DRIVEN

Sector: Lower-medium Fuel: 4.1l/100km CO2: 106g/km

It’s nice to see SEAT recovering some of its mojo after a few years of wobbly blancmange identikit styling and a severe lack of brand direction.

Now that it is back in its rightful place as the sporty value brand in the Volkswagen conglomeration, it is free to develop affordable and fun cars again – the new Leon being the perfect case in point.

One step down from the recently announced Cupra models, the FR trim level blends sporty styling with more prosaic engine options, including the 2.0-litre 150PS TDI diesel on test. This is a package aimed squarely at young user-choosers, blending CO2 emissions of just 106g/km with desirable looks and a youthful image.

And despite being a diesel this FR is rather good fun to drive. Sure, it has that four-square solidity which all VW Group cars have, but it feels solid and remains flat and composed when cornering.

The new 2.0 TDI diesel is a great engine – smooth and torquey and offering petrol-bothering mid-range performance. Coupled with real-world fuel economy in the mid-50s and it’s easy to see why this is proving a popular car with user-choosers.

It also offers very good value for money. Standard equipment includes 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned front and rear bumpers, twin chrome exhaust pipes, dark tinted windows, front sports seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, LED tail lights, sports suspension and the SEAT Drive Profile which lets the driver alter the characteristic of the car by changing the response of the power steering and throttle sensitivity.