Inevitably, under Dr. Piech's global strategy the new Toledo is heavily based on Golf IV platform, or more precisely the sedan version Bora. 65% parts should be common to its sisters names A3, Octavia, Golf and Bora, and to lesser extent the Beetle and TT. Production was simply moved to VW's plant in Belgium in order to relief Dr. Piech's headache. 

Piech always talk about Latin emotion of the new Toledo. Don't fool me ! Open the internal record we'll see sentences like "Made in Belgium", "Engineered in Germany" and "5-valve engine supplied by Hungarian". He might believe Mr. Giugiaro's Italdesign injected Latin emotion into the round body, but the actual car looks more like any Daewoo recently penned by the same studio. It looks like the new BMW 3-Series too, just a bit more boring. 

Piech raised the game of badge-engineering to the highest level ever seen - SEAT didn't involve the car at all except donated the badge.  

Anyway, car buying public only cares how good the car is. Therefore we're going to explore a Toledo V5 which is not only the top of the range but also in my opinion the best buy of the range. 

Jewel of the crown is the narrow angle, 2324c.c. V5 engine carried over from Golf. It's really an engineering achievement : in the compact size of a 4-pot, it delivers smoothness of a V6. Despite of the absence of multi-valve and VVT, its extra capacity enables a remarkable 150hp output and 151lbft/3200rpm, roughly equals to Audi's 1.8T. What the number can't show is the abundance of torque at low and mid range which greatly enhance Toledo's overtaking ability. Smooth, willing, torquey and ease of use characterise the V5. 

The next thing to be praised is build quality. Forget the old Spanish Seat, this is a typical Volkswagen. The familiar dashboard is borrow directly from Audi A3, which is made of quality plastic although lacks the classy feel of Golf's. 

Space is sufficient in the front but suffers in the rear, especially is leg room which is limited by Golf's wheelbase. If there is anything preventing the Toledo from competing with Ford Mondeo / Peugeot 406 / Opel Vectra etc. (as wishes Volkswagen), it must be the rear passenger room. 

However, to enthusiasts like us, its fatal fault is the Golf-like handling. Low-specified strut / torsion beam suspensions marry with the incapable tuning from VW result in less than happy body control on demanding road. Going quickly into bend result in understeer and body roll more than expected. Steering feel, as in Golf, fails to inspire the driver. After all, Toledo is still a German kind of highway cruiser offering exceptional refinement, safe feel and ease of drive. Latin emotion ? Forget it. 

Overall speaking it is not so bad, especially when you look at the price tag : at £17,600 you get a generous lists of equipment including 6-CD changer, digital climate control, power leather seats, 4 air bags, alloy wheels and trip computer. Simply irresistible ! For such an aggressive pricing please give thanks to platform sharing as well as SEAT's tradition. However, in the world of real drivers, the new Toledo is not (and by far not) the Alfa-beater. 
 

Seat Leon

The cabin is, among others, borrowed from Audi A3, with the same high quality plastic dashboard and soft-touch switches to distinguish it from other mainstream competitors. Likewise, the mechanical also owes much to the A3, such as the 1.8T engine serving the 20VT (the car we talk here) and the 4-wheel-drive 20VT 4. Like some Audis, it has 180 horsepower on tap, eclipsing virtually any hot hatch although Leon considers itself as a refined warm hatch only. How warm? firstly, the price is well below the King Peugeot 306 GTi. Secondly, the engine is tractable, torquey from very low rev and quiet. Thanks to a torque curve peaking 173 lbft across a wide band between 1,950 and 5,000 rpm, it has an easy-going manner.  

Its chassis might not have the ultimate sharpness as some GTi, but the way it deliver its lively performance is no less confidence-inspiring. The steering is well weighted and accurate. The suspension damp well on bumpy B-roads. Cornering is stable and fluent, with typical mild understeer to enhance security but not to the extent that spoil driving pleasure. Accompany with the torquey engine, it's easy to go quicker than the driver notice. Surprisingly, SEAT also gave it a close-ratio 6-speeder that the group has never applied to this 180 hp engine. In other words, only the 225 hp TT and Volkswagen's VR6 share this kind of slick gearshift with the Leon. On the safety side, a tolerable traction control will intervene whenever really needed, and if you want even more traction, the familiar Haldex 4WD (with multi-link rear suspensions again) is available in the 20VT 4. However, the front-driver is already good enough and save the extra weight. 

In short, Leon is merited with a chassis that handles sharper yet rides smoother than its sister cars, especially the flaw Golf GTi. It's cheaper as well, but no less well built and comfortable. Golf's derivatives never come as good as this one. 
 

Leon Cupra 4

There are some difference, however, As the Leon always shows, it is styled and tuned to be less luxurious but more sporty than the Volkswagen equivalent. Suspension is tuned sharper, wheels are larger, tyres are wider, steering ratio is tigher and there is an obvious, if not very beautiful, aero kits including skirts and a little rear spoiler reducing 25% lift.  

As the standard Leon already handles sharper than the Golf, I also expect the Cupra 4 will inspire more keen drivers. However, don't expect it to rival WRX. 
 

Leon Cupra R

Perhaps a simpler, purer front-wheel version powered by a tuned 1.8T engine will be a better bet. It will be lighter, quicker and cheaper, hopefully bringing car enthusiasts back to Seat. This result in Leon Cupra R.  

The 210 horsepower 1.8-litre turbocharged engine comes straight from Audi S3, the latter has been upgraded to 225hp recently. It runs at a high 9.0:1 compression ratio and have 2 intercoolers to enable a healthy 199lbft of torque across a wide band between 2100 and 5000rpm. As already known to many people, this engine is punchy yet has nearly no turbo lag. It just fails to deliver the instantaneous throttle response and rev-happy manner that many naturally aspirated hot hatches have.  

By using a 4-pot engine and by ditching the 4-wheel-drive system together with the heavier multi-link rear suspension on which the Haldex differential mounted, the Cupra R is 180kg lighter than the Cupra 4. It also has a little more power and the same peak torque, while both drive through a 6-speed gearbox. Therefore performance is improved. Now the new car tops 147mph and sprints from rest to 60mph in 6.8 seconds. 

Not only faster, the Cupra R is also tuned to handle sportier, if not as crazy as the outgoing Ibiza Cupra R. The suspensions received a firmer setup (mostly by stiffening damping, leaving springing relatively soft for better bump absorption), ride height has been dropped by 18mm, bushings have been upgraded, front suspension geometry has been revised to take on larger, 18-inch wheels. Through the beautiful 10-spoke wheel you can see a red Brembo caliper clamping larger, 323mm diameter front disc. Outside the wheel is a low profile 225/40 tyre (the Cupra 4 uses 225/45 and 17-inch wheels). The steering rack is also upgraded with faster ratio. Lastly but not least, there are massive air dam and side skirts to reduce aerodynamic lift while enhancing sporting appeal.  

The Cupra R also has a pair of superb Recaro seats and some alloy touches in the cockpit. Nevertheless, all come at a price - in UK, it is priced at approx. £19,000, expensive for a front-drive hot hatch without a prestige badge. For similar performance, you can have Civic Type R and Renault Clio RS at under £16,000. Moreover, the Cupra R is no more fun to drive. Yes, it has tremendous torque, roadholding and braking, but it is not as flickable in twisting roads. Basically, throttle adjustability is not what Golf IV platform renowned for, especially for a version weighing nearly 1400kg (don't know why it can be heavier than S3 Quattro). The steering, though quick and precise, and perhaps communicate better than Type R and Clio (we have never praised them, remember), is upset by torque steer when accelerating out of corner. Ride quality also suffers from big bumps where most other hot hatches can overcome. On motorway it rides smoothly. 

The Cupra R is not as hardcore as its look suggest. It is certainly easier to live with than the old Ibiza Cupra R. But its status is as embarrassing as the Cupra 4. It is neither as able as some 4WD rivals leading by WRX nor as fun to drive as some lighter hot hatches.