Seat is giving its new Leon family a shot in the arm with a suite of new models – including this new ST estate.
It’s the first Leon estate since the model launched in 1998, and the ST will thrust Seat into a growing marketplace for more practical mid-sized cars. Sales of estates in Europe, where Seat is strongest, are still growing.
And this five-door Leon estate is only one bodystyle; a sleeker, three-door coupe-alike hatch is also coming.
Seat Leon ST (2013): the lowdown
The Leon ST estate will add a Golf-alike wagon rear end to the new Leon hatchback, unveiled this summer and the white car shown in our picture gallery.
It’s not an outright load lugger, rather a compact estate car for families who go cycling/surfing/other European Dream pasttime.
However, the new 2013 Seat Leon ST will offer flop-down seats and lashing points for maximum practicality. Need more space? Then you’ll need the Seat Alhambra MPV, which CAR is long-term testing – click here for our latest reports on this cavernous people carrier.
When does the Seat Leon estate go on sale?
The Leon ST will go into production in late 2013, according to CAR’s sources, once the Leon hatch has established itself. And that ST badge? Follows the nomenclature of the smaller Ibiza wagon.
The new Seat Leon is based on the MQB architecture pioneered by Volkswagen for all its mid-sized cars including the Audi A3 and next-gen VW Golf Mk7. It ushers in a range of tech and is cheaper to build – but it’ll also make four-wheel drive available.
Sounds like a baby Leon Allroad could be on the cards. Imagine this paired with a Cupra powerplant – could be the Golf GTI estate that never was.