Seat boss: Future is rosy 03 | 08 | 2013
SEAT'S NEW THREE-DOOR Leon SC is expected to take 25% of UK sales in the model range. And managing director Neil Williamson believes the new model will help catapult the Spanish manufacturer well ahead of the 40,000 sales it achieved in the UK last year.
“I think the future for us in UK is really rosy," Williamson said. "If you look at our product range right now, it’s the best it’s ever been, and new Leon’s really added to that.
"Ibiza’s doing a fantastic job for us and our customers, and Mii is also doing a brilliant job, so our product range is really in a good place.
“And if you look at Leon today in SC format, that gives you a good idea of the quality of product and style of product that we’ll be bringing to the UK in the years to come, so that gives us real confidence.
“We can be sure of the investment levels coming out of Barcelona – they’re now committed – which underpins our product strategy for years to come, so I’m really confident that this brand will continue its growth, as we’ve seen for many years now, and become really a bigger player than we perhaps are at the moment."
Related: Seat shines light on new Leon
From the windscreen pillars back, the SC is totally different to the five-door. Shorter and lower than the five-door Leon, and benefitting from a wider track, the three-door SC is available in three trim levels, S, SE and the lower and sportier FR. Prices start at £15,370 for the entry-level SC 1.2TSI and rise to £22,335 for the range-topping 2.0TDI CR DSG-auto.
Initially the range includes three petrols — the 102bhp 1.2TSI, 137bhp 1.4TSI and 177bhp 1.8TSI — plus three diesels. The 1.6TDI pumps out 103bhp, while there are two versions of the larger 2.0TDI, delivering 147bhp and 180bhp.
A 1.4-litre cylinder deactivation powerplant, which closes two cylinders when cruising to save petrol, will follow, as will an ultra-high economy, ultra-low emissions 1.6 diesel.
And till at least the end of September, all Seat Leon's will get the technology pack — which includes the full LED headlight pack, navigation system and DAB radio tuner, and normally costs £1900 — free-of-charge.
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Jim McGill