Almost new buying guide: Seat Leon (Mk4) Car News

The Leon is well-equipped as standard, but there are six levels of specification to sift through before making your final decision. Entry-level SE cars come with 16-inch wheels, air conditioning, keyless entry, an 8-inch infotainment system, and cruise control as standard. SE Dynamic adds front parking sensors, 17-inch wheels and tinted rear windows.

FR trim injects a sportier tone, with sports suspension for more engaging cornering, dual exhaust pipes, sleeker front and rear bumpers, dynamic gauges, tri-zone climate control and windshield wipers automatic. FR Sport gains a winter pack with heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, as well as mood lighting and 18-inch rims.

For even more kit, Xcellence includes full LED headlights, rear view camera, unique bumpers, chrome window frames and 17-inch wheels. It also gets FR Sport’s winter pack, with the added benefit of adaptive cruise control. Finally, Excellence Lux gains leather trim and high-performance 18-inch wheels.

Attention buyer

PHEV Startup Penalty: The motor and battery of the plug-in hybrid hatch rob it of 110 liters of boot space, which drops to a super mini 270 litres. The plug-in estate model sees its space reduced to 470 liters for the same reason.

Be careful when reversing: The Leon earned a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, with good scores across the board. That said, it was slightly disappointed with its vulnerable road user score of 71%, where it lost points for not detecting pedestrians in the rear of the car.

Haptic touchpads: This generation of Leon has lost its ergonomic physical climate controls, which have been replaced by haptic touchpads. To say the least, these controls have received mixed reviews from users, and some have said they can be difficult to use on the go.

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Prices for a current-form Leon start from £15,000 for a 1.0-litre TSI and from £18,000 for a 1.5-litre. A 2.0-litre diesel costs around £20,000, an eTSI just above £21,000 and an eHybrid £24,000.