Geneva Preview: SEAT prepares facelifted Leon, Altea

Noah Joseph — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:56:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Hatchback, SEAT

Click on the images to view the 2009 SEAT Leon (below right) and Altea (above) in high resolution

For some time now, it has seemed like the badges on cars are getting bigger and bigger. SEAT has certainly played its part in this trend, but the automaker's S badge is getting downsized again on the latest Leon and Altea.

The badges are part of mild facelift packages being given to the two SEAT models, which also get revised grilles, lamps and a tailgate with full-width glass. Supposedly steered by SEAT's new "Arrow" design language, you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference visually, although its easier to see changes inside where there is an updated cabin.

Thankfully, SEAT has also squeezed in some new tech. Ten different engines - five gas and five diesel - are on offer, including some common-rail diesels, and all are available with parent Volkswagen's seven-speed DSG hooked up to paddles on the back of the steering wheel. There's also a new differential called XDS, which works with the traction and stability control systems, a development that should help the hot versions of the Leon counteract the enormous torque steer we encountered when driving the outgoing Leon Cupra last year.

The new Leon and the Altea, a minivan/wagon derivative of a hatchback (itself with long-wheelbase and Freetrack softroader versions), will debut alongside the old-is-new-again Exeo ST at SEAT's Geneva Motor Show booth next month. In the meantime, if you're just itching to know more, details are in the press release after the jump and photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: 2009 SEAT Leon & Altea

[Source: SEAT]

Continue reading Geneva Preview: SEAT prepares facelifted Leon, Altea

Geneva Preview: SEAT prepares facelifted Leon, Altea originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Seat Exeo Sport Tourer to debut in Geneva

Noah Joseph — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:19:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Europe, Videos, SEAT

Click above to watch the video after the jump

What do you do with an old model when you've already replaced it with a newer one? Well, most automakers would simply trash it and move on. Not Volkswagen though. Instead of discarding the previous Audi A4, the bean-counters at VW Group corporate headquarters in Wolfsburg simply passed it on to another division: SEAT. In this case, the Spanish subsidiary that was lacking a flagship model.

Called the Exeo, the sedan variant already took its curtain call (we wouldn't quite call it a debut) at last year's Paris Salon, but since the A4 came in both four-door and Avant wagon forms, SEAT is now preparing to relaunch the Exeo wagon in Geneva. Called the Exeo Sport Tourer, it's pretty much exactly like the Exeo sedan, only with an extended roof. Engine options - including a 198 horsepower turbo four and common-rail turbodiesels in 141 and 168 hp flavors - will carry over. SEAT hasn't released photos just yet, but has given us a video, which we've placed after the jump - just in case you've forgotten what a badge-engineered, last-generation Audi A4 Avant looked like.

[Source: Autoblog Spanish]

Continue reading VIDEO: Seat Exeo Sport Tourer to debut in Geneva

VIDEO: Seat Exeo Sport Tourer to debut in Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Feb 2009 18:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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