Currently reading: New 2020 Seat Leon leaked online ahead of unveiling
Images on social media show new family hatch will take styling inspiration from the Tarraco SUV and El-Born SUV

The new Seat Leon has been partially revealed in new images posted online ahead of the new Skoda Seat's official unveiling today. 

UPDATE: The new Leon has been officially unveiled. Click here to see it

The pictures were posted by Instagram user CochesPias, and show the front and rear ends of the Ford Focus rival fully unwrapped. Visible details include an angular front grille design mirroring that of the firm's large Seat Tarraco SUV, and the horizontal rear light bar shown in official preview images released by Seat. 

Seat hasn’t been shy of dropping teasers of the new Leon ahead of its unveiling. In December it released a video showing details of the model, and recently gave us a look at the upcoming car’s rear in a new image. Seat insiders have called the new car the biggest step forward in the model's history, with a significant improvement in cabin technology and the introduction of variants with electrified powertrains.

Advertisement

Read our review

Car review

Seat's third-generation Leon is attractive and capable, but it can't quite reach the benchmark set by the imperious Volkswagen Golf

Back to top

New Cupra Leon ST hot estate seen ahead of 2020 launch

To signify its big stride forward, the upcoming Leon’s look has been described by brand design boss Alejandro Mesonero as taking “a bigger step” than the company has taken since the relaunch of the brand with the current Leon in 2012. “Sometimes you need to take a bigger step so as not to be obsolete. We’re ready very soon for the next, bolder step in design,” he said.

Rabe has previously told Autocar that the design and packaging of the five-door car will “not be a typical hatch" and that “it will create some desire”. 

The next Leon will once again use the VW Group’s MQB platform, albeit a significantly updated version shared with the recently launched Mk8 Volkswagen Golf.

 sb10201

The Leon will come in five-door hatch, estate and crossover forms. The latter, jacked-up version will sit below the Seat Ateca SUV in the brand's range and be "more extreme" than the previous version of the Leon estate, according to Rabe. He added: “We talk about hatch and we talk about SUV. Why not make something in-between?” 

The range is expected to open with the familiar 1.0-litre TSI three-cylinder petrol engine, offering similar performance to today's model. 

Back to top

Seat won’t drop diesels from the line-up, Rabe said, but the range will include one of the first mild-hybrid petrol options within the VW Group for those wanting levels of economy similar to those offered by oil-burning engines. This is likely to use the 48V system mated to a 1.5-litre TSI engine, as found in the Golf.

There will also be a plug-in hybrid Leon, which the Spanish brand has already confirmed will offer a 31-mile all-electric range. Expectations are that the PHEV Leon will use the 201bhp petrol-electric system offered in the Golf, with a more powerful 242bhp plug-in powertrain reserved for the Cupra-branded performance version

 

Join the debate

Comments
40
Add a comment…
adrian888 28 January 2020

Front of an MG3.....

I am and have long been a SEAT fan owning 3 Toledo's of various types over the years and my OH now has an Arona. I plan to acquire a Terraco as my next car however i am not impressed with the new grille with its oriental copycat styling. MG3 anyone? (And i do like MG's having owned two ZT's). 

stinhambo 28 January 2020

Front looks like a Hyundai,

Front looks like a Hyundai, rear looks like a Kia.

I do like the bold Leon badge at the back though.

rickerby 27 January 2020

One day I'll look at these

One day I'll look at these comments and find somebody, anybody with something positive to say

typos1 28 January 2020

rickerby wrote:

rickerby wrote:

One day I'll look at these comments and find somebody, anybody with something positive to say

About a VW ? Dont think so.