SEAT Leon e-Hybrid costs, insurance, warranty & tax
The hybrid Leon offers an ultra-low 7% Benefit-in-Kind rate for company-car users – but only in certain trim levels
| Insurance group | Warranty | Service interval | 2021/22 company-car tax cost (20%/40%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26-27 | 3yrs / 60,000 miles | TBC | From £459 / £918 |
For private buyers, a plug-in hybrid only offers clear running-costs savings over a regular petrol or diesel model if they do mostly short, local journeys that can be completed almost entirely on electric power alone. This will see trips to the fuel station become a rare occurrence indeed. However, if you do regular long-distance motorway runs, there isn't a huge incentive to pay extra for a plug-in.
For company-car users, the picture is different: there's a big saving to be made compared to a non-plug-in car regardless of how many miles you do or how long your typical journey is. That's because plug-in hybrids' potential electric range and ultra-low CO2 emissions qualify them for very low Benefit-in-Kind BiK bands.
In the case of the Leon hybrid, the entry-level FR version is in the 7% band thanks to its 40-mile electric range. Due to their larger alloy wheels, the FR Sport, FR First Edition and Xcellence Lux models tip into the 11% band, but that works out at only about £60 more over the course of a year, so it's nothing to lose sleep over if you want a higher spec.
SEAT Leon e-Hybrid insurance group
The Leon e-Hybrid falls into insurance group 26 or 27, depending on the exact specification chosen. That means it'll be slightly costlier to cover than a regular 1.5-litre petrol Leon, which is rated a couple of groups lower. The Mercedes A-Class hybrid, however, will probably have higher premiums, as it's in groups 28 and 29.
Warranty
The Leon gets the same three-year/60,000-mile guarantee as every other VW Group passenger car sold in the UK. That's outshone by the five and seven-year policies on offer from the likes of Hyundai, Toyota, Kia and MG, but with many private buyers and company-car users changing cars after three years or less, it may not be such a big concern.
Servicing
Specific service-package prices for the Leon e-Hybrid hadn't been confirmed at the time of writing, although SEAT does offer the option of spreading the cost of a multi-year service plan over a series of monthly payments, so budgeting for maintenance should be straightforward.
Road tax
The government considers hybrids of all kinds to be 'alternatively fuelled vehicles' (AFVs) for the purposes of Vehicle Excise Duty (VED, also known as road tax). That means Leon e-Hybrid drivers pay £145 a year, as opposed to the £155 charged to those running regular petrol or diesel-engined models.
