Story: RALPH MORTON

SEAT unveiled its all new SEAT Leon hatchback at the Paris Motor Show last week.

The new SEAT Leon, which is based on the same platform as the new Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3, will be priced from £15,670. Given the good value list price and CO2 efficient engines, company car drivers are in for a great choice without paying too much in company car tax.

The new SEAT Leon goes on sale this month, although business car managers should be aware that first deliveries won’t be until March 2013.

There will be three trim versions to chose from, including SEAT’s sporty top of the range FR trim. The others are S and SE.

For company car drivers there will be a 1.6 diesel SEAT Leon that offers 99g/km CO2 emissions for a company car tax band of 14% in 2013/14. Fuel economy is 74.3 mpg. The SEAT Leon 1.6 diesel will also be available as a seven-speed auto with the same emissions. A 2.0 TDI engine choice is also available.

For business drivers who cover fewer miles, there’s the choice of 1.2, 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines.

Good value for money has always been a SEAT trademark. The new Leon is no different. Standard kit includes air conditioning, twin halogen headlamps with electric adjustment, an mp3 compatible six-speaker CD player, integrated hands-free phone operation with Bluetooth audio streaming, and a colour touchscreen interface.

Apart from the S model starting at £15,670, the SEAT Leon range includes the 1.2 TSI SE costing £16,790, the 1.6 TDI SE costs £18,490. The 180PS hot-shot 1.8 TSI Leon FR costs £20,585, while the top of the range model is the 2.0 TDI DSG auto Leon at £22,635.

SEAT is on a roll at the moment. The company recently launched its larger Toledo hatchback. Like the Leon, it offers good value and low company car tax. Check out how much tax by using our company car tax calculator.

Read our car review of the SEAT Toledo

• Click here:  Toledo makes a practical comeback