trim audible around town in our test car.

Practicality

THE Leon is very spacious inside and there’s lots of head and legroom in the rear. Its doors open wide, so access is pretty good, and the SEAT ’s interior feels more light and airy than the cabins of its rivals, particularly when compared with the Astra.

With its rear seats in place, the SEAT has the largest boot capacity here, at 380 litres, but that’s only 10 litres more than the Vauxhall and the high loading lip means it’s actually not as useful. You’ll have a job to get out heavy items, because you have to reach quite far down to the boot floor. Drop the seats and the space opens to 1, 210 litres, which is the same as in the Astra – it shows how close these models are when it comes to interior space.

Ownership

ALL three models scored five stars in the respective Euro NCAP crash tests, and in the Leon’s case its safety is helped by standard-fit autonomous emergency braking.

You can add the Driving Assistance Pack (£350) to get adaptive cruise control, auto high beams, traffic-sign recognition and lane-keep assist.

SEAT ’s dealers came in 19th in our 2019 Driver Power customer satisfaction survey, which wasn’t a great result but was still ahead of Ford’s dealers in 23rd and Vauxhall’s in 24th. SEAT fared better in the manufacturer section of this year’s poll, coming 14th, but this was a disappointing year for all three of these mainstream car makers.

Running costs

THE Leon returned a decent 43.1mpg on test, but it will be a more expensive car to run for private buyers due to poorer residual values. Our experts predict that it will hold on to just 33.9 per cent of its value after three years or 36,000 miles, which is a loss of £16, 240 in that time.

The Astra is likely to fare a bit better, retaining 40.8 per cent of its value and losing £14,181 after 36 months. The Ford holds its value best, with a residual value of 42.8 per cent (a loss of £13,382).