If you are looking for the most convenient family car, which is not either ugly or
technological outdated, then the new Seat Todelo might be a good option to take into
consideration.
Jointly developed with Skoda Rapid, the new Toledo has been completely reinvented, and
has nothing in common with the old model.
Seat has never hesitated to radically change the design of its cars, so the new Toledo is
all brand new.
Gossips say it is a copy of Skoda Rapid, but it is improper to say that one model is a copy
of the other one since they are twins and they were designed together right from the start.
Although the Seat Toledo is produced in Czech Republic, by Skoda, this model
successfully manages to convey the spirit of Seat. I mean the lines are sharp and inspire
modernity, and here and there you can see a bit of Audi polishing. It is mainly about the
instrument cluster.
Often, some of you have asked us to test cars with the basic equipment. It is time for us to
show you such a car.
This Todelo has manual air conditioning and basic audio system, but for the car to still be
appealing it benefits of optional things such as metallic paint and Reference Plus package
that includes 16 inches alloys, cruise control and front fog lights with cornering function.
Somehow, Toledo and Rapid were announced as low cost cars of Volkswagen Group. But
the Germans do not seem to have the heart to make a low cost car even when they intend
to.
Toledo is limited in options for at least to theoretically remain a low cost car. For
example, it cannot even have optional xenon headlights.
Yes, the savings can be seen in the perceived quality of materials. In Toledo there is hard
plastic everywhere, but the assembly is very good. Apart from this, engineering speaking,
Toledo hardly seems a low cost car. It even has hooks for bags in the trunk, rear armrest
with trunk access in order to carry skis and good ergonomics for the driver.
Toledo is a true Seat even on the road. The steering and suspensions work firmly and
send a strong sense of connection to the road. It's almost unbelievable how beautiful
the car stands on the road, having in the rear a regular semi-independent suspension.
Of course, if you push the limits, you will get out of the road faster than with a Leon FR,
but if you approach an appropriate driving style Toledo rewards you with a very good
road behavior for an entry level car.
The engine is also from the latest generation: 1.6 TDI with direct injection. This engine is
very lively for the 105 PS/HP that it develops and makes miracles on Toledo's light body.
The car reaches 100 km/h in 10.6 seconds.
The consumption is very low. If you run at a constant speed of 70 km/h you will see that
the car consumes 3 litres/100 km, and at 100 km/h about 4 litres/100 km.
However, this engine is missing something: refinement. This is a chapter where the rivals
PSA Peugeot Citroen and Ford are better with their 1.6 HDi or 1.6 TDCi.
With a starting price of about 14,000 Euros with VAT, Seat Toledo is far from being a low
cost car from the buyer's point of view. A version like the tested one even cost 18,000
Euros with VAT - a price that is too high for a volume car without automatically adjustable
air conditioning and where the plastic has the upper hand.
As a conclusion, the car is good and solid, but what about the price?