How Seat missed out on its golden chance

The Spaniards turned the hot hatch into a crossover, but did not dare to put it up for sale

When the crossover fashion peaked five years ago, Seat has nothing to brag about in this segment (Ateca came out in 5). The media all the time said that if Martorell offers such a model, it will immediately become a bestseller.

It didn't take long, and at the Frankfurt Motor Show in the fall of 2015, the Spaniards showed that they have the strength to make their own crossover. The Leon Cross Sport prototype was based on the Leon Cupra SC three-door hot hatch, which received 41 mm increased ground clearance, protective plastic elements on the body and an all-wheel drive system. with Haldex clutch for locking the rear axle.

Under the hood of the striking cross-hatch was a 2,0-liter 4-cylinder petrol turbo engine from the Volkswagen Golf R. The engine developed 300 hp. and 380 Nm, when paired with a 6-speed DSG gearbox... Although this car is designed for driving on bad roads, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 4,9 seconds.

The vibrant color of Ultra Orange is inspired by the hot Barcelona sun. The 19-inch wheels of the original design, as well as the all-LED headlights, which were not very popular at the time, also give the car a versatile look..

The interior of the prototype is in harmony with the body and its colors, which houses sports seats with leather and Alcantara. Orange accents can be seen on the steering wheel, on the dashboard, on the inside of the doors and on the insoles.

Built-in multimedia allows you to connect smartphones with Apple iOS and Android operating systems via Full Link. In addition, Leon Cross Sport is equipped with modern electronic assistants - from adaptive cruise control to traffic sign recognition.

Despite the huge market potential, the cross-hatch concept never made it to production. And, accordingly, the company is missing out on a great chance to hit the market. Instead, Seat is launching the Leon ST X-perience SUV, while ours is already offering the Arona, Ateca and Tarraco parquet SUVs. which, however, are no different from the huge number of offers from other manufacturers.