My first encounter with the Leon 2,0 FSI did very little to convince me of the Alfa 147-lookalike. Its hunched profile, with short overhangs and a planted stance, would ordinarily look sporty, but it just appears frumpy on the Leon.
However, the cabin is very comfortable, with plenty of features to keep you occupied on longer-than-usual peak hour journeys. But look past the leather-covered multifunction steering wheel, (optional) leather seats, and (optional) sunroof, and the interior just appears low rent, with an overwhelming expanse of brittle-sounding hard plastic, and stodgy buttons and knobs.
But the seat position is great, and the car’s sporty characteristics do invite thrashing. The ride is firm without being too intrusive, and the car handles smoothly, though I did expect a bit more steering feedback.
The 2,0-litre FSI powerplant is identical to the one used in the Golf 5 and it performs very well in the Leon. It its responses did sound somewhat muted from my position in the cabin, though colleagues have suggested the originally tested Golf is, in fact, the more quiet one.
A victim of considerable hype, the Seat Leon fails to bowl me over. However, on the whole, the car is acceptable and would make an satisfactory purchase for those who’d prefer something a lot sportier and outside of the norm.
