What is it?
Ken Livingstone might be out of kilter with the rest of us - he’s just pulled a shocking handbrake turn on plans to let low-polluters like this Leon Ecomotive into London for free - but European manufacturers are still striving to get frugal, low carbon models onto the market. Ultra frugal models are good for our wallets and their brand image
This Leon is Seat’s second environmental model since the 99g/km CO2 Ibiza Ecomotive launched last year, and it follows a familiar emissions-slashing formula.
Starting with the basic 1.9-litre diesel Leon (with its 135g/km CO2 emissions and 55mpg average) Seat’s engineers optimised the ECU and adjusted the gear ratios to make third, fourth and fifth gear longer. That saved 7g/km CO2. Next they reduced weight by fitting lighter steel wheels rather than alloys. Another 5g/km saved. Lastly low rolling resistance tyres were added, cutting a further 4g/km CO2.
That leaves 119g/km CO2, squeezing the Leon Ecomotive into cheap company car and road tax brackets and offering a 62.8mpg combined fuel economy.
What’s it like?
Initially we scoffed at that fuel consumption figure, but then managed an impressive real-world 60mpg on our test drive. And the Ecomotive's hardly a stripped out model, it's still got air-conditioning, electric windows and a six-speaker stereo.
It’s also faster than the standard 104bhp Leon - managing 0-62mph in 10.9 seconds rather than 11 - because it’s lighter.
The downside is the way it drives. Longer gears mean the Ecomotive delivers power smoothly but unenthusiastically and its now unhappy to settle into fifth at speeds below 60mph. Pitch up to a corner quickly and the low-resistance tyres struggle for grip, too.
Then there’s the price - around £14,500 – a £1000 premium over the similarly equipped, 1.9-litre diesel Leon Reference.
Should I buy one?
You'd have to do a lot of miles to make up that difference in fuel cost, especially now these sub-120 grammers won't be congestion charge free. So £1000 to save 16g/km CO2 might be a premium worth paying for the seriously eco-concious, but only for a piece of the moral highground.
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Re: Seat Leon 1.9 TDI Ecomotive
I bought a Leon Ecomotive.
Now having completed over 3000 miles I am horrified at the really poor fuel efficiency this car returns. I have averaged 44.3mpg. The garage says the car is fine, tests out OK. They say teh mpg quoted by the manuf do not reflect nowmal driving. I say I have been ripped off. I note that Autocar got 60mpg - must have been a fluke! I get better fuel consumption in my 11yr old petrol Renault Megane. Anybody any ideas how I go about solving this, the garage say 'sue us' it was not mis sold...:)
Re: Seat Leon 1.9 TDI Ecomotive
As Kermit the frog says:
"It's not easy being green"
Re: Seat Leon 1.9 TDI Ecomotive
How many people around the world are going to have to buy these types of cars to make even the slightest difference to the environment. Millions i reckon, and over a good many years. All these cars are, are marketing tools for the motor industry, and the more we buy into it the happier and richer they become.