Externally this Seat Leon ST is very attractive

THIS was the third week in a row I got a press car with the automatic 2.0-litre VW diesel engine. First week it was the Golf GTD, then the massive Seat Alhambra and last week it was the same engine once again in the FR or sporty version of the new Seat Leon ST.

ST stands for Sport Tourer or in plain language an Estate car. Normally I associate Estate cars as vehicles driven by commercial travellers, small shopkeepers making trips to a cash and carry, or for the man who likes a bit of shooting and fishing.

I did neither of those, but burned a bit of rubber as I paid yet another visit to the recycling centre and found the large boot in the ST very useful. Funny how much rubbish man and indeed woman collect in their sheds over the years. Then the trees that you thought would never grow, now need constant trimming.

It’s easy to burn rubber in the Leon FR version. You can get from zero to 100km/h in just over six seconds. I drove an Alor Blue-coloured car and it certainly attracted a lot of attention from people in shopping centres and the recycling centre also.

Externally it’s very attractive and the lights at the front gives off a

‘bow-tie’ effect. The side mirrors are a bit small, but they do match the design of the front lights. The interior is very bright thanks to a full length sunroof. The FR version gets a very sporting looking steering wheel, otherwise the interior lay-out is pretty much standard.

Seat is car sponsor to the Munster Rugby team and I have happy memories of the launch of the Leon ST in Thomond Park last November. The Irish motor writers present were invited to test their scrum half skills by throwing as many rugby balls as possible into the boot of the ST from distances of ten and 15 yards. No car windows were broken and the winning team, of which I was a member, helped raise

?¬1,000 for the Irish Cancer Society, which is Seat’s official charity. I didn’t throw in any rugby balls last week, but the boot certainly took a lot of rubbish!

All that horse power under the bonnet, coupled with a lot of city driving meant the fuel gauge moved quickly.

Seat say that the average age of buyers for the new Leon ST will be 42, married with adolescent children. I expect the age profile will be a bit lower for buyers of the sporty FR version. The Lean is a lovely car to drive and travel in, but is Seat trying to challenge a few stereotypes? I would envisage Estate cars were for likely to be bought by mature customers, while sporty FR type cars would be for boy racers. I can’t see many boy racers buying a station wagon and the volume seller is expected to be the 1.6 diesel.

Prices start at

?¬20,185 for the regular Seat Leon ST, while the version I drove will cost you

?¬30,365. Road tax is

?¬200 and yes you get a spare wheel.