As we anticipated when a set of leaked photos of the new Leon SC (short for Sports Coupé) hit the internet late last night, Seat came out with official details and images of its compact-sized three-door hatchback that joins the five-door model.
At a first glance, it may look like Seat simply removed the rear doors from the regular Leon to create the SC, but the Spaniards made a few more important design changes to the car.
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
These include the lengthening of the front doors, the redesign of the side windows, the more slanted rear windshield (by 19 degrees) and tailgate, and perhaps more significantly, the shortening of the wheelbase by 35mm (1.38 inches) compared to the Leon 5d.
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
2014 Seat Leon SC
"We have given the three-door Leon SC a highly distinctive character – just deleting two doors would not have been enough for us. That is why we opted for the shorter wheelbase – although it is only 35 millimetres, the visual effect is very powerful. The result is a big difference in the expression of dynamics," said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Head of Seat Design.
The interior of the car, however, remains unchanged, as does the engine line that is also borrowed from the five-door Leon.
When the new Leon SC goes on sale across Europe later this year, it will be offered with a selection of diesel (TDI) and petrol (TSI) units, all of which feature direct injection and turbocharging.
The most economical powerplant is the 1.6-liter TDI equipped with Start/Stop System and Energy Recovery, which has an average fuel consumption of 74.3 mpg UK, equal to 3.8lt/100km, with CO2 emissions of 99g/km.
Other engine options include the 148hp (150PS) 2.0-liter TDI, the 104hp (105PS) 1.2-liter TSI, the 138hp (140PS) 1.4-liter TSI and the 178hp (180PS) 1.8-liter TSI. Later on, Seat will introduce the high-performance Cupra and Cupra R models.
The world premiere of the Leon SC will take place at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.
