I just don't agree, with the MPV moniker, im not sure if you've actually stood by the new car yet, Andy, being out in Canada, not sure if you've seen one close up yet, when you've been back over here on one of your short trips.
But it really doesn't appear like an MPV when you stand looking at it, or sit in it, or drive it. You can't judge this from photographs, its a different car when you walk round it and visualise it properly.
The mistake SEAT made, and i've heard this direct from the horses mouth at SEAT and from some of their dealers alike, is that by admission they released the Altea first, and that was probably the wrong decision, and it has since muddied the water in terms of identity for the Leon, if the Leon had come before the Altea, im not so sure the same conclusions would of been met.
As far as im concerned any car im stooping down to get into is not an MPV
If you break the cars down into simple shapes, the old Civic looked like a van rather than mpv, it was a wedge with a box welded on the back, and the new one seems to be all about triangles.
The new Golf, is a small boxy front, attached to a big wide box, the Focus used to be a fairly unique angular yet curvey shape, but seems to have adopted a plain looking old Leon shape, except with a few more angles.
The new Leon is a fairly unique looking car, remninds me in some ways of the old focus, yet more rounded and coupesque, and everytime i see one on the road, it does make me glance andadmire it, and thats just seeing the standard cars, they stand out on the road as something different, something very new and modern, and a bit more exclusive than your average hatchback.
The Altea is a car fit for purpose as a mini mpv, its much taller than the Leon, and is a far prettier car than its segment competition, the less said about the Toledo the better though really, and going by sales, i think that car is coming to an unceremonious end before too long, with talk of estate sized Altea's etc.