TOW CAR TEST
SEAT LEON 1.0 ETSI SE DYNAMIC
The latest generation of this lively family car has great appeal, both as a solo drive and for towing
Leon’s engine may be small, but it produces 148lb ft of torque from as low as 2000rpm
A
Price £24,535 Kerbweight 1330kg
The latest generation has grown slightly, so it’s roomier than before
Photography:David Motton
What’s new?
Seat has launched a fourth generation of the Leon family hatchback and estate. The Leon has grown slightly, so it’s now roomier than before.
There are also some new technology upgrades, with wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as an app to give owners remote access to lock and unlock the doors or turn on the indicators to locate it in a car park.
There’s a broader choice of powertrain types, with a plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid alongside the more familiar petrol and diesel versions.
We’re driving the mild hybrid, which supplements petrol power with 48V electrical assistance. We’re testing it in SE Dynamic specification, one up from the basic spec and priced at £24,535.
What are we looking for?
The 1.0 eTSI powertrain isn’t particularly powerful. Can it cope with towing?
Towing ability
Not so long ago, if you told a friend that you were planning to tow a caravan with a 1.0-litre petrol car, they’d have thought you slightly mad. Perhaps some still would.
Well, the Leon 1.0 eTSI may have a tiny engine, but it’s legally approved to tow caravans and trailers as heavy as 1300kg.
SE Dynamic comes with a 10-inch infotainment screen D With the driver’s seat at the bottom of its adjustment range, you sit very low to the floor
Towball and electrics, which will set you back £700, drop down from under the back bumper at the push of a button inside the boot
F Reasonable space in the boot, with 380-litre capacity, but there’s a high loading lip