Even at five years old, the SEAT Leon Sportstourer still has (a lot) to talk about.
The SEAT Leon has just marked 25 years, which was reason enough for me to spend another week with the model - this time in Sportstourer estate form.
What is more, the Leon remains one of the Spanish brand’s best-sellers in Portugal, helping SEAT become the 10th best-selling marque in the country - despite this generation now being five years into its life.
With that in mind, it had been a while since I last drove a SEAT Leon Sportstourer. It was the right moment to revisit it.
As you will see below, the key update is the powertrain, along with a handful of small changes inside. So it makes sense to begin with the cabin.
Because you can forget about exterior tweaks. From the outside, almost everything is unchanged - there is not even a design touch-up. The only real giveaway sits on the B-pillar, where you will find a discreet “Anniversary / Limited Edition” badge for this version, as I explained in this video:
Improving what was already good
Step into the SEAT Leon Sportstourer and you are met with a well-finished cabin, plenty of room and an overall sense of quality that sits at a strong level. The plastics feel good, the assembly is solid, and the controls are sensibly positioned.
The driver’s seat adjusts electrically and it is straightforward to settle into a comfortable driving position. In the rear, two adults will be very comfortable - three, less so, because of the central tunnel. Even so, it is an estate that is perfectly suited to covering long distances.
The boot provides 470 litres with the seats up, expanding to 1450 litres when they are folded down. And yes, there is space under the floor for the charging cable. It is an estate that is both roomy and genuinely practical.
The 10.25” digital instrument panel is crisp and easy to read. The 12.9” touchscreen infotainment system is not quite as intuitive - the climate controls and driving modes are buried in submenus - but the touch sliders are now backlit (finally!).
The new powertrain pairs the familiar 1.5 TSI engine with 150 cv to an electric motor producing 85 kW (115 cv), powered by a 19.7 kWh usable battery. In real terms, that delivers 204 cv combined and 350 Nm of torque, channelled through a six-speed DSG (dual-clutch) automatic gearbox.
On paper, the SEAT Leon Sportstourer manages 133 km in electric mode. In the real world, I saw 106 km. That is still a strong result. Better yet, the first 100 km were completed with 0 l/100 km and 15.7 kWh/100 km. Those are excellent figures - the best in its class in this respect. Once the battery is depleted, average consumption settles at under 6 l/100 km.
With a battery of this size, faster charging becomes more relevant. For that reason, DC rapid charging goes up to 50 kW, taking the battery from 10% to 80% in around 25 minutes. On AC, using an 11 kW charger, it reaches a full charge in a little over two hours.
On the road, the Leon Sportstourer is very capable. The suspension tuning feels spot-on: firm, but not uncomfortable. The MQB platform - the same base used by models such as the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia, among others - is presented here in one of its most appealing iterations.
And, as you would expect with 204 cv available under your right foot, this estate does not lack punch or pulling power, even at higher speeds. Running on the electric motor alone, you can reach 140 km/h, although real-world range drops to less than half of the quoted figure.
You pay for what it offers
This “Anniversary / Limited Edition” SEAT Leon Sportstourer e-Hybrid comes with almost everything - and its price reflects that: almost €47,000 with the options fitted to the test car.
It also brings space, comfort, equipment and low running costs. Without the extras, the price lands at a more appealing €43,000.
That is the going rate for a brisk, comfortable and engaging family estate - with more emphasis on driving enjoyment than outright comfort.
If you would rather it were the other way around, instead of the SEAT Leon Sportstourer you can always take a look at the Skoda Octavia estate. It uses the same platform and the same solutions as the Leon Sportstourer, but swaps the Spanish brand’s flair for Czech pragmatism.
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