Expect to be thrilled by all that Spanish passion pent up within the Leon’s sultrily curvaceous body and you’ll end up deeply disillusioned. Repeat after us, ‘it’s a Golf, it’s Golf, it’s a Golf’ and disappointment can easily be averted.
So long as you’re not expecting fireworks, the Leon is a very tidy performer indeed. No one is going to brace themselves when you put your foot down, but its 11.7sec 0-62mph time is reasonable enough and its top speed of 114mph sufficiently high to ensure it’ll cruise in comfort at any speed commensurate with the retention of your driving licence. Fuel consumption, at just 37.2mpg on the combined cycle, sits on the thirsty side of unremarkable.
And it rides and handles just as well as a Golf. This is where VW’s investment in that rear axle really pays dividends. It allows the Leon to corner with absolute assurance, exhibiting good grip in all weathers, while serving up a ride that many cars costing twice as much would be proud to call their own.
Even the electric power steering – a configuration that often leads to compromised road feel – transmits enough information about the road surface to allow the car to be driven with real confidence.