The 2017 SEAT Leon has received a subtle facelift along with a raft of new engines, technologies and assistance systems.

Set to make its debut early next year, the Leon – which is the Spanish equivalent of the VW Golf – sports sharper front and rear end designs. Its chrome grille has been stretched an extra 40mm to give a car a wider look and is now flanked by a pair of LED lights.

Inside, the updated model is said to be even quieter than before. LED ambient lighting with customizable intensity also surrounds occupants, while a new 8-inch touchscreen controls most of the car’s functions.

A raft of new technologies, including Traffic Jam Assist, which manoeuvres, accelerates and brakes the car automatically as speeds of up to 60km/h, Pedestrian Protection System, Traffic Sign Recognition, Blind Spot Detection, Emergency Assist and High Beam Assist.

The new Leon also has a new centre console with an Electric Parking Brake and a Connectivity Box that enables wireless smartphone charging. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and MirrorLink are all making their debut on the Spanish car.

Underneath the bonnet, its new range of engines is now Euro 6 compliant. The TDI engine range begins with a 1.6-litre 66kW (90 PS) and goes up to the 2.0-litre 135kW (184 PS), plus, it includes a new 1.6-litre 85kW (115 PS) powertrain. In terms of petrol power, the New Leon’s options range from 82kW to 132kW (110 to 180 PS), including a new 1.0 litre TSI three-cylinder 85kW (115 PS).

Transmission options include five- or six-speed manual units, as well as six- or seven-speed twin-clutch DSG.

The New SEAT Leon will be available in the three existing body types; five-door, SC (Sports Coupé) and ST (Sports Tourer).

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Ever wondered how the car on your driveway comes into being? Spanish car manufacturer, SEAT has the answer as the company releases a step-by-step look at the design process at creating its new Ateca SUV.

Like almost all design process, it all starts with good old fashion pencil and paper but here are some interesting figures: 1,400 days, more than 1,000 sketches, 5,000 kilos of clay and 1,000 litres of paint. This is a four-year process that begins with the handiwork of an artisan, using pencil and paper, and ends with a finished vehicle on the assembly line. Along the way, life-size clay vehicles are made, new colours and textures are created and the interior of the new car is defined.

1. To begin with, the guidelines of the new model are drafted and approved. They form the roadmap that will define the car’s DNA, so the entire process must follow these indications.
2. The designers can now start producing preliminary sketches of the new car. Early versions reflect “what we would like it to look like”, says Jaume Sala, head of Interior Design at SEAT, ending up with an image of the new vehicle that is “picture perfect”. Over the course of four years they produce over 1,000 sketches.
3. Generating the computer-assisted design. Once the sketches are made, they are recreated digitally to give volume to the future vehicle. Not only does the document serve for the design of the new car, it is also used for its technical monitoring.
4. Clay model. This life-size model weighs four tonnes, twice that of a conventional car. It serves to physically recreate the exterior design, and it is constantly shaped to accommodate modifications. This process also involves the handiwork of a master craftsman who smooths and shapes the model by hand.
5. Frozen model. This is the definitive exterior design that is approved by the company. It looks completely real, even though it is still a clay model. Up to 5,000 kilos of clay can be used throughout the entire process until it is frozen.
6. Creating colours. The Colour & Trim department is in charge of creating the colours used on the interior and exterior of the new model. Their work begins two years in advance by gathering ideas that stem from new developments in “the areas of fashion, architecture or product design”, explains Jordi Font, who is responsible for this department at SEAT. Even though they carry out 100 formulations and use 1,000 litres of paint, ultimately only 12 tones will make it to the colour chart for the exterior of the car.
7. Aspects concerning “comfort and good looks”are carefully considered when developing the car seat, assures Jaume Sala. The Colour & Trim department is also involved in this part of the process; they use a sewing machine to prepare patterns “that combine the most suitable fabrics and colours”, says Jordi Font.
8. Interior design. “Everything is driver-oriented”, stresses Sala, who also explains that the protagonism of the touchscreen is such that first they decide where to place it and all the rest is secondary. The design of the interior is especially governed by functionality. “We ask ourselves where it would be most convenient to store a mobile phone, glasses or a bottle of water”. For this reason, he concludes, the design has to be “useful and efficient”.

The end result of all these simultaneous processes is a brand new model. After four years of intense work, the design team is still going strong as a new project is already in the pipeline.

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The Seat Leon Cupra ST has reportedly beaten the B7 Audi RS4 Avant to be the fastest estate (or wagon) to lap the famous Nürburgring in Germany, completing the fast lap in a record 7:58.

If true, it’s even faster than its 3-door counterpart despite weighing 45kg more. The feat was accomplished with Spanish racer, Jordi Gené, behind the wheel.

According to Gené: “… in high speed corners, the ST’s rear axle is more progressive, and the top speed is higher with the better drag coefficient. What we lose exiting some corners, we get it back in high-speed turns and on the straights. With the longer body here we can play with the rear end, to help position the car. It is a very nice racing feeling when you disconnect the ESC.”

The Seat Leon Cupra ST estate is based on the Mk7 Volkswagen Golf GTI Performance and powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine closely related to that unit found under the Mk7 Golf R. It produces 206kW (280PS) and 350Nm of torque sent to the front wheels via a 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG.

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The 2015 SEAT Leon Eurocup will slip into gear next week with the first round of seven taking place at the Paul Ricard circuit in France on the 25^th– 26^th of April. 30 drivers from 15 countries will belt-up in the SEAT Leon Cup Racer to form the grid in the very first outing of the 2015 campaign

The spectacular French facility will entertain the SEAT Leon Eurocup for the first time and thirty drivers of fifteen nationalities in the initial fixture will combine to offer some unmissable action for fans of four-wheel racing. The entry list has followed suit in terms of the rising prestige and popularity of the championship and even more participants will line-up at Paul Ricard where another indelible page of history will be written in the annals of the SEAT Leon Eurocup.

During the season, the 27-strong field of racers will traverse the continent to visit other prominent and historic circuits such as Estoril (Portugal), Silverstone (UK), Nürburgring (Germany) and the Red Bull Ring (Austria) that, like Paul Ricard, will entertain the European contest for the first time.

The drivers will again have the formidable 243kW (330PS) SEAT Leon Cup Racer at their disposal. Through the first year of the SEAT Leon Eurocup further spoils could be added, such as victories in three of the first four races in the TCR International Series.

Jaime Puig, Director of SEAT Sport, commented: “After the success of the first year of the SEAT Leon Eurocup we are really looking forward to the second season. The championship has turned into something that fans ink into their racing calendar and we are really proud of this after all the hard work put in by everybody involved in creating and staging the SEAT Leon Eurocup. Ahead of us we can anticipate many exciting races and hope, like last year, the crowds will again respond and grow at the circuits we visit. Once you’ve had a taste then you’ll just want to come back for more.”

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JE Design has presented their distinctive new wide body styling kit and performance enhancement for the SEAT Leon Cupra, which is inspired by the Leon Cup Racers.

Created to add an extra dose of visual excitement to the hatch, the €6,188 wide body kit is consist of a three-part bumper attachment, massive wheel arch flares front and rear, side skirts in carbon look and a rear apron with two molded diffusers.

The car shown here is also optionally wrapped in graphite matte wrapping with contrasting red hues for the front lip spoiler, grille frame, mirror caps, air outlet struts and wheel flange for another €3,570.

Finally, the tuner has also installed a pair of twin tailpipes measuring 105 x 85mm integrated into the rear apron for an even more aggressive look.

An auxiliary LED turn signal (€238) incorporated in the air outlet of the rear wheel arch flare and LED rain light from Formula and licensed by the FIA are also available on request.

Rounding off the aesthetic makeover are a set of JE Design Y-Spoke 19-inch alloy wheels shod in 255/30 R19 Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyres priced at €2,052. They are suspended on KW coilover suspension that lowers the hot hatch 45mm lower to the ground.

Under the Cupra’s bonnet, the Volkswagen Group 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine has been tuned to produce 258kW (350PS) of power and 440Nm of torque – an increase of 51kW (70PS) and 60Nm over the factory output. It’s enough to propel the hot hatch to 100km/h from a standstill in 5.4 seconds en route to a top speed of 250km/h (155mph).

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Volkswagen Group-owned Spanish brand, Seat, has taken the wraps off its Ibiza Cupster concept at the 2014 Wörthersee gathering in Australia. Based on the company’s most successful model, the Ibiza, the Cupster was created to celebrate the Ibiza’s 30^th birthday.

The open-top two-seater roadster is largely the same as the series-production model up to the shoulder line. It sports a low wrap-around windscreen and unique rear end. The concept is finished in a bright New Orange paint job and rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels.

Inside, the donor car’s interior is carried over but occupants sit 70mm lower in low-slung Alcantara racing bucket seats compare to the standard model. The steering wheel is clad in pure aniline leather that is coloured all the way through, without a layer of pigment, making it “open-pored, very supple and wonderful to the touch.”

Likewise, the Ibiza Cupra’s 1.4 TSI engine delivering 132kW (180HP) and 250Nm is carried over. It is connected to a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission enabling the one-off roadster to sprint from 0-100km/h in around 7 seconds.

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Seat has unveiled the new Leon Cup race car, which will be offered to customers in ‘ready-to-race’ form. The Leon Cup Racer will make a public appearance at Wörthersee this month.

Based on the five-door Leon, the racer is powered by Audi’s EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine developing 243 kW and 350 Nm of torque. Drive is channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed twin-clutch gearbox and an electronic differential lock. A sequential six-speed gearbox with centre-mounted shifter is also available in Endurance guise.

Significant chassis modifications transform the Leon into a track-worthy machine with wider tracks, flared sills and wheel arches, a two-phase roof spoiler and a smooth underbody. Inside, it’s all serious business too with standard items include HANS equipped racing bucket seats, roll cage, full carbon fibre fitouts and a multi-function racing steering wheel.

The Seat Leon Cup Racer has a starting price of 70,000 Euros for the DSG equipped model while the more hardcore Endurance version starts at 95,000 Euros.

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2010 is an exciting year for new concepts as the world calls for more efficient and greener cars. From the concepts that we saw this year, it is clear the direction to which car makers are heading. And it is also a positive approach. From energy retentive and regenerative concepts such as the Porsche 918 Spyder to the gas turbined powered Jaguar C-X75, all very clever technologies without compromising performance.

Here we present a list of 2010 concepts that we think will make a great impact in the years ahead. Which do you think deserves the title of the Best Concept of 2010? Tell us below.

Porsche 918 Spyder

Lamborghini Sesto-Elemento

Jaguar C-X75

Mazda Shinari Concept

Lotus Elite

Citroen Survolt

Citroen Metropolis

Alfa Romeo 2uettotanta

Alfa Romeo Pandion Concept

Mercedes F800

Nissan Ellure

Seat Ibe

Peugeot EX-1

Hyundai I-Flow

Audi Quattro Concept

Audi e-Tron Concept

Renault DeZir

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