Seat adds Spanish spice to VW Jetta

Published Jun 26, 2012

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South Africans only had a brief fling with VW's Seat brand, with VWSA first over-pricing then ditching the Spanish nameplate.

Numerous new models have been added to Seat's portfolio since then and the latest is this Toledo sedan, which is quite clearly based on the VW Jetta. This latest model returns the Toledo to its traditional three-box format after the disastrous previous generation that was essentially an MPV with a boot lip.

While the front and rear doors of the new Toledo appear to be nicked from the Jetta, in addition to just about everything beneath the skin, Seat's stylists have put their own unique stamp on the front and rear styling - even if there are more than a few Audi epiphanies going on at the back. The front end is clean and crisp, clearly resembling the brand's recent concept cars.

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Billed as an affordable and practical family car offering extraordinary value, the Toledo will almost certainly be cheaper than the Jetta on international markets. But while it may resemble a sedan, the back end actually houses a large hatch rather than a conventional boot lid.

In line with its affordable positioning, Seat has scraped the bottom end of VW's engine barrel and the most powerful unit for now is the 90kW 1.4 TSI turbopetrol. However we're not sure how they expect the base 1.2 TSI engine with just 55kW to pull this relatively large sedan - perhaps it's aimed at people who only ever sit in traffic. Diesels on offer include the familiar 77kW 1.6 TDI and, scheduled for a later stage, a 66kW version of that engine.

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