2018 SEAT Leon TGI Acceleration and Fuel Consumption in the Real World

Compressed natural gas places particular demands on the engine, especially in the lubrication department. So if you are going to have a CNG car, you'd best consider one that's factory-made, not aftermarket.

While the 1.4 TSI makes typically 125 or 150 HP, it's been de-tuned to 110 HP and 200 Nm of torque for this application. On paper, it's said to make the 0 the 100 km/h sprint in 10.9 seconds and has a top speed of 194 km/h. That sounds about right.

The car can burn natural gas, but also features its standard 50-liter fuel tank. Or regular pump fuel, the car will average 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers. Fuel consumption is 3.5 kilograms of CNG per 100 kilometers. Considering one kilogram costs about €0.6 right now, the TGI will save you money very quickly, since unleaded costs about twice as much per liter.

But that's only on paper. We also found a fuel consumption test. In the sixth gear, the car averages about 35 kilometers per kilogram. This proves that CNG is more eco-friendly, costing up to 50% less to run than a petrol car and 30% less than a diesel on the same trip.

In Germany, the Leon GTI is available as a 5-door from €23,360 or €35,060 with the 7-speed DSG auto. Still, that's over a thousand more than the petrol model. You can also get it as a practical estate.

The car continues to be based on the MQB platform, which means it's got plenty of sister models. Audi, Skoda and Volkswagen all use the 1.4 TGI engine in their compacts. There's also a new 1.0-liter TGI 3-cylinder that powers the Ibiza and Polo.