Exterior
With an exterior design that exudes confidence, elegance and sportiness, the SEAT Leon e-HYBRID benefits from well executed proportions; with some subtle nods to the advanced nature of what’s powering the vehicle – its e-HYBRID lettering, placed on the right side of the tailgate, and the cover, in body colour, of the charging compartment located on the front left side of the vehicle.
The basis for the vehicle’s overall aesthetics is the advanced MQB Evo platform, which provided the dimensions, flexibility and adaptability the design team required, while the SEAT Leon’s increased size for both the five-door and the Sportstourer bring an improved sense of proportions to the next-generation vehicle’s design.
The SEAT Leon 5-door e-HYBRID version is 4,368mm long, 1,799mm wide and 1,460mm high, while the Sportstourer e-HYBRID version is 4,642mm long, 1,799mm wide and 1,456mm high. The wheelbase of both 5-door and Sportstourer stands at 2,682mm.
Given that the battery pack is located under the boot floor, the boot capacity in the 5-door e-HYBRID variant is 270l, while the Sportstourer e-HYBRID version reaches 470l.
The SEAT Leon has a strong personality, helped by its smooth flowing surfaces and the perfect mix of edges and curves in the right places. And while the exterior aesthetics are what draws the eye, its style also enhances the vehicle’s overall efficiency with improved aerodynamics; the SEAT Leon’s drag co-efficient has improved by around 8% compared to the previous generation – a welcome decrease for the e-HYBRID helping it maximise even more its efficiency.
At the front of the SEAT Leon, the design provides greater personality, with a stronger three-dimensional connection between the grille and front lighting. The LED headlights are set back, providing an eyebrow effect, giving a deeper focus and making it instantly recognisable to other road users.
The vehicle’s side mirrors include integrated LED indicators, and on vehicles with the full LED option include welcome lights that greet the driver and passengers projecting the word “Hola!” onto the ground as you activate the vehicle.
The excitement and creativity continue at the rear, emphasised by the coast-to-coast LED light and a boot designed to maintain the dynamic personality of the vehicle. Both the lighting system and spoiler create lines that generate the notion of speed, even when the car is not moving at all.
The all-new Leon also includes dynamic indicators making the vehicle’s direction of travel clearer and therefore safer.
Finally, new 18’’ aero wheels have been specifically designed for the SEAT Leon e-HYBRID (also available with the rest of the engine range).
Interior
Inside, the design continues its evolutionary theme, but one that puts the driver and other occupants at the centre of its strategy, with subtle touches to the vehicle’s advanced powertrain technology.
The interior is the pinnacle of functionality, minimalism and sleekness from the moment you take your seat in the cabin behind the steering wheel – the main contact point between driver and car.
The smooth-surfaced, slim yet wide dashboard gives the impression of lightness, and a degree of “floatability”. The effect is created with the help of the decorative mouldings that surround the dashboard and continue through the front doors.
Everything in the cabin has been designed to be ergonomically precise, increasing interior comfort for occupants. Whether sitting in the driver’s seat, as a passenger or in the rear, the cabin is developed to fit the occupants like a glove, providing the feeling of security.
The interior’s main protagonist is its central 10” infotainment screen and the 10,25” digital cockpit, which in the e-HYBRID version of the Leon comes as a standard. The infotainment screen includes gesture recognition, delivering precise interaction with the occupants and reducing the number of physical buttons required. The “diagonal” graphic design theme of the screen gets its inspiration from that important avenue of Barcelona, the Diagonal.
Interior light is an important feature of the all-new Leon. It includes a wraparound dashboard light that covers its entire width and continues through the doors. The lighting sweeps around the front of the cabin, from the front doors and across the top of the dashboard, creating an arc of light that brings the Leon’s interior character to life. The system changes the colour and tone of the lighting depending on the needs. So, whether you’ve just started the vehicle and enjoy the welcoming ceremony or shift drive profile from Eco to Sport mode, for example, the light system brings a new dynamic to vehicle-driver interaction.
And it’s not only an ambient decorative light, but it also provides several key functions such as blind spot detection or exit assist.
A lot of attention has been placed on achieving a perfect balance of refined and soft plastics, textiles and leathers to cover seats, door panels and the dashboard. The SEAT Leon e-HYBRID mixes appealing design with practicality too even with the inclusion of the advanced powertrain technology.