The new 2012 Seat Leon will appear at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show and will probably be one of the first models in the next couple of years to indicate the future path Seat will take and whether sales numbers will continue to grow. Once the weakest link in the Volkswagen group of brands, 2010 was an important year for the Spanish brand, and VW intends 2011-2012 to be more successful.

The new Leon will be only the first in a series of upcoming debuts, and its style should be similar to that of the new Ibiza and the IBe Concept seen at the Paris show last year in October. This rendering is an interpretation of what we can expect, and Autobild suggests we will see the same nerve lines as the Ibiza running down the side of the Leon.

The German magazine also says that the new Leon will borrow the Volkswagen Golf VI platform and will come in three variants: three-door, five-door and station wagon. That should make it a more versatile model than yet another hatchback on the market but if things don’t go to plan with the Leon, the future of the Martorell plant, beyond the Audi Q3 and Seat IBX crossover, could get complicated.

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Increasing Seat profits is a big part of Volkswagen’s strategy to be the world’s biggest car manufacturer by 2018, but it’s not an easy task. While the brand is being turned around and sold 340,000 units last year, it also made a loss of 311 million euros. A five year restructuring plan is “the last attempt for Seat as a brand” according to boss James Muir, although sales should increase this year to make a profit subsequently in 2013.

New models to help along the way will be:

• the Seat Ibiza ST launched late 2010
• the new Seat Alhambra
• a 2012 Seat Leon facelift
• a new Seat entry-level model and four-door sedan
• and a major Seat Ibiza facelift

Other growth for the Seat brand is planned as it moves to China - a market expected to help boost sales to 800,000 units a year by 2018. Seat will also have a key role as it builds the new Audi Q3 in Spain at Martorell facilities.

Source | Automotive News

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After the accidental video revealing the new Golf 7, it looks like Seat has also inadvertently revealed a drawing of the new Seat Leon in the background of an interview with a Seat manager. The interview is part of a news service from Spanish television, TV3, and in the background we see a mock-up of a three-door compact sports model.

It’s quite possible that this is a look at the new Leon SC, expected to debut at the 2010 Paris Motor Show in October. Despite the planned presentation and the drawing, it’s still unknown whether the Leon SC will debut as a concept car or in its final production form.

Source | Autoblog.it

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JE Design has created this tuning of the Seat Leon FR, seen in this gallery, with an increase in power and some aesthetic touch-ups, too. The two-litre engine, usually at 211 hp has been increased to 270 hp in the TFSI engine, with total torque increasing from 280 to 355 Nm. The tuned Seat Leon FR now reaches 100 km/hr in 6.2 seconds.

Changes to the look include a revamped interior with two-tone leather finishings and LED daytime running lights on the exterior. A huge, brand new feature are the wing doors, along with new spoilers and skirts, and a new aerodynamics kit.

The diesel engine also gets its own touch-up, increasing from 170 hp to 204 with torque up from 350 to 380 Nm. The performance enhancements cost 1,499 euros and 1,339 euros respectively. For more details on this mean-looking Seat Leon FR, see the Tuningpress.com site.

JE Design Seat Leon FR tuning

Continue reading: JE Design tunes the Seat Leon FR

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