2017 Seat Leon
Seat
reckoned it was time to give the compact family model a mid-life refresh. The
facelifted Leon comes with a plethora of changes under the skin, and although
it seems like nothing has changed visually, the Spanish car maker insists that
“everything has been changed”.
The Leon received a sharper, more
harmonic design, with SEAT Design director Alejandro Mesonero Romanos saying
that “the objective is to harmonise all parts of the model, in particular the
front and the rear with the sides of the car".
Seat reinforced its already dynamic
design, with a slightly wider grille (40 mm), sharper lines, and redesigned LED
lights. The cabin is now garnished with LED ambient lighting, which can be
controlled via the infotainment system’s bigger 8.0-inch screen. To make
everything more high-tech, the button density has been reduced, while a digital
dash is now optional instead of the standard instrument cluster.
Other features include Traffic Jam Assist, which
helps the car accelerate and brake automatically up to 60 km/h,
Adaptive Cruise Control, and the most advanced parking assist technology with
both bay and parallel parking.
The new model also brings the XCELLENCE trim with
it, allowing customers to opt for a more comfortable and elegant alternative.
Seat says it features a particularly distinctive and comfortable look-and-feel
upholstery (that can be specified in Alcantara and leather as an option),
extensive trim elements and, multi-color ambient lighting. Seat added two new engines to
go with the facelifted Leon: VW’s 1.0-litre, three-cylinder TSI, and a
1.6-litre diesel, both developing 113 hp.
What’s more interesting is that a new Cupra version
will be available in the upcoming future, and it will bring its own surprises.
