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Seat Leon Gallery
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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The Leon gains a more sophisticated suspension than before, particularly at the rear, where the torsion axle has been abandoned in favour of an independent, four-arm multilink set-up. This is designed to give a better ride and handling compromise, and when riding on smaller wheel-and-tyre combinations, the Leon does indeed deliver a composed, relaxed ride quality. Predictably, opting for bigger wheels does have an impact on the ride, producing more nervousness and bounce over rougher surfaces.
Otherwise, the Leon reveals VW Group handling characteristics, with fluent balance through the corners and good feedback through the electric power steering. The five and six-speed manual gearboxes are also a real joy to use, with mechanical precision and a lovely metal-through-oil feel to the action. The latest-generation DSG automatic is also one of the smoothest and fastest-reacting boxes we've ever sampled, and its sequential shift Tiptronic mode makes press-on driving great fun. That said, the DSG 'box can be worryingly sluggish when you want a swift standing-start getaway. The 140bhp diesel can feel a bit nose-heavy, as well, and a bit more ponderous than lighter-engined versions.
One of the most amusing features we've ever encountered, though, is the Driver Steering Recommendation system. This clever piece of software detects when the car is going into oversteer - i.e. the tail of the car is sliding out of its cornering line - and actually sends a signal to the steering systems electric motor to turn the wheel in a way that will prevent the impending spin. The system basically suggests, with a gentle nudge, that the driver might want to consider steering into the spin - the driver is always in control, though, and can over-ride the 'suggestion'. To try it out, we went into a roundabout at speed, lifted sharply off the throttle halfway round and prompted a bit of oversteer - the system duly nudged the wheel into opposite lock, which felt very odd indeed. It can't do any harm, but frankly, if the driver doesn't know that he should steer into a skid, he shouldn't really be on the road to begin with.
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