SECTOR: Crossover   PRICE: From €23,227   FUEL: 4.9l/100km   CO2: 122–150g/km

To say that within the VW Group, SEAT has been a bit light on the SUV and crossover front is a bit of an understatement. Volkswagen has Golf Alltrack, Tiguan and Touareg, Audi is all ‘Qs’ and Allroad, while Skoda has Yeti and Octavia Scout.

OK, there used to be the Altea Freetrack, but SEAT is now emerging from the shadows. Leon X-Perience, in some ways a successor to the Altea Freetrack, with its Haldex four-wheel drive system is merely the starting point. SEAT showed the 20V20 SUV concept at the recent Geneva Motor Show and there will be a compact SUV arriving in showrooms next year after making its debut at the Geneva Show 2016.

X-Perience is based on the Leon ST estate model with 15mm raised ground clearance and the almost obligatory sill and wheel arch protective mouldings. As we have hinted, all models get the latest version of the Haldex four-wheel drive. This smart system drives the front wheels only for most of the time, but when loss of traction is detected, will divert drive to the rear wheels. It is infinitely variable, capable of sending all the drive to the rear wheels when necessary, or any front/rear drive split it senses is best. For traction in snow and ice, or towing a trailer onto a muddy field, it’s an ideal system.

X-Perience comes with a full choice of petrol and diesel engines, depending on market. There’s just one petrol engine, the 1.8-litre 180hp TSI. Diesels include the 110hp 1.6-litre TDI and the 2.0TDI engine used extensively across the VW Group. For this, there’s a choice of 150hp or the 184hp version. The excellent DSG twin clutch six-speed automated transmission is available with the 1.8-litre petrol and selected diesels, check your market specification. The 1.8-litre petrol engine gives CO2 emissions of 150g/km. Not surprisingly, it’s the diesels that offer the lowest CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. The 1.6-litre TDI gives 122g/km, while the 150hp and 184hp 2.0 TDI models are both rated at 129g/km. All models are Euro 6 compliant.

X-Perience models are well specified with a host of optional equipment too. A full-length panoramic sunroof is on the options list as is adaptive cruise control. The boot has a floor that can be set at two levels giving a capacity of 587 litres, expanding to 1,470 litres with rear seats folded.

If you have driven a Haldex equipped model before, the Leon X-Perience will not hold surprises. The raised suspension is noticeable when getting in, but otherwise it feels like a Leon ST, until you get under way. The 4×4 system is unobtrusive, as intended, but ride quality is more compliant than the front-drive Leons. That combination of slightly higher driving position and greater comfort would appeal to older drivers, but the X-Perience is all about “Active Lifestyles,” says SEAT.

With crossover and SUV sales still growing and the cars seen as desirable, it ought to ensure some competitive leasing prices as RVs should hold up well, maybe with a bit of help from arriving SEAT SUVs next year. It’s a welcome addition to the Leon range, offering more design verve than an Octavia Scout.

What we think:

Leon X-Perience signals SEAT’s entry into the crossover and SUV sector. It offers all the advantages of the ST with all-weather traction.