The latest SEAT Leon has made quite an impression since arriving on the scene. It has been lauded by some for being as good as its well-considered Volkswagen Group sibling, the Golf.

The Leon SC, short for ‘Sports Coupe’, is the three-door version of the standard five-door Leon hatchback, offering slightly less practicality, but remaining a strong all-round package.

It also has a slightly shortened wheelbase over the five-door model plus sleeker and sporty coupe lines. Consequently it’s even better-looking than its family-friendly namesake. We tested the top FR trim which adds exclusive front and rear bumpers, tinted rear windows, twin exhaust pipes and 17-inch alloys.

Rivals include VW Group stablemates such as the VW Golf three-door and Audi A3 three-door, along with models such as the Kia Pro Cee’d and Vauxhall Astra GTC.

Performance

There’s a familiar line-up of petrol and diesel engines available. The TSI petrol units include a 109bhp 1.2-litre engine, a 1.4-litre with 123bhp or 148bhp and a 178bhp 1.8-litre unit. The TDI diesel line-up includes 1.6-litre units with 104bhp or 109bhp and a 2.0-litre unit with 182bhp.

Particularly impressive is the 148bhp 1.4-litre TSI which comes with active cylinder technology (ACT). This technology shuts down the second and third cylinders of this four-cylinder unit when they’re not needed – in cruising mode, for example.

While the diesels offer the best economy and efficiency, we think the petrol engines available perfectly suit the nature of the Leon SC with lots of free revs and effortless power delivery. And the 1.4-litre TSI is one of the most fun, offering loads of punch and hitting 0-62mph in a pleasing 7.9 seconds with a top speed of 134mph, while gearing ratios are spot-on and changes smooth.

The identical engine in the A3 and Golf is a smidgen slower at 8.1 seconds and 8.2 seconds respectively, while the closest Pro Cee’d is the top-of-the-range warm-hatch GT, which does the sprint in 7.4 seconds.

Ride and Handling

It’s more fun on twisty roads, with good turn-in and light yet reactive steering.

That shorter wheelbase, as well as less weight and the lower ride height on the FR trim means this is even better to drive than the five-door Leon. It’s more fun on twisty roads, with good turn-in and light yet reactive steering. And despite this ability to handle well, ride comfort is impressive, with even the FR version with sports suspension soaking up bumps. Add in outstanding refinement, meaning little engine, wind or road noise – even at motorway speeds – and you have a surprising long-distance winner. SEAT has managed to create a car here that has sporty dynamics without being at the expense of comfort, making it perfectly positioned for everyday driving, with a bit of soul chucked in too.

Interior and Equipment

The SEAT Leon shares the same platform with not only the Volkswagen Golf, but also the Audi A3 and Skoda Octavia.

You can smell a VW Group interior a mile off and here is yet another. In the Leon SC there are all the same trademarks - good quality and sturdy plastics, along with a smart, intuitive design. Identical to the five-door Leon, the interior is a big step up from the previous-generation. All models include air conditioning, five-inch colour touchscreen, Bluetooth and steering wheel mounted controls. The range-topping FR trim adds front sports seats and front and rear parking sensors. Our test car had a Technology Pack, which includes LED headlights, sat-nav and DAB radio. The wheelbase is 35mm less than the five-door Leon, but there’s still a good amount of space in the back for rear passengers, though access isn’t particularly easy. There also aren’t any pop-out rear windows for a whiff of fresh air. SEAT has managed to keep the boot size the same as the standard five-door Leon. That means the SC offers 380 litres as standard, keeping it as one of the class leaders, in line with the Golf for luggage space.

Cost

The 1.4-litre TSI 148bhp emits 109g/km and delivers 60.1mpg, which is pretty good for its performance.

The prices for the Leon SC greatly undercut its three-door Golf and A3 counterpart. In the case of some specifications, the difference between counterpart equivalents is as much as three grand. The 1.4-litre TSI 148bhp emits 109g/km and delivers 60.1mpg, which is pretty good for its performance. For those wanting to save more cash though, there’s a 1.6-litre TDI Ecomotive which emits just 87g/km and offers 85.6mpg on the official combined fuel cycle.

Our Verdict

There’s little to fault on the Leon SC, with great all-round abilities, offering a blend of comfort, driving dynamics, practicality and decent running costs. It could have been even better if the steering was a little more weighted, it had pop-out rear windows and the 1.6-litre diesel was quieter. None of these points are major problems though. The Leon SC represents much better value for money than many competitors, and it’s far less ubiquitous at the same time. What’s not to like?