Given the overwhelming preference for SUVs in the New Zealand new-vehicle market (half of total registrations year-to-date), you could argue the only reason to choose a traditional station wagon is personal preference. Emotional, not rational.
But is that right? In fact, station wagons can also make a lot of sense. Consider Seat’s new Leon FR Sportstourer. It’s basically a wagon alternative to the Ateca FR (FWD) SUV: exactly the same $46,900 price, even (and not to be confused with the high-performance, higher-priced Cupra VZ Sportstourer).
The perceived wisdom of all things SUV would dictate that the Ateca is the practical choice over the Leon. In some respects it is: higher H-point for getting in and out, especially if you’ve got children in car seats, and taller load space.
But that’s “taller”, not bigger. The Leon is actually 280mm longer, which means a monster 620-litre loadspace in five-seat configuration, compared with just 510l for the Ateca. With the rear seats folded they’re about the same: 1600l.
READ MORE
The extra height of the Ateca can be handy, but so can the sheer length of the Leon; especially for lifestyle stuff like bikes. If you prefer to carry said lifestyle stuff on the roof, the Leon also appeals because you’re loading onto a much lower platform.
To view all Seat Leon models currently listed on DRIVEN, click here
Because the Leon is an all-new model, you’re also getting a bit more powertrain tech with the wagon. The 1.5-litre turbo-four is paired with a 48v mild hybrid system, which recovers energy from braking/deceleration and stores it to help with stop/start, coasting (or “sailing” in hybrid-speak) and a little boost-assistance for the petrol engine.
While power and torque are identical to the Ateca 1.4, the Leon achieves Combined economy of 4.9l/100km, compared with 6.2l for the Ateca (both NEDC figures). That’s not entirely down to the hybrid system, but it does show how the overall platform/technology package of a newer model can make big gains in efficiency.
Wagons are lower than SUVs of course, but the Leon Sportstourer is especially low. It’s a shock to the system if you’ve just come from a 4x4-style vehicle, but it’s potentially pleasing from a driver’s point of view.
So are the powertrain and chassis: this is a smooth, fluid and fun-to-drive wagon. Seat’s FR specification (the only one available for this Leon in NZ) brings firmer, 15mm-lower suspension and more supportive seats, and it all makes this a feel-good five-door if you place as much emphasis on driver entertainment as you do on space for the family.
Being a new-gen model, the Leon picks up the touch-centric cabin ergonomics from the latest Volkswagen Group models like the Golf 8 and Skoda Octavia (which is a very close relation to the Leon indeed). It’s a super-clean look and features like the stubby gear selector make sense, but you can’t help but feel there’s too much buried in the tile-like menus of the main screens.
The operating system is slow to boot up and takes some getting used to. If you want to change drive modes, for example, you have to do that in a sub-menu; so really, you don’t bother.
There are (touch) shortcuts for climate temperature and audio volume on the bottom edge of the screen, but they’re also quite fiddly and require you to take your eyes off the road. They’re not illuminated at night either and that’s a fail; it feels like touch-tech for the sake of it.
Now, we know what you’re thinking: a Spanish station wagon is still quite niche. And that’s true from a NZ perspective, although the Leon Sportstourer has always been a massively popular machine in Europe.
But wagons have become quite niche in NZ anyway. In this segment we really only have the Leon, the Skoda Octavia Style (closely related to the Seat, but slightly more expensive and sans the new MHEV powertrain) and the ubiquitous Toyota Corolla.
It’s worth at least putting the Sportstourer on the shopping list next to that medium SUV; you might be surprised. Dare to be different… drive a station wagon.
SEAT LEON SPORTSTOURER FR
ENGINE: 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four with 48v mild hybrid system
POWER: 110kW/250Nm
GEARBOX: 7-speed automatic, FWD
0-1OOKM/H: 8.7 seconds
ECONOMY: 4.9l/100km (NEDC), CO2 128g/km (WLTP3)
PRICE: $44,900
