SEAT Leon SC

It’s another win for our Car of the Year. The Leon SC takes the five-door model’s high-quality cabin, engaging handling plus competitive pricing, and adds even sharper looks. Practicality doesn’t suffer, either: the boot is the same size and the back seats are only marginally smaller.

The VW Group’s announcement that it would take component sharing to a new level with its MQB platform could have heralded a new era of identikit models from its various divisions. However, the SEAT Leon has a sporty edge that its VW Golf and Skoda Octavia sister cars can’t match.

• SEAT Leon review

And in three-door SC form, this car becomes even more eye-catching. The Sport Coupé is identical to the five-door Leon from the nose to the bottom of the windscreen, and SEAT is currently offering a free upgrade to LED headlights, which add a further upmarket edge.

Elsewhere, there have been a number of styling revisions to enhance the SC’s looks. The windscreen and tailgate are more steeply raked and the roof is 5mm lower. Wider rear wheelarches with distinctive creases in the flanks give the three-door a more muscular look, too.

The Leon is smaller than its rivals here, but the sharp lines combine with our car’s vivid Alor Blue paint (£690) and Titanium Pack 18-inch alloy wheels (£700) to really help it stand out. It’s more subtle than the in-your-face Kia Pro_cee'd GT, yet manages not to look bloated like the Vauxhall Astra GTC.

Inside is the same high-quality layout found in the five-door Leon. That means there are plenty of soft-touch plastics, while the Titanium Pack also adds a gunmetal finish to the dashboard that carries through to the door mirrors.

The large blank lid for the storage space behind the gearlever and big door handles seem a bit clunky, yet overall the Leon’s cabin can’t be faulted for ease of use. And while the lower roofline means there’s 10mm less headroom in the SC than in the five-door car, it’s barely noticeable when you’re sitting behind the wheel.

As you’d expect, getting into the back seats is harder thanks to the three-door layout. The SEAT’s access is narrower than the Kia’s, although it’s easier to move the seats forward as the mechanism is smoother. A 35mm shorter wheelbase means there’s slightly less rear legroom than you’ll find in the five-door Leon,and it trails the Pro_cee’d for space in the back, too. But the larger rear windows and light grey headlining mean this car’s cabin doesn’t feel as claustrophobic as the Kia’s dark interior, and there’s more space than you’ll find in the Vauxhall.

The SC’s 380-litre boot is the same size as both the five-door Leon’s and the Astra GTC’s. A lower boot lip and wider tailgate make it easier to load than the Vauxhall’s, but the Kia’s boot is just as convenient, even though it’s a full 18 litres smaller.

Our Leon was fitted with the 178bhp 1.8 TSI turbocharged petrol engine, and it performed well despite having 23bhp less power than the Pro_cee’d. The SEAT was roughly half a second behind the Kia in our in-gear tests, and slightly slower than the Astra. However, it never feels out of breath in everyday use, as it has plenty of mid-range torque. The gearbox is also great to use, with a very positive shift.

All three cars are relatively close when it comes to performance, but in corners the SEAT ekes out an advantage. It feels much livelier, with sharp turn-in, decent feedback and lots of grip. Selecting Sport mode from the standard Drive Profile system improves throttle response and firms up the steering, and while it doesn’t turn off the stability control completely, there’s enough leeway in the system to allow you to explore the limits of the Leon’s performance. In addition, the car is more relaxing cruising at motorway speeds, as well as being more comfortable in town – it soaks up bumps better than rivals.

This performance on the road is backed up by a strong financial case. The Leon’s claimed economy figure of 47.9mpg is well ahead of the Kia’s 38.2mpg and Vauxhall’s 39.2mpg (although we recorded only 26.9mpg on test). CO2 emissions are a reasonable 137g/km, too.

Our FR model’s £20,290 list price is £295 more than the Pro_cee’d GT’s, but while the cars have similar kit, the SEAT offers more personalisation options. And if you order a Leon before the end of September, you can add the £1,915 Technology Pack for free. This comprises sat-nav, LED headlights and a DAB radio. Other options include a sunroof, full leather trim and a DSG twin-clutch gearbox.

A tempting financial package, sharp looks and a great driving experience mean the new SEAT Leon SC will be a very tough car to beat.