Seat Leon Facelift Spied in the Dark

Although the heavy camouflage might suggest that this is the all-new third generation Seat Leon, it's actually the mid-cycle facelift of the Spanish mid-class hatch, likely to make its debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show. Given the fact that the Leon was released only in 2005, we don’t expect the new model to arrive before 2012.

While the car’s flanks won’t be retouched, there will be some slight modifications to the taillights and rear bumper – plus a drastic makeover at the front. The latter will bring the car into line with the all-new Exeo, which is set to debut in Paris next week. Engine-wise we expect the same four-cylinder petrol units delivering between 102 and 240 hp plus the well-known diesel engines with 105, 140 and 170 hp.