Our Fleet: Seat Leon Ecomotive - July 2011

The Leon has been with me since May and will I admit that I have grown quite attached. It’s not until you go out and see what else is on the market that you really appreciate what the Seat has to offer.

For fleets, a competitive package is on offer with the added bonus for the drivers that the cars sporty exterior turns heads and excellent handling makes it a pleasure to drive.
Start-Stop technology is something I have become completely dependent on now and I am sure it will take me some time to get used to being without.

Start-Stop is just one of the many mod-cons in our Leon long termer, a built in media system including Sat-Nav that is easy to navigate around and looks like it should belong to a much higher price tag.

I only have a few grumbles about the Leon and one of them is not the cars fault but the people back at headquarters. The official combined MPG of the Leon is 74mpg, I rate myself a fairly economical driver, however even I have not managed to get close. Currently running on a respectable 68mpg, I am at a complete loss to fathom where the rest is supposed to be gained.

The only other grumble I have is with the interior, which I have mentioned previously, has managed to date a lot quicker than the outside. On long journeys, the distinctly boring grey seat covers can become very dull.

Similar to Sarah, who had the Leon before me, I too was impressed with the engine. Despite being an ecomotive, the Leon has that little extra power which makes it fun to drive and the smooth running of the engine creates a musical hum rather than the screeching of some engines on the market at the moment.

The Leon also has CO2 emissions in its favour being in the attractive sub-100g/km bracket, which as we all know is an important factor for fleets.

You get the impression that the people back at head office have really thought hard about how to make the Leon stand out from its rivals, especially when it comes to looks and the result is a resounding success. Sarah and I both agree that the styling features such as cleverly positioned wipers and concealed rear door handles give the Seat a coupe look and add to its sporty appearance. Equally important the handling and build quality of the Leon makes you feel safe and secure while you enjoy your drive.

I have driven many journeys in the Leon and will genuinely be sad when it leaves me. The good news is I will be swapping keys for their sister car, the Ibiza!