The Leon range of compact hatchbacks is very successful, the best selling in the company's entire history. However, their sales are still well below those of Audi, VW or Skoda. Part of the problem is that no SUVs are offered yet. The 20V20 is a concept car that previews a new offroader model based on the same platform as the Leon that will go on sale in 2016.
The automaker says that the 20V20 is "an extremely dynamic, four-door midsize compact SUV". Essentially, that means that this is a twin brother to the Volkswagen Tiguan 2, expected to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
The Spanish brand is renowned for its dynamism and aggressive styling. This remains true for the 20V20, which has triangular headlights with similar LED technology to the Leon. The progressive slope of the back end also indicates SEAT's heart lies with adventure, not just practicality.
As for the offroad side of things, we immediately noticed black wheel arch covers, metallic skirts designed for underbody protection and model-specific wheel design.
"Design is already one of the most important reasons for buying a Seat and we intend to build on this strength, along with technology," said Seat boss Jurgen Stackmann. "Many details of the 20V20 will be evident in future production models."
The 20V20 concept measures 4,660 mm (183 inches) in length, which makes it 430 mm (17 inches) longer than the Leon hatchback. It's quite huge for its class, as for example the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V both measure 4,570mm.
The show car features a 2.79 meter (110 inches) long wheelbase and sits on 20" alloy wheels. SEAT gave it 22.8cm (9 inches) ground clearance, which we think is a bit too much and may affect fuel consumption. No interior specs were made available, but the 20V20 has more than 600 liters of luggage space on offer, which is class-leading.
Would we buy one, hypothetically speaking? Oh yes, especially since the Leon is the favorite compact of nearly all the autoevolution editors.
The Spanish brand is renowned for its dynamism and aggressive styling. This remains true for the 20V20, which has triangular headlights with similar LED technology to the Leon. The progressive slope of the back end also indicates SEAT's heart lies with adventure, not just practicality.
As for the offroad side of things, we immediately noticed black wheel arch covers, metallic skirts designed for underbody protection and model-specific wheel design.
"Design is already one of the most important reasons for buying a Seat and we intend to build on this strength, along with technology," said Seat boss Jurgen Stackmann. "Many details of the 20V20 will be evident in future production models."
A larger-than-expected body with 600 liters of cargo space
SEAT's first-ever SUV will not be built in Spain because the Martorell factory in Spain is already working at full capacity. Instead, Skoda will make it in the Czech republic, which we think also means it's related to the 7-seat crossovers both VW and the Yeti makers are planning.The 20V20 concept measures 4,660 mm (183 inches) in length, which makes it 430 mm (17 inches) longer than the Leon hatchback. It's quite huge for its class, as for example the Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V both measure 4,570mm.
The show car features a 2.79 meter (110 inches) long wheelbase and sits on 20" alloy wheels. SEAT gave it 22.8cm (9 inches) ground clearance, which we think is a bit too much and may affect fuel consumption. No interior specs were made available, but the 20V20 has more than 600 liters of luggage space on offer, which is class-leading.
Would we buy one, hypothetically speaking? Oh yes, especially since the Leon is the favorite compact of nearly all the autoevolution editors.