- SEAT Leon Ecomotive is the company’s most extreme environmental performer ever
- Order books now open in the UK for the 87 g/km, 85.6 mpg diesel-sipper
- Priced from £19,360 RRP OTR, with first UK deliveries during January 2014
- Big specification includes alloy wheels, air conditioning and a unique Ecomotive aero pack
- Eligible for SEAT’s Q4 free Technology Pack offer and 4.9% APR PCP finance
SEAT this month opened the order books on the most extreme production Leon ever – extreme in the environmental efficiency sense. The SEAT Leon Ecomotive is, with a CO2 rating of just 87 g/km, the most CO2-averse conventionally-powered car that SEAT has ever produced.
Launched officially at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show alongside the new Leon ST estate, the Leon Ecomotive is available in all three body styles (SC, five-door and ST) and is priced from just £19,360 RRP OTR.
That outlay buys a three-door Leon SC Ecomotive, but all three versions return the same incredible 85.6 mpg combined fuel consumption. The 87 g/km CO2 figure puts the car into VED Band A, so the tax disc costs exactly nothing per year.
The car’s CO2 emissions figure is a full 12 g/km lower than that of the outgoing, second-generation Leon Ecomotive, despite being more powerful. This is accomplished most notably via a 90 kg weight reduction and a 10% improvement in aerodynamic efficiency.
Power comes from a 1.6-litre TDI diesel engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox whose ratios are spaced for optimum efficiency; the transmission is a fundamental difference between the Leon Ecomotive and the standard Leon 1.6 TDI, which itself emits a very modest 99 g/km, equipped with a five-speed manual gearbox.
Other changes over the standard Leon 1.6 TDI include a higher engine output, up from 105 PS to 110 PS, and the fitment of low rolling resistance tyres. To improve aerodynamic performance there’s a body package comprising rear and side spoilers, and the suspension is lowered by 15 mm, while the radiator grille is unique to the Ecomotive. These changes help the Leon Ecomotive travel 11.3 miles further per gallon of fuel than the standard Leon 1.6 TDI, according to their respective combined consumption ratings.
As with every other model in the Leon range, the Leon Ecomotive comes with an Energy Recovery System and a Start/Stop System, the former to capture and store brake energy otherwise lost as heat, which can be used to power electrical systems, and the latter to shut down the engine when the car is at a standstill, preserving fuel.
The Leon Ecomotive doesn’t scrimp on equipment like it does on fuel, thankfully, coming as standard with 16-inch alloy wheels, front fog lights with cornering function, cruise control, a leather steering wheel and gear knob, air conditioning, electric windows all around (aside from SC versions), Bluetooth hands-free phone system, SEAT Easy Connect multimedia system, and a front armrest/storage box; the Leon Ecomotive is based on SE specification.
And until at least the end of 2013, the Leon Ecomotive is eligible for SEAT’s free Technology Pack offer, which endows the car with cutting edge full-LED headlights (including their distinctive strip-LED daytime running lights), satellite navigation and a DAB radio – so every medium-wave radio talk show rant can be enjoyed in crystal clear digital quality.
Steve Mirfin, SEAT UK’s Leon Product Manager, says: “This Leon Ecomotive really moves the game forward for us. Not only is it a lot more efficient than the outgoing car, it’s one of the most efficient medium-sized cars on the market and offers outstanding fuel economy.
“We benchmarked the car against the most popular models in the segment to make sure we’re right at the cutting edge on real-world fuel economy, but also on value, performance and quality. And with the Ecomotive available in all three Leon body styles, its appeal extends to a huge customer base – not least the fleet market, where practicality and running costs are paramount.”
First deliveries of the Leon Ecomotive begin January 2014, priced at £19,360 for the SC, £19,660 for the five-door and £20,485 for the ST.
THE NEW SEAT LEON ECOMOTIVE AND TGI: PERFORMANCE WITH OUTSTANDING EFFICIENCY
- SEAT unveils Leon Ecomotive and Leon TGI at the Frankfurt Motor Show
- Most efficient Leon ever emits just 87 g/km and returns 85.6 mpg
- Available in five-door, SC and ST forms
- New Leon TGI runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) as well as petrol
- Extremely low maintenance costs and emissions for Leon TGI: 97 g/km
Alongside welcoming the Leon ST estate to the Leon model family at the Frankfurt Motor Show, SEAT has introduced two extremely efficient versions: the Leon Ecomotive and Leon TGI. Both offer exceptional efficiency and therefore very low running costs.
The new Leon 1.6 TDI Ecomotive returns 85.6 mpg in all three body styles (five-door, SC, ST), making it the most efficient Leon ever. In the UK, its 87 g/km CO2 rating puts it into VED band A, meaning £0 first year VED and £0 thereafter.
The second newcomer, the Leon 1.4 TGI, is engineered to run on compressed natural gas (CNG), and has a very impressive CO2 figure of 97 g/km. Both models share the sporty performance of a 110 PS engine, combined with the agile and precise handling of every Leon.
The new SEAT Leon Ecomotive is one of the most fuel-efficient cars on the market, with an 85.6 mpg combined fuel consumption rating giving it a theoretical tank range of over 940 miles. Thanks to its brand new 1.6-litre TDI engine with 110 PS and 250 Nm, the Leon Ecomotive also offers compelling performance, delivering a 0-62 mph sprint of 10.4 seconds.
Like every Leon, the Ecomotive features Start/Stop and brake Energy Recovery, and in addition it has a specially adapted six-speed manual transmission and tyres with low rolling resistance. Added to this are optimised aerodynamics, comprising a lower body shell, featuring closed-off cooling apertures at the front, additional under-body panels, and a roof spoiler with side spoilers at the rear windscreen.
The unique combination of highly emotional design, precise dynamics and exceptionally low running costs also applies to the second newcomer to the SEAT family: the Leon TGI. Its newly developed 1.4-litre direct injection, turbocharged engine can run on either petrol or compressed natural gas (CNG).
The incredibly low CNG consumption, combined with the lower purchase cost of compressed natural gas, makes the Leon TGI one of the most economical cars around.
The engine in the Leon TGI delivers 110 PS, with the maximum torque of 200 Nm available from as low down as 1,500 rpm. In spite of its fuel efficiency, this bestows the Leon TGI with outstanding performance: 0-62 mph in 10.7 seconds and a top speed of 121 mph. Engineered for CNG and petrol, the 1.4 TSI offers an exceptional range – around 250 miles in pure CNG mode, with an average consumption rating of 3.5 kg of CNG per 100 kilometres, which equates to 94 g/km CO2. In petrol mode, it provides an additional range of 560 miles. So, if the two CNG tanks, with a combined capacity of 15 kg and located beneath the luggage compartment, and the 50-litre petrol tank are completely full, the Leon TGI achieves a theoretical range of over 800 miles.
There are currently no plans to offer the Leon TGI for sale in the UK.
SEAT is the only company in its sector with the full-range capacity to design, develop, manufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 83% of its vehicles, and is present in 77 countries. In 2012 SEAT had a total turnover of more than 6 billion euros, with overall deliveries amounting to 321,000 units.
SEAT Group employs 14,000 professionals at its three production centres in Barcelona − Zona Franca, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon, amongst other models. Additionally, the company produces the Alhambra in Palmela (Portugal), the Mii in Bratislava (Slovakia) and the Toledo in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) at Volkswagen Group plants.
The Spanish multinational also has a Technical Center, a ‘knowledge hub’, bringing together more than 900 engineers whose goal is to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in R&D in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environmental protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its core activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, as well as recycling and re-use of resources.
SEAT UK enjoyed a tremendous year in 2012, selling 38,798 cars and achieving a 1.9% market share – both company records.
SEAT is the only company in its sector with the full-range capacity to design, develop, manufacture and market cars in Spain. A member of the Volkswagen Group, the multinational has its headquarters in Martorell (Barcelona), exporting 83% of its vehicles, and is present in 77 countries. In 2012 SEAT had a total turnover of more than 6 billion euros, with overall deliveries amounting to 321,000 units.
SEAT Group employs 14,000 professionals at its three production centres in Barcelona − Zona Franca, El Prat de Llobregat and Martorell, where it manufactures the highly successful Ibiza and Leon, amongst other models. Additionally, the company produces the Alhambra in Palmela (Portugal), the Mii in Bratislava (Slovakia) and the Toledo in Mladá Boleslav (Czech Republic) at Volkswagen Group plants.
The Spanish multinational also has a Technical Center, a ‘knowledge hub’, bringing together more than 900 engineers whose goal is to be the driving force behind innovation for the number one industrial investor in R&D in Spain. In line with its declared commitment to environmental protection, SEAT undertakes and bases its core activity on sustainability, namely reduction of CO2 emissions, energy efficiency, as well as recycling and re-use of resources.
SEAT UK enjoyed a tremendous year in 2012, selling 38,798 cars and achieving a 1.9% market share – both company records.