Should you buy one?

The SEAT Leon is a sharply-styled and spacious hatchback with a generous level of equipment and a good range of punchy engines. Considering the price, we reckon it should make your shopping list.

Sure, a Honda Civic is an altogether more complete car, but the Leon has a wider choice of engine and trim levels. Diesel is becoming rarer in the family hatchback scene, and we’re pleased that SEAT is still offering it. Just remember to be careful with the options; going for too plush a model makes it a bit too pricey to recommend.

A small SUV, such as the Skoda Kamiq, offers a slightly different shaped alternative, and one that would suit drivers who prefer a higher seating position.

What we like

It genuinely drives well enough to be a rival for the Ford Focus, one of our favourite family hatchbacks, and you get a good quality and clever interior to go with it.

What we don’t like

There are larger, more practical cars for the money. The infotainment is fiddly and owners are reporting problems with it, and generally we’d much prefer seeing heating controls on physical dials rather than on screens.