So about a week ago (give or take a day) SEAT UK phone and suggest that my 2012 Leon FR+ is at its 'optimum resale value' prematurely: would I be interested in looking at a possible upgrade for little or no deposit?
Erm... yes? What the hell. Worst case scenario: I drive back home in my Leon... Be rude not to at least look around a new one!
So I drove to my local stealer and get an in depth tour of the Leon FR Mk3. What a beautiful car! Pictures on the internet and in magazines (my only experience of the car so far) did not do it justice! It has a striking posture that looks elegant, sophisticated and modern yet (arguably to some avid Mk2 Leon fans!) retains that SEAT flair that separates it neatly from its german cousins! That wow factor continues into the cabin which is beautifully crafted and arranged - albeit maybe looks more conservative for some (again) SEAT fans.
I could go on for a long time about it however I do not work for an auto mobile magazine...
Suffice to say, with only a £2500 deposit to pay (of which SEAT generously contributed £1000) the agreement is signed and I selected a Leon FR from down in the port that has all the options I wanted!
So: today was delivery day and I went to collect it!
What a ridiculously long week it has been waiting for this!
2013 Leon FR (In Emoción Red) CR 2.0 TDi 147 with Tech Pack, Convinience Pack, Half Leather/Alcantara Seats and 18" Performance Alloys.
(Please excuse my rubbish quality pictures from my phone!)
Why did I upgrade? It seemed like a no brainer for the money they were asking for! Which is exactly what happened a year ago when I traded in my Boc for a Leon! Damn you SEAT! Damn your deals!
It may tie me in for another year but chances are I'm still going to be with the SEAT brand... though this is my 3rd consecutive SEAT.
The build quality in this Leon is... amazing.
I noticed a massive change from the Mk5 Ibiza to the Mk2 Leon but this is another big step up for SEAT. They have left no stone unturned when crafting it! It's been pouring it down with rain today (although with only delivery mileage I shan't be given it the pedal to metal treatment yet...) so I haven't opened up the throttle but it definitely feels much more glued to the road on this MQB platform. Over the same roads I've been driving for the past few years it feels much more comfortable to drive. The cabin not only is bigger but it feels bigger as well. The location of all the buttons and switches feels much more fluid and the driving position (coupled with the driver oriented centre console) makes for a much more dynamic drive.
I'm not overly certain on the subtle changes that the Drive profiles alter yet but I'm sure these will become more apparent once I have clocked some more miles!
I'll also definitely be doing some night time driving tonight to check out the effectiveness of the new LED headlights if nothing else!
Also a good excuse to go to Domino's to get dinner I guess...
Erm... yes? What the hell. Worst case scenario: I drive back home in my Leon... Be rude not to at least look around a new one!
So I drove to my local stealer and get an in depth tour of the Leon FR Mk3. What a beautiful car! Pictures on the internet and in magazines (my only experience of the car so far) did not do it justice! It has a striking posture that looks elegant, sophisticated and modern yet (arguably to some avid Mk2 Leon fans!) retains that SEAT flair that separates it neatly from its german cousins! That wow factor continues into the cabin which is beautifully crafted and arranged - albeit maybe looks more conservative for some (again) SEAT fans.
I could go on for a long time about it however I do not work for an auto mobile magazine...
Suffice to say, with only a £2500 deposit to pay (of which SEAT generously contributed £1000) the agreement is signed and I selected a Leon FR from down in the port that has all the options I wanted!
So: today was delivery day and I went to collect it!
What a ridiculously long week it has been waiting for this!
2013 Leon FR (In Emoción Red) CR 2.0 TDi 147 with Tech Pack, Convinience Pack, Half Leather/Alcantara Seats and 18" Performance Alloys.
(Please excuse my rubbish quality pictures from my phone!)
Why did I upgrade? It seemed like a no brainer for the money they were asking for! Which is exactly what happened a year ago when I traded in my Boc for a Leon! Damn you SEAT! Damn your deals!
It may tie me in for another year but chances are I'm still going to be with the SEAT brand... though this is my 3rd consecutive SEAT.
The build quality in this Leon is... amazing.
I noticed a massive change from the Mk5 Ibiza to the Mk2 Leon but this is another big step up for SEAT. They have left no stone unturned when crafting it! It's been pouring it down with rain today (although with only delivery mileage I shan't be given it the pedal to metal treatment yet...) so I haven't opened up the throttle but it definitely feels much more glued to the road on this MQB platform. Over the same roads I've been driving for the past few years it feels much more comfortable to drive. The cabin not only is bigger but it feels bigger as well. The location of all the buttons and switches feels much more fluid and the driving position (coupled with the driver oriented centre console) makes for a much more dynamic drive.
I'm not overly certain on the subtle changes that the Drive profiles alter yet but I'm sure these will become more apparent once I have clocked some more miles!
I'll also definitely be doing some night time driving tonight to check out the effectiveness of the new LED headlights if nothing else!
Also a good excuse to go to Domino's to get dinner I guess...
Last edited:
