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SEAT upgrades the FR range

  • New range-topping Leon FR+ trim adds more kit
  • Cupra R's standard equipment levels improved
  • FR now available with 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine

Written by Parkers Published: 8 August 2011 Updated: 1 February 2017

SEAT has expanded its Leon FR range with the addition of a new FR+ trim level and more engine choices for the FR models.

The new range-topping Leon FR+, which is available with a 208bhp 2.0-litre TSI petrol engine or a 168bhp 2.0 litre diesel engine, offers improved equipment levels over the 'standard' FR trim.

It gets an FR front and rear bumper, twin chrome exhaust pipes, silver painted door mirrors, LED rear light clusters, FR sports seats and steering wheel, rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers, automatic headlights and an auto-dimming rear view mirror.

Buyers will also get 18-inch alloy wheels, the SEAT Media System including sat nav with five-inch colour touchscreen and dynamic route guidance, a DAB radio, Bluetooth audio streaming and an SD card slot, Bluetooth phone connection, Bi-Xenon headlights with adaptive lighting and front parking sensors.

Although the retail cost of this extra equipment when specified separately is stated to be £2,465, the price of the new Leon FR+ is up by £1,070. That means a saving of £1,395 compared to buying an equivalently specified car.

The popular FR hot hatch can now be ordered with a 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, which makes 123bhp, or a 2.0-litre diesel that generates 138bhp. Both are available with a manual gearbox while the diesel is available with a rapid-shifting DSG automatic gearbox. This is aimed to open up the range to more customers whose choices may be restricted by insurance or running cost considerations.

Changes have also been made to SEAT's Cupra R, now that the Cupra has been withdrawn from the Leon range. The latest version now offers, as standard, the SEAT Media System, Bluetooth connectivity, Bi-Xenon headlights with adaptive lighting, and LED rear-light clusters. This extra equipment is stated to be worth more than £1,600, if you were ticking options boxes, but despite this the price of the Cupra R has been cut by £10, down to £25,995.

The SEAT Leon FR lineup starts from £18,205 for the Leon FR 1.4-litre TSI, rising to £22,615 for the top specification Leon FR+ 2.0-litre TDI DSG.

Parkers Top Tip:

Are special trim packs worth it? We dissect the latest special edition trims to see whether they really are worth buying over the standard version. Read our article here to find out.