We review the SEAT Toledo from price to economy and all its features
THE SEAT Toledo does a very good job of looking like a saloon car but it's actually a hatchback.
SEAT made the clever decision to have the boot lid and rear window open together so the massive boot, and low-load area, mean it can transport large items with ease.
Money-saver ... economical SEAT Toledo
Also you get a rear window wiper, something that's normally missing from a saloon, but very practical and useful.
The Toledo represents amazing value-for-money starting at only £13,380. There are three different levels of trim, the E, the S and the SE.
Engines are sourced from VW and you have two petrol engines, a 1.2-litre three-cylinder with 74bhp and a 1.4-litre TSi unit with 120bhp. On the diesel front, you again have two engines to choose from, both 1.6-litres in capacity but one with 90bhp and the other 104bhp.
Handy hatchback ... SEAT Toledo
The petrol engines get a six-speed manual and the 1.4 is also available with a fantastic seven-speed DSG-auto box while the diesels have to settle for a five-speed manual.
SEAT reckon the most popular model will be the 105bhp diesel SE and, as chance would have it that's the model I'm testing here.
It came painted in optional Ocean blue that costs an extra £560 but looks all the better in its fancy colour.
Inside, the Toledo's dash is minimalist in its layout but aesthetically pleasing and functional — my test car features the optional £350 Winter Pack provided heated front seats, headlight washers and heated front washer nozzles.
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It is also nice to see that the cabin is not overshadowed by too much black material.
The dash and doors feature a light grey colour with subtle amounts of aluminium trim.
There are plenty of cubby holes and storage places and in the front and rear doors.
One of the Toledo's best assets is the huge 550-litre boot and another nice little touch is hooks you can hang items on, plus the hooks are the same colour as the cars exterior so they brighten up the boot.
Under the bonnet of my Toledo was a 1.6-litre TDi mated to a five-speed manual gearbox.
It's a cracking engine albeit a bit vocal when cold and at idle — but show me a diesel that isn't — and when warm and out on the open road it's very quiet and refined.
A 1.6-litre engine isn't the biggest capacity but a smaller engine means less weight and better fuel economy and it still pumps out a very healthy 105bhp and 250Nms of torque.
That means in any gear the Toledo pulls like a freight train, 0-62mph takes only 10.4 seconds and the top speed is a respectable 118mph.
But it's the fuel economy that makes this engine so special.
SEAT quote a combined figure of 70.6 mpg and opt for the Ecomotive model and it will return 72.4 mpg, now that's impressive
It's good fun to drive too, the front-wheel drive chassis handles remarkably well, it's not too firm and copes with really dodgy roads eating up potholes and bumps.
The Toledo is an attractive looking car featuring SEAT's new dynamic design.
Acres of space ... huge 550-litre boot
The thing about the Toledo is it's not trying to be a hot-hatch or to stand out from the crowd. It's not singing and dancing about its eco credentials either, although it would embarrass some hybrids with its brilliant mpg figures.
What the Toledo manages to do is to be a really great all-round car, a car you can happily spend hours behind the wheel and with that massive 550-litre boot, it's also extremely practical.
As SEAT are part of the Volkswagen group you can be sure of their reliability but value for money in these testing times is the Toledo's icing on the cake.
Key Facts
- What will it cost me? £13,380 to £17,840
- Engine: 1.6-litre diesel with 104bhp & 250NMs of torque
- 0-62mph: 10.4 seconds
- Top speed: 118mph
- Emissions: 106g/km
- Economy: 70.6mpg combined