Spanish brand Seat has been owned by the Volkswagen Group since 1990, but it has struggled to establish its own identity as a manufacturer of ’emotional’ cars.
The current Seat line-up gets closer to this brief than ever before, though. The smallest models – the Citigo and the Ibiza – are both respectable offerings, while the star of the range, the mid-sized Leon, is a good-value, well-equipped rival for the VW Golf and Ford Focus.
The Leon and Ibiza are both offered in estate form, badged ST, while the Leon wagon is also available with an off-road look and raised ride height; it’s called the Leon X-Perience.
The rest of Seat’s range is hit and miss. The Alhambra MPV is a multiple What Car? award winner and still a strong offering, but while the Toledo hatchback is spacious enough, it falls short on interior finish and refinement.
