The new León, the second generation of Seat's popular, sporty hatchback originally introduced in 1999, was launched yesterday.

The car is the third model to be introduced in Seat's new-look product line-up after Altea and Toledo, which all take their design inspiration from the Salsa concept car designed by Walter de Silva.

Mizzi Organisation said the new León is longer, wider and slightly higher than its predecessor and this extra space has been translated into greater interior room, particularly in the rear.

It offers a choice of five different engines, including three petrol and two diesel powerplants, which all comply with Euro IV emission standards.

A new, high-performance engine is the 2.0-litre 185PS TFSI. The other four engines are the 1.6 102PS and 2.0 FSI 150PS petrol and the 1.9 TDI 105PS and the 2.0 TDI 140PS diesel.

The new León is the first Seat model to offer side airbags in the rear. The model's standard specification already includes two front airbags, two front side airbags and two curtain airbags. All five seats are equipped with three-point seat belts as standard.

The starting price for Seat León 1.6 Reference petrol model is Lm10,100, and the Seat León 1.9TDi Reference diesel model costs Lm11,700. Standard equipment on both models include, air conditioning, power steering, air bags, ABS, remote central locking, front electric windows and CD player.

For more information or a test-drive call 2122 3010.