SEAT Leon E-Hybrid PHEV Hatchback: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The SEAT Leon E-Hybrid PHEV Hatchback

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SEAT S.A. is Spain’s first family car manufacturer. The automotive company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Martorell, Spain. In 1986, SEAT was sold to the German automotive group, Volkswagen A.G.

SEAT offers a range of zero-emission electric mobility products, to include, the SEAT MO eScooter, SEAT MO eKickScooter and four-wheel electric vehicles. The company offers battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). The company’s EV portfolio includes:

• Leon e-HYBRID Hatchback
• Leon e-HYBRID Estate 
• Tarraca e-HYBRID SUV 
• Mii electric hatchback

The SEAT Leon hatchback, has been available since 1998. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) variant has been available since 2009. In 2011, a revised hybrid variant was introduced. The fourth generation Leon was unveiled in 2020.

The Leon plug-in electric car competes in a very competitive segment i.e. mid-sized family cars. Despite the intense competition, the SEAT Leon PHEV is well placed to succeed. The electric vehicle (EV) offers affordability and economy, with practicality and style, all of which, with lower tailpipe emissions (27g CO2/km). For families keen to migrate to lower tailpipe emission electric driving, the Leon PHEV is worth consideration.

The plug-in electric car has a 12.8 kWh onboard EV battery with a 57 km (WLTP) electric range. Though the real-world EV range will be lower, possibly closer to 50 km, the EV still has much to offer those keen to save money by driving on pure electric mode.

The PHEV is not DC charging compatible (most PHEVs are not) and has a 3.6 kW onboard charger. Quite typical for a PHEV in this price segment. We discourage the use of a 3-PIN domestic plug for charging and encourage charging via a dedicated home EV charger.

Though the electric range is limited to 57 km, most of us would not require much more for our daily needs. In fact, the majority of motorists drive at an average 50 km per day. So for all the shorter commutes to the school, high street, grocery store etc, driving on e-mode is a perfect fit!

Even, for those that drive to work, driving on electric mode works well, as the electric car can be charged at home and at work (workplace EV charging)! For those weekend getaways, the petrol engine can be utilised for the longer drives.

Bottom-line, if you are not driving electric, you are not saving money. Moreover, driving in e-mode also further improves the efficiency of the vehicle. SEAT claims the PHEV has a fuel economy up to 1.1 l/100km. Real-world economy will certainly be less efficient, but substantially better compared to the conventional internal combustion (ICE) variant.

In terms of performance, the SEAT Leon EV delivers a decent experience. The 1.4 e-HYBRID petrol engine is paired with an electric motor. The plug-in electric car can achieve 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds. The top speed of the EV is 220 km/h. Certainly suitable for city and motorway driving. Of course, do keep in mind that the EV also benefits from instant torque.

Though the boot space has been reduced in size (270 L) to accommodate the onboard EV battery, the PHEV is family-friendly in terms of practicality, offering adequate interior space, legroom and headroom. The EV has a good level of equipment and depending on the trim, the following come as standard: park assist, keyless start, wireless phone charger, 8.25″ to 10″ touchscreen media system and more. The interior quality is in line with the price tag.

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The SEAT Leon plug-in electric car is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
A practical and familiar family electric car	Infotainment system can be improved
Cheap to drive on electric mode	On board charger limited to 3.6 kW
Comfortable drive and performance	Boot space limited

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The SEAT Leon E-Hybrid PHEV Hatchback (credit: SEAT)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Body Type:	Hatchback
Engine:	Petrol-Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (1 Option)
SEAT Leon E-Hybrid (Rs N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 12.8 kWh
Charging:	DC charging not available. On board charger: 3.6 kW AC (0% – 100%: 4 hrs)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	27g (CO2/km)
EV Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

• Note 1: SoC: state of charge

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1442
Width (mm):	1800
Length (mm):	4368
Wheelbase (mm):	2686
Turning Circle (m):	10.5
Boot capacity (L):	270

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1.4 e-HYBRID DSG
EV Battery Capacity:	12.8 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	57 km
Electric Energy Consumption (kWh/100km):	24.0
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	1.1
Charging:	DC charging not available. On board charger: 3.6 kW AC (0% – 100%: 4 hrs)
Top Speed:	220 km/h
0-100 km/h:	7.5 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Electric Motor (kW):	N/A
Max Power (PS):	204
Torque (Nm):	250
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Kerb Weight (kg):	1,614
Colours:	8
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Electric Car Charging: A Snapshot

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Charging an electric vehicle (EV), is really quite as simple as charging your smart mobile phone i.e. plug and play! Both, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are charged in the same manner. Below is a brief guide to charging an electric car:

• Just like a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is filled with fuel, similarly, an electric car is filled with ‘fuel’, the only difference being that the fuel is electricity and not petrol or diesel. In a petrol or diesel car the fuel is stored in a fuel tank, while in an electric vehicle, the electricity is stored in an EV battery, usually a lithium-ion battery.

• Electric cars can be charged at home or at public charging points. Most EV charging is done at home overnight via a dedicated EV charging station. However, some households still use a 3-PIN domestic plug to charge an EV. We strongly discourage the use of a 3-PIN domestic plug and instead encourage the installation of a high quality home EV charging station, like Webasto or EVBox.

• Pure electric cars take longer to charge than plug-in hybrid electric cars, as pure EVs have a larger EV battery. In most cases a pure electric car will have an EV battery between 30 kWh and 100 kWh, while a plug-in hybrid electric car will usually have an EV battery between 8 kWh and 15 kWh. Charging an EV at home can take between 3 to 15 hours, depending on the size of the EV battery and the type of charge point or 3-PIN plug engaged for charging. Home charging is AC charging, and in most cases up to 7.4 kW, as most homes, to include, India, are singe-phase.

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

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• Public charging, to include workplace charging, is quite similar to home charging, except, the charging stations are faster and sometimes more expensive to charge per kWh. Public charging stations are both AC and DC charging, however, the AC charging is at a much faster rate (22 kW). DC charging, is the fastest way to charge an EV and depending on the EV battery size, DC charging can fully charge an EV battery in less than 40 minutes. In general, plug-in hybrid cars do not use DC charging i.e. DC charging is mostly used by pure electric cars. DC charging stations can range between 50 kW to 300 kW.

• We always encourage EV owners to carry an EV cable in the car, as not all public charging points are tethered (attached cable). We recommend the use of a 5m EV charging cable, and preferably a high visibility colour. Of course, you can buy high quality EV charging cables and EV charging stations via e-zoomed.

• To learn more about EV charging, simply visit the e-zoomed Electric Living blog.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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