New Seat Leon Crossover
Published Date: 23rd Jun 2014
Seat has released a new crossover model into its line-up in the form of a raised version of the Leon ST.
The new Seat Leon X-Perience is the latest four-wheel-drive estate and is planned to go on sale in the UK in September with first deliveries due to arrive in January 2015. It is a beacon to the Spanish car maker’s first dedicated SUV, which is set to join the model line in 2016.
The ride height has been raised by 15mm, providing a greater ground clearance and also for improved off-road suitability.
The Leon X inherits the good looks of the Leon ST, which will be produced at Seat Martorell factory in Spain. All-new front and rear bumpers with protective plastic skids plates are a great feature with additional black plastic cladding in the wheel arches to give a slightly more toughened appearance.
Seat plan to sell the new Leon X-Perience with the choice of three different Volkswagen engines: a turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol, a turbocharged 2.0-litre diesel and a turbocharged 1.6-litre diesel. They also come with a standard six-speed manual or six-speed dual clutch.
The VW petrol engine outputs 178bhp and 206lb ft of torque. The 2.0-litre diesel version comes in two variants; the more powerful delivering 181bhp and 280lb ft, while the less powerful version spits out 148bhp and 236lb ft. There is also the more affordable 1.6-litre diesel, which emits 108bhp and is claimed to offer 58.9mpg on the combined fuel cycle, with average CO2 emissions of just 126g/km.
Seat has plans to offer the Leon X-Perience with a huge range of features as standard, which will include models running the petrol or diesel engines. This will enable drivers to vary the characteristics of the all-new electro-mechanical steering, the throttle mapping and shift points of the gearbox in three different modes: eco, comfort and sport.
The X-Perience is an attractive alterative to rival Crossovers and definitely worth taking a look at.