New SEAT Toledo revealed
New SEAT Toledo concept has made its debut at Geneva, and gets a saloon shape and hatch tailgate
The wraps have come off the new SEAT Toledo at the VW preview party, the night before the Geneva Motor Show. SEAT president James Muir dubbed it "a beautiful car with a beautiful price," and while the model you see here is officially a concept, it will reach dealers before the end of the year virtually unchanged.
SEAT’s designers have sidestepped the compact MPV styling of the previous Toledo to produce something that resembles a saloon in profile, but has a hatchback rear door – just like the original 1991 Toledo. The benefits of that are a generous 500-litre boot (only five litres less than in the VW Golf Estate), which can be expanded by folding the split rear seats flat.
Video: Watch our video of the new Toledo concept at Geneva
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The new Toledo measures 4.48 metres long and has a 2.6-metre wheelbase. It’s as wide as an Ibiza, but as long as a Leon, and slots neatly between the two in the line-up.
The front end features a wide and low front grille, finished with a chrome surround and honeycomb mesh, while the LED running lights and three large intakes on the front apron are in line with the recently facelifted Ibiza.
Sharp creases in the body and clean, uncluttered surfaces are typical of SEAT design, while inside, it’s clear that the Toledo is production-ready. An upright centre console houses a new touchscreen and controls for the air-conditioning, all using switchgear familiar from elsewhere in the VW Group.
The dashboard features clean, straight lines in keeping with the exterior, but to add a premium feel, the show car gets two-tone leather seats and red contrast stitching to match the exterior paint. SEAT claims there’s plenty of space of three passengers in the back.
When the Toledo reaches showrooms, SEAT is planning an aggressive pricing strategy to place it between the Ibiza and Leon – so the luxurious interior materials on the show car aren’t likely to make it to production.
Even so, a spokesman for the brand was adamant that there would be plenty of equipment included as standard.
To reinforce the new car’s status as a value model, and keep costs as low as possible, SEAT will only offer small-capacity petrol and diesel engines.
