FirstDrive: Seat Leon FRSeat, we're told, is the sporty brand within the Volkswagen Group empire. According to its own press material, Seat "develops and produces vehicles whose main identifying traits are design, vitality and sporty character."
Why, then, do most Seat cars have an odd, MPV-like shape and why don't they have any major motorsport involvement like Audi or Skoda? Why is there no Seat sports car or flashy coupé? What exactly is it about Seat that's supposed to make them so sporty?
The answer must lie in its hot-hatch derivatives, the latest of which to arrive in Ireland being the Seat Leon FR. But even before we slip behind the wheel, there's a problem. The Leon FR uses the same platform and turbo-charged engine as the VW Golf GTi, Audi A3 (and Audi TT) and Skoda Octavia RS.
The Audis are set up to ride stiffly as if ready for the track; the Skoda is softer and a better cruiser while the Golf GTi offers a near-perfect blend of sportiness and civility. All of which leave Seat's engineers with very little scope to give the FR its own personality.
No matter what they do with it, it's going to end up feeling like something else to drive and sure enough, after a few kilometres I noticed a distinct Audi vibe from the FR's chassis. The ride is stiff, though not as crashy as the Audi, while the steering is quick and accurate if a little short on feedback.
Press a little harder and the Leon has the same tendency to break into gradual understeer as the Audi pair, though I have a feeling that swapping the FR's all-purpose Pirellis for softer, sportier tyres might improve the feel of the FR's front end considerably. Despite the stiff-ish set-up, there is a bit of roll in corners, although the brake pedal offers more feel than the TT if not quite as much as the sublime VW. As a driver's car, then, the Leon FR turns out to be a lot more fun than the soft Skoda and slightly more engaging than the Audi pair, too, though not as well-rounded as the flagship GTi.
The FR stylists faced as tough a task as the chassis engineers and again the result is a mixed bag. The basic Leon has an unusual but nonetheless interesting shape and some lovely detailing (the inward curve of the bonnet edges and the hidden rear door handle are especially pleasing) but it's not a car that naturally lends itself to the hot-hatch treatment. Seat added some 17-inch wheels but they're really not bold enough to make the FR stand out, while the new bumpers, although exquisitely integrated, don't exhibit enough aggression or sportiness, either.
It's a great car for zipping around unnoticed and it is a handsome thing in its own right, but it's certainly not an attention grabber like a Golf GTi or Focus ST, for example. Inside, there are some well-bolstered seats, a convoluted sport steering wheel and some FR badging to remind you you're in the hot Leon, but otherwise it's got the same drab, if spacious, cabin as the rest of the range.
With 200bhp and 280Nm, the Leon FR is undoubtedly quick (0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds, top speed of 229km/h) but it isn't as ballistic as you might think. It's got a manageable level of performance for a front-wheel-drive car, unlike the manic 240bhp Astra OPC or equally demanding 230bhp Mazda3 MPS.
The Leon's power delivery is superb, with lots of torque from low in the rev-range, building gradually to avoid the annoying all-or-nothing characteristics of some rivals' engines. A slick gearbox and light clutch complement the GTi/RS/TT/FR powerplant to perfection, helping to make the Leon feel much faster out in the real world than perhaps the raw numbers suggest.
Despite being a mechanical clone, Seat has done a fine job in giving the Leon a character of its own and, while it was never going to be as polished as the mighty VW Golf GTi, it's a better drive than any of the other cars that share its chassis and drive train.
Yet, of all its in-house rivals the FR is the least exciting to behold and the most ordinary to sit in, and that's a real shame. A bit like Seat itself, you only realise the Leon FR is the sporty one if someone tells you that it is.
Techspec:
2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo engine
200 hp @ 5,100 rpm
280 Nm @ 1,800 - 5,000 rpm
0-100 km/h: 7.3 seconds
Top Speed: 229km/h
Economy: 7.9L/100km (combined)
CO2: 190g / 100km
Weight: 1337kg
Price: €32,400
STANDARD EQUIPMENT
Dual-zone climate control, leather steering wheel, sports seats, electric windows, electric folding mirrors, remote locking with alarm, 17-inch alloy wheels, ESP, six airbags, front foglights, cruise control.