Those who actually drive Seat

Seat is back in Norway. It will fill a need among young, urban people. But who actually drives Seat today?

 

The country's first online car shop?

Møller, who now calls himself Moller Mobility Group, Seat is testing through a new sales channel. This could become the country's first functioning online car shop. I have previously written about car sales online. One of the problems is the test drive. In the past, you couldn't take a test drive without going to a car salesman, who will certainly do everything he can not to miss out on his commission by letting you order online yourself. Now you can test drive for free via Hyre.no, - a car rental concept that will take on the competition with Nabobil.no. Afterwards, you can choose the model and color at your leisure, and order it via "Click, click. Go".

As made for car sharing

The collaboration between Møller, Hyre.no and the online store "Click, click. Go" can make many people get to know a Seat more closely. If you need an extra car, just order online - preferably just for one trip. Car rental and car sharing are gaining momentum as an alternative to owning. It opens up a market for anyone who doesn't need a car 24/7, but can share it with others. Then others pay for the car while you don't need it yourself. If you choose leasing, you can get a clear car finance.
 

Draws a wrong picture

If you are going to rent out your leasing car, you should live in an urban area where there are residents who find it profitable to leie instead of owning. According to Møller's marketing people, Seat is well suited to this arrangement. I believe in that. But it becomes difficult when the models are described with phrases such as: "The urban car" - "the stylish car" - "created in Barcelona" - "the car for the big city".
 

Seat is no more urban and stylish than other cars from the Volkswagen group. Barcelona's urbanites rather whiz around on scooters. Maybe a Fiat 500, if they can afford it. Seat is chosen by people who are guided by reason, almost bordering on common sense. They want the most - and best - possible car for the money. Seat is cheaper than similar brothers from Audi and Volkswagen with which they share a platform and drivetrain. The lower prices reflect that Seat does not offer the same premium feeling as Audi and Volkswagen. If I were to describe Seat in one word, it would have to be "reliable".

Spanish and Spanish, Mrs. Blom?

Today's Seats share platforms and technology with corresponding Volkswagen models. They were designed by Volkswagen's German design department. The factory is located at Martorell outside Barcelona. The robots inside are set up and programmed by Germans. There is nothing wrong with the German car industry. It works just as well in Spain as it does in Mexico, Slovakia, Hungary and Germany. But Seat is no more Spanish than the Volkswagen Polo, which is produced a few miles away, in Pamplona, ​​- or the Audi Q3, which is produced together with the Seats.

Seat Leon

I currently drive around in a Seat Leon. I've had it for a couple of weeks. Like most Norwegians, my experiences with Seat are exclusively as rental cars. I have driven the Leon before as well. If I lived in one of Barcelona's suburbs, I might own a Seat. I like Leon a lot. In my eyes the best Seat, especially the station wagon, Leon ST.
 
"Seat Leon is a good-looking A3!"
 
The quote is taken from a web comment. The Leon is technically similar to the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf. Of the two, I think the Leon is most similar to the A3. I have previously driven an Audi A3 with the same TDI engine that is in "my" Leon, - 1,6 TDI 110 HP. Then I could ascertain that the rough diesel sound was audible all the time. The Leon is actually much better soundproofed from the engine compartment than the A3. With the 6-speed gearbox, the engine is almost inaudible, even on the motorway. The Leon TDI 110 is available with both a 5- and 6-speed gearbox. The 5-speed gearbox works well for Norwegian speed limits, but the needle shouldn't go much above 100 km/h before you start looking for a 6th gear.

The fuel gauge hardly moves

The TDI engine has surprisingly low consumption. If I hadn't driven the Leon earlier, I would have thought the fuel gauge had died. It is no art to achieve a consumption below 0,4 liters per mile. Without resetting the trip computer, my average consumption stabilized at around 0,44 liters per mile in southern traffic. The A3 with S tronic used around 0,6 on the same type of driving.

Feelgood

The feelgood factor is the same in the Seat Leon as in the Audi A3 – in standard design, of course. I find the same driving position and feel that the cars are the same on the road. However, it is not unusual to add 100 in extras to a new Audi, including driver assistant functions, sports seats, leather/Alcantara, infotainment, sound system and so on. Unfortunately, you cannot freely choose additional equipment on Seats bought via Møller's online store. Sin. Probably only stock models are sold. If I compare the standard Leon with the full-spec A000, of course the balance falls heavily on Audi's side.

Facelift

Inside, the Seat Leon feels somewhat larger than the Volkswagen Golf. But it is an optical illusion. Golf and Leon have almost exactly the same goal. The same applies to luggage space. "My" Leon was produced before the facelift for the 2018 model year. Then Leon got a different pattern in the grill and a small change in the air intake under the bumper. Almost impossible to see. Inside, it received a long-awaited upgrade to the infotainment system with a larger screen. In addition, modern safety equipment such as adaptive cruise control and emergency stop became available. "My" 110-horsepower TDI engine has gained more horsepower. Now with 115 HP.

 

The rental car favourite

I chuckle a little when I think of Møller relaunching Seat through a new sales channel based on online sales and rental based on the sharing model. Those of us who have lived for a while still remember Seat when they produced it Fiats under own model names? These were cars that we Norwegians liked to rent in the south, and which were often in poor condition. I recently had a flashback to the 80s when I saw a Seat Marbella - Seat's "Fiat Panda".
 
"My" blue Seat still looks new, even though it has over 57 km on the odometer, big-city scratches in the bodywork and a clutch that sings on the last verse.
 
Seat is still a rental car favorite on the continent. It is not always an advantage for the car brand's reputation, as the cars are often subjected to reckless and unkind treatment. I hope the cars that will be rented out here at home will be loved by everyone who drives them.

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Facts

Seat Leon is offered in the following versions:
Style: NOK 345
FR: NOK 372
FR+: NOK 401

Audi A3 e-tron (for comparison).
Sports: NOK 360

No hybrid model yet

All Leon variants have Volkswagen's 1,4 TSI 150 HP and DSG automatic transmission. This drivetrain fits this model well. However, if you are considering buying the Seat Leon, you should consider the Audi A3 e-Tron. In Norway it costs about the same as the Seat Leon. In Barcelona, ​​however, the Audi A3 e-tron Sport costs twice as much. From a financial point of view, it is therefore difficult not to choose the Audi A3 over the Seat Leon, especially considering the second-hand value. Then you get a plug-in hybrid 1,4 TFSI 150 HP, 54 HP electric motor and S tronic. A total of 204 HP. Remember that the Audi e-Tron can also be leased under similar conditions as the Seat, and you can rent it out at Hyre.no - or Nabobil.no.

What speaks in Seat's favor is that you get the car almost immediately, and that you can drive in a car that is not as common as the Audi A3.

Sources:
www.seat.no
www.audi.no

 

 

 

 

 

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