• Tidy interior is easy to navigate
• Materials are of sound quality
• Very easy to get comfortable

We’ve always been a fan of the Leon’s interior, managing to mix quality materials with sharp contemporary design, and the X-Perience is no different. In fact, try and tell the difference between this car’s cabin and that of the five-door hatchback, three-door SC or the ST estate it’s based on and you’ll have to look close.

There are changes though; namely some orange stitching for the seats and leather steering wheel and a smattering of X-Perience badges. Talking of those chairs, there’s the option of cloth, a brown Alcantara and leather mixture or full leather coverings. Choose the Alcantara option and the tactile suede-like material makes its way onto the door panels to improve comfort even more – it makes the Leon feel more upmarket.

As with the rest of the range the seats are perfectly comfortable and offer plenty of adjustment – as does the neat three-spoke steering wheel. 

Otherwise the dashboard layout is typically intuitive, with solid and neatly detailed VW Group switchgear including simple to use climate controls and row of buttons forward of the gearlever easily within reach. Just below this row of controls is a handy cubby hole (lidded on early Leon models but now open due to lid quality problems) that is perfect for mobile phones or sunglasses cases. 

The lidded cubby under the front seat armrest is on the small side, and the glovebox is slightly compromised by the CD player for the infotainment system, but along with the decent-sized door bins there should be enough storage for most users’ needs. 

Manoeuvring through the trip computer’s information or manipulating the sat-nav and infotainment system is simple, and the high-quality screens (both the main device and between the instruments) makes for pleasant viewing. All models come with a slick 8.0-inch touchscreen that’s crisp and very easy to operate.

• Comfort levels are impressive
• Suspension is well balanced
• Not too harsh, not too soft

Just one look at a brochure suggests that SEAT Leon X-Perience comfort is likely to score highly, with every example coming fitted with ‘Raised Comfort Suspension’. Despite the taller springs, and slight weight increase from the 4Drive all-wheel drive system, the Leon rides very comfortably indeed – to be fair the taller profile tyres on the 17- or 18-inch wheels may be contributing to this.

Certainly it’s more compliant than the FR-specified Leon ST models which can feel overly stiff at the rear, and unless it’s a hulking great speed hump or deep pothole, the Leon X-Perience simply shrugs imperfections off without fuss. 

The sports-style seats, whether they are covered in cloth, leather or Alcantara, offer plenty of support, adjustment (as does the steering wheel) and comfort. The Alcantara-clad versions also spread their simulated suede onto the door cards, so elbow leaners find themselves nestling up next to soft, warm and tactile material rather than cold hard plastic of other versions. 

Rear seat occupants benefit from plenty of space too, and regardless of where you sit there’s little in the way or tyre roar or wind noise either, and at a constant cruise the Leon X-Perience is hushed and refined.