The new Leon FR 2.0 TDI 184 PS it’s available to order now in the UK, with an official 67.3 mpg* combined fuel consumption rating and CO2 emissions pegged at just 109 g/km. It is 11.9 mpg more efficient on average than the outgoing Leon Mk II 2.0 TDI 170 PS, while being 0.7 seconds quicker to the 62 mph benchmark. In fact, it offers the very same combined mpg rating as the outgoing Leon 1.6 TDI 105 PS.

Arguably the best quantifiable measure of its performance advantage over its predecessor is its torque figure, which is 30 Nm higher but comes in at the same point in the rev range – just 1,750 rpm.

The 2.0-litre TDI engine that powers the Leon is part of the very latest generation of common rail diesel engines from the Volkswagen Group, featuring direct injection and turbocharging. The 184 PS engine comes with Ecomotive Technology as standard, which means it has Start/Stop engine shut-off to preserve fuel when the car is at a standstill and in neutral. 

Available with a six-speed manual gearbox only, the Leon FR 2.0 TDI 184 PS costs from just £22,075. 

Any Leon wearing SEAT’s black and red FR badging includes LED tail lights, 17-inch alloy wheels, FR-specific front- and rear bumpers, dark tinted windows, twin chrome exhaust pipes, sports suspension (lowered by 15 mm from standard), dual-zone climate control, front sports seats, SEAT Easy Connect media system including full colour touch screen interface, Bluetooth audio streaming and eight speakers, and SEAT Drive Profile. By altering the throttle management, steering feel and gearbox settings (in DSG-equipped cars) between three modes, SEAT Drive Profile allows significant alteration of the feel of the driving experience.  

On the dynamic front, the FR 2.0 TDI 184 PS is one of only two versions of the Leon from launch, along with the FR 1.8 TSI 180 PS, that comes with a multi-link rear suspension setup, as opposed to the rear torsion beam of less powerful cars.

Priced at £22,075 for the three-door SC, and £22,375 for the five-door version, first customer deliveries of the SEAT Leon FR 2.0 TDI 184 PS are expected during September 2013.