It all happened by accident. I was supposed to collect the Seat Ibiza ST, a car which sounds like it has performance potential, but is really just a Seat Ibiza Estate, which Shane had driven before anyway. But when I showed up at Seat's Liffey Valley headquarters, the Ibiza had gone AWOL and the Leon 1.6 TDi was offered by way of a replacement.
It had been quite a while since I had driven a Leon. Probably because it is a long time since the Leon was released. It has been around since 2005 and that in modern terms makes it something of a dinosaur. But the thing is, that the Leon was so well designed and so well screwed together from the outset, that six years on, it still feels fresh.
The current Leon might be a bit of a pensioner but it is blessed with the best of modern technology. It has the same 1.6 TDi 105hp unit that you will find in the Volkswagen Golf Bluemotion and now it comes with Stop/Start technology and those two combined mean that it has emissions of 109g/km, putting it in the lowest tax band, which is motor tax band A.
It's sporty and distinctive styling has always meant that it has had a very loyal following in Ireland. In 2007, 1,145 were sold, which dropped to 882 in 2008. This dropped dramatically in 2009 to just 156 cars. Since then sales have actually increased since Seat came under the stewardship of Volkswagen Group Ireland. The car has sold really well under the scrappage scheme. It cost just €18,170 under the scrappage scheme for the diesel version.
The cabin (above) is quite spartan but these days the Leon is well-equipped with Air Conditioning, auxillary port for your iPod and there is a Multi-Function Steering Wheel with On Board Computer.
What is really surprising is just how well the Leon drives. It has a really good chassis and decent steering which is nicely weighted and during our first day with the car, we took it on a particularly entertaining backroad from Maynooth to Slane and it was really first class.
We really don't know what plans Seat has for a new Leon, or what Volkswagen's plans are for Seat, but this is still a really relevant car and when you look at the price, €20,670 fot the 1.6-litre TDi, then you are getting a whole lot of car for the money.
The Leon might be an old friend, but it is not one we are prepared to say goodbye to just yet.