MK3 Led Headlights vs Mk3 facelift LED Headlights

surrealjam

Active Member
Jan 8, 2015
328
53
Yes, you are right. The headlights don't seem significantly brighter but they are a lot sharper. As you say, the old ones were almost a pattern like halogen reflectors just a bit brighter and whiter. The new ones are more like projectors in their pattern. It's quite impressive they have done that with 6 separate bulbs.
 

Jim45

Active Member
Apr 27, 2018
316
86
I love the LED lights on the facelift, they are like Blackpool Illuminations after the Toyota Auris I owned previously, the worst headlights I ever had.
 

BoomerBoom

Active Member
Jun 1, 2018
690
249
It couldn't have been worse than my old VW Touran, projector headlights but fitted with a halogen lamp are about as much use as a candle.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
It couldn't have been worse than my old VW Touran, projector headlights but fitted with a halogen lamp are about as much use as a candle.
VW must have raided the parts bin - my old B5.5 Passat had halogen projectors and was bordering on dangerous at night. The main reason I got shot of it pdq.
 

Seriously?

Active Member
Apr 20, 2018
1,237
831
SWMBO had a mk5 Ibizia with the optional Bi-xenons before she got her 2018 Leon. Even she says the lights on the Leon are amazing.

So it must be true:D
 

Copra68

Active Member
Jun 10, 2013
549
306
Seat advertised the facelift led headlights as 30% more powerful. The pre-face lift ones are terrible apart from where the light beam is outside of that nothing can be seen.
 

RCampbell1

Active Member
Jan 8, 2017
70
24
UK
I thought the LED headlights on my pre-facelift FR were pretty shocking, one contributing reason to trading it in. Happy to say the LED's on my mk7.5 GTD are brilliant
 

KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
SWMBO had a mk5 Ibizia with the optional Bi-xenons before she got her 2018 Leon. Even she says the lights on the Leon are amazing.

So it must be true:D

I've got Bi-xenons on my current Ibiza too (they do the up down, side to side dance on startup) and had LEDs on MK3 (non facelift). I found Bi-xenons marginally better on dipped, but Leon LED high-beam there is not contest, they were much better on Leon. My Leon had headlight washers though, and no winter pack, wonder if these were brighter variants, and I didn't find them too bad tbh. I can only imagine how much better the facelift LEDs are!
 

Nick Fontana

Active Member
Sep 22, 2018
13
2
East Sussex
It's strange. I've just got a 290 Pre FL with LEDs so they aren't bad - but are nothing compared to my Mum's FL MK3 and my girlfriend's 2018 Ibiza FR.. Really these new lights are in a different league...
I wish I could buy the new FL LEDs to put in my PFL :p
 
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KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
As someone already mentioned on this thread, we also have a 2018 Seat Ibiza FR in the house with the newer LEDs - if anything, I would say they are even better than the Leon FL Leds...

And the Ibiza's also have fewer LED units isn't it? Something like 3-4 per side vs the Leon's 6? Likewise my current Volvo V40 users 2 LED units on each side, giving 4 on dipped, and 8 on high beam (both sides).
 

Slickric21

Active Member
Feb 23, 2019
549
250
Norfolk
I’ve got a 2019 Cupra R ST with full LED headlights.

Sadly this is one area where this car is worse than my outgoing 2012 Mazda6 Sport.
The adaptive Xenons on that thing were FAR superior to the LEDS on this Leon both in light quality, uniformity... and of course they swivelled when cornering.

Really surprised the Seat Cupra Full LEDs are not adaptive in any way and there is no cornering light.

Also High Beam is a bit of a mess also, the light spread is horrendous, it’s about x2 brighter on the drivers side with full beam on.

Still first world problems.... great car :)
 

Wastedagen

Active Member
Aug 3, 2017
478
101
Milton keynes
I must be among the minority. My 2014 mk3 pre-facelift LED headlights are superb. So much so they are brighter/better than my old HID's in my Toyota Auris.

Also the Full/main beam is brilliant. Very wide and even spread. Lights up the county lanes like dawn breaking..... All in all I have no complaints.
 

Deleted member 103408

Guest
@Wastedagen you are not on your own, I have a 2014 mk3 pre-facelift LED setup and very happy with them.

Cornering lights (if they are not standard) can be enabled via the front fog lights on the new cars (Original Cupra did not have fog lights as Seat said they were not needed)

You also have Motorway Lights which is very usefull and the auto beam function that turns off full beam when it sees another light in the opposite direction.
 
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Deleted member 103408

Guest
But that is when you use the Automatic dipped beam control to turn it off again.
 
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Allan

Active Member
Apr 29, 2019
34
6
Not noticeably bluer, no.

Auto main beam you enable and it dips when it sees other cars. It is surprisingly accurate and fast.

I drove a friend’s E class recently which ‘bent’ the main beam away from oncoming traffic; really cool but quite distracting to keep watching (instead of the road!).
Have a similar/the same system in our old focus- quite freaky how good it is.
 

kazand

Is powered by Medtronics
Jun 6, 2010
4,138
73
Brum
The pre fl LEDs were terrible, that bad I thought mine for faulty until I eventually just gave up and conceded they were rubbish. Thankfully the latest ones are perfect.
I went from a xenon equipped MK2 LCR to a 280... It was like having a bag on your head...
 
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