Seat

SEAT presents a new entrant in the competitive market of city cars called Mii. The small hatchback car is stylish and shares the same platform type as the Skoda Citigo and Volkswagen UP. The Mii, however, will likely cost much less. SEAT's Engineers say that the car is designed with both Spanish and German engineering innovations.

The SEAT Mii is an excellent little car. It offers good levels of sophistication all around. Ideal for Urban driving. Mii interior is of very high quality. At the outset, the car will be offered with one engine type with the capacity for two possible modifications.

The 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine is available with either 59 horsepower or a more powerful 73 horsepower. Both are combined with a working five-speed manual gearbox. The lower-power engine with 59 horsepower will power the SEAT Mii from 0 to 100 km / h in 14.4 seconds. It's more powerful and fiesty counterpart engine will reach 100 km / h in 13.2 seconds.

These figures are exactly the same as the new VW model. For a city car, the Mii is doing relatively well and rides very well for a smaller class vehicle. The chassis has a good shape and provides very little tilt of the body while driving.

Handling is very good, making it an incredibly east car to drive in Urban environments and maneuver through tight spaces. However, the car does not provide great cornering at higher rates of speed. The noise of wind and tires is quite miniscule and are not as noticeable as some of  it's similarly sized competitors.

On uneven surfaces, the SEAT Mii's suspension performs well. It can seat four adults comfortable and the amount of cargo space is competitive. Its 251 liters of storage is 66 liters more than what the Fiat 500 offers. The Mii will initially be released with a three-door version, with a five-door option added to the lineup at a later date.

The cabin is relatively spacious and made to feel even more open with thin, non-intrusive door pockets. The space and comfort matches that of the larger SEAT models and as already mentioned, the materials used for the interior of the Mii are of very high quality.

The car offers excellent visibility in all directions, which makes driving easier. SEAT are known for their competitiveness when it comes to car maintenance and customer service. The Mii has also received a five star rating from the Euro NCAP.

This is largely due to the safety equipment fitted in the car. Safety features include front and side airbags to help protect the head and chest of the driver and passengers along with option of an emergency braking system that intervenes to avoid low-speed collisions.

The spacious SEAT Mii should prove to be a very reliable car. It is expected to stand the test of time better than some of its rivals.

Production of the SEAT Leon began in 2005, and it is based on the platform of the Volkswagen Golf V. The SEAT Leon is powered by a number of petrol and diesel engines, all of which run flawlessly. The most popular versions are the 1.6-liter petrol, 1.9-liter turbo diesel, and 1.4-liter petrol engine. The 2.0-liter TDI is a good compromise between power and fuel economy overall.

The 261bhp 2.0 TSI Leon Cupra R is the most powerful car SEAT has ever put into production, covers 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds and has a top speed of 155mph. The next sportiest model, the Leon Cupra, is no longer in production so if the Cupra R is too rich for your blood (and your money) it’s the Leon FR and FR+. These models boast a winning combination of performance and practicality which appeal to head and heart. The petrol line-up’s 208bhp 2.0-litre TSI boasts performance which doesn’t fall far short of the Cupra R – covering 0-62mph in 6.9 seconds with a top speed of 145mph. The 123bhp 1.4 TSI FR is, as might be expected, somewhat slower with a 0-62mph time of 9.8 seconds and 122mph. The final turbocharged model in the line-up is the 104bhp 1.2-litre TSI with a 0-62mph time of 10.9 seconds and 116mph top speed.

If performance doesn’t matter there’s a more pedestrian alternative in the shape of the 84bhp 1.2 TSI with 14.1seconds 0-62mph time and 107mph top speed. As for diesel, there is a choice of 168bhp and 138bhp 2.0-litre engines as well as a 104bhp 1.6-litre diesel engine which can be specified in green Ecomotive form. These offer a good range of performance though not in the same ballpark as the Cupra R and 2.0-litre TSI.

SEAT sets its cars up to handle safely rather than in an exciting manner, so enthusiasts are unlikely to be stimulated by a Leon’s dynamics. Its value is held about the same as the Volkswagen Golf. The interior of Leons are made from high quality materials, save for some hard plastic here and there. For several years the high-performance models were too stiff for British roads, but SEAT changed its policy, and since 2009 the quicker models have been much smoother and more effective through bumpy corners. Now the road noise is more of an issue than the ride itself.

Standard equipment on all models includes ABS, front and side airbags, and remote central locking. Also, all models of the Leon come with front power windows and air conditioning free of charge. The upper range of the sport models come with alloy wheels, sport suspension, rear electric windows, cruise control, and audio controls on the steering wheel.