A diesel-powered SEAT Leon FR becomes the 2013 Fleet World MPG marathon champion averaging 66.38 mpg on the 340 mile course, and recording a higher-than-necessary average speed. The SEAT Leon SC FR 2.0 TDI 150 PS DSG, to give it its full name, managed to maintain 36 mph.
The combination of this diesel engine and the firm’s DSG transmission result in one of the finest eco-minded family hatchbacks you can buy today. The 66.38 mpg record is a 3.39% improvement on the car’s 64.2 mpg official combined rating – and was achieved with a standard specification car, on standard tyres.
The new SEAT Leon is now available in the UK, priced from £15,550 for an SC model in S specification with a 1.2 TSI 105 PS petrol engine. The three-door FR 2.0 TDI 150 PS DSG that competed in the MPG Marathon is priced at £22,515 OTR.
To help you get the best fuel economy out of your Leon, marathon driver Victor Harman has a couple of advices you may want to listen to:
- Plan your route. Don’t waste fuel getting lost. There’s no point in getting slightly better economy if the journey is longer – as some motorway routes can be
- Keep plenty of free space around you so you can drive how you want – not how others do
- Retain your momentum; don’t waste energy shedding speed and having to brake and accelerate again to regain it
- Think well ahead and plan your speed for junctions, bends, roundabouts and other hazards, selecting the right gear for the situation
- In the Leon, we identified its ‘sweet spot’ as cruising at 48-50 mph in sixth gear, when the display said we were doing 70 mpg plus
