Goodwood Test: 2021 Seat Leon Estate Review

With only essential travel allowed throughout much of 2020, it has been hard to justify driving anywhere at all. However, driving the Seat Leon Estate recently, I had just the job for it. A house move is hard enough at the best of times, but throw in a national lockdown and a temperamental daily driver and it becomes a whole lot more complicated. Luckily, the Leon was my knight in shining bodywork, its 620-litre boot space more than ample for transporting my life’s belongings. And then, of course came the most essential of all journeys – to a local farmyard to choose a Christmas tree. Despite measuring the ceiling height beforehand, I threw caution to the wind and picked a seven-foot number, rationalising that it ‘looked far smaller than that’. While the capacious estate swallowed it whole, it was an entirely different story to get it in the house…

Launched earlier this year and available with four engines and seven trims, the Seat Leon Estate is based on the same MQB platform as the new Volkswagen Golf Estate and Skoda Octavia Estate, and is priced from just £22,455. Our test car was the middling ‘FR’ edition, powered by a mild-hybrid 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 150PS (110kW), matched to a seven-speed double-clutch gearbox. The Estate is also 86mm longer than the regular Leon hatch, and has a 50mm longer wheelbase. 

Just a decade ago, estates were considered mundane – the reserve of middle-aged motorists. However, an uprising of fast wagons soon put a stop to that, and nowadays they’re seen for their capacity, driving characteristics, and, more often than not, sleek looks. And while the Leon Estate may not have the streamlined style of some of its more premium peers, it certainly isn’t a bad looker. 

Our test model was finished in the so-called ‘Desire Red’, with 17-inch bi-spoke alloys, LED headlights, daytime running lights and the rather amusing puddle lights, which exclaimed an enthusiastic ‘Hola!’ At 4.6 metres long and 1.8 metres wide, it requires a decent grasp on spatial awareness to drive, but thankfully an overzealous parking sensor has your back – quite literally. 

One of the big takeaways from my time with the the Leon Estate was its fuel economy. Despite returning below the claimed 44.1-47.9mpg, at around 41mpg, I was still astounded at how far it could make its fuel go, using just one quarter of its 50-litre tank in 150 miles of stop-start driving, and with more than 400 miles of range remaining.

The economy didn’t come at the expense of driving enjoyment, either, with the car's 150PS steaming through the seven-speed 'box and putting in a good effort at acceleration, taking 8.7-seconds to reach 62mph and topping out at 135mph. The gearbox is smooth and well-ratioed, but while flappy paddles behind the wheel offer a degree of control they are a little slow on the uptake. There’s a spot of lag if you really put your foot down, too, but I'm yet to drive a car that doesn’t do that. The mild-hybrid system is smooth and barely noticeable, while the brakes are ample for the task and nothing more.

Two modes of ‘Drive’ and ‘Sport’ are available, with the latter understandably the more enjoyable and engaging. However, if you have too much fun, or leave it in Sport mode indefinitely, a warning flashes up on the dash, alerting you to the uneconomic nature of your drive. It’s quite literally a spoilsport!

The sports suspension (the FR's reid height is dropped by 15mm compared to the rest of the range) manages its 1,410kg weight well, holding the car steady into bends and offering ample grip coming out. Despite its dimensions, the Leon Estate feels agile, precise and firm. The weighted steering is smooth and direct, however it pre-empts bends ham-fistedly – just one of a handful of slightly irritating driver aids.

The standout features of the Leon Estate are its capacity and versatility. Three rear seats, two, one, or just one giant 620-litre cargo space – it does it all, easily and without complaint. Up front, it’s incredibly quiet and comfortable, with minimum road noise and a well-considered dash. And aside from being ever so slightly too high under the knees, the seats are wonderfully comfortable – the kind that tangibly absorbs any surplus jolts from the suspension. 

While the Leon and I gelled in every other manner, I just could not get on with the onboard electronics, from the loud annoying beeps when adjusting infotainment, to the complicated touchscreen, and the fact that you can’t turn the stereo down from the steering wheel when you turn the engine off.

The driving aids, meanwhile, all seemed overenthusiastic and under refined. The reversing sensor screamed bloody murder at me while still two feet away from the offending object (I know, better to be safe than sorry), and the lane keep assist forcefully intervened as I followed the newly installed cats eyes on a section of ongoing roadworks, attempting to follow the original road markings. And even when I had both hands heavy on the steering wheel, it screeched a warning and demanded I resume driving... 

But perhaps the biggest travesty of all is the absence of regular USB ports, with only a 12v power supply and a pair of USB-Cs in evidence. To give credit where it’s due, the auto-dipping highbeam and adaptive cruise control were both well-considered and useful.

Everyone should have an estate once in their lives – if not for their excellent economy or newfound cool factor, but for their downright practicality and convenience. And the Leon Estate is a brilliant option for those on a budget. Stylish, spacious and incredibly economic, it costs just £1,050 more than its hatchback peer – excellent value if you ask me. The Mk8 Golf, by comparison, is more expensive in the first place and the difference in price between the hatch and the estate is greater, too.

Admittedly, it has its quirks – the steering aids are overzealous and the electronics complicated. But at the end of the day, I think this is more a matter of personal preference, and as with everything, their parameters can no doubt be adjusted and finetuned to suit the individual.