There are three transmission options here. Both the entry-level petrol units – the unremarkable three cylinder 74bhp 1.2 12V and the more modern four cylinder 85bhp 1.2 TSI – get the same five-speed manual ‘box, which is the one that the 89 and 104bhp diesel models must have.
Go for the desirable 104bhp version of the petrol 1.2 TSI and you get six manual speeds and above that model, there’s the option of an auto-only 120bhp 1.4 TSI petrol variant.
From this little lot, you can’t go too far wrong, provided you don’t opt for the entry-level 74bhp three-cylinder petrol 1.2. It isn’t up to the task of moving a car of this size and is far less economic than the four cylinder 85bhp 1.2-litre TSI petrol engine that isn’t much more expensive and should form the starting point of the line-up.
Rest to 62mph here takes 11.8 seconds on the way to 114mph and if that’s not fast enough, opting for this engine in turbocharged 104bhp form improves those figures to 10.3 seconds and 121mph, similar to the performance you get from the 104bhp 1.6-litre diesel (10.4 seconds and 118mph).
Seat has recently slashed £2,500 off the price of this car, pitching this Focus-sized family hatch in at a supermini budget. Expect to pay somewhere from £10,000 to £15,500.
I’d skip the very bottom of this spectrum, thereby avoiding the feeble entry-level three-cylinder model. And I’d allow for a couple of well-chosen extras on top of the cost of the 85bhppetrol 1.2 TSI variant that arguably represents the sweet spot in the range.
Though this Toledo isn’t the most efficient contender in the Focus-class family hatchback sector, it probably does just about enough to satisfy most owners.
Most effort has been reserved for the eco-orientated ‘Ecomotive’ version of this 1.6-litre TDI diesel, which at launch was the only variant in the range to get a stop/start system (a set-up subsequently added to the 1.2 TSI petrol unit) that cuts the engine when you’re stopped at the lights or waiting in traffic.
Thanks both to this and features like low rolling resistance tyres and kinetic energy recuperation (which gathers in energy that would otherwise be lost when cruising or braking), fuel savings of between 5 and 8% and a combined cycle fuel figure of 72.4mpg are possible, though CO emissions still can’t dip beneath the magic tax-busting 100g/km barrier that some rivals breach – expect 104g/km. An ordinary Toledo 1.6 TDI like this one without the Ecomotive gadgets manages 64.2mpg and 114g/km.
But most sales of this car will be made to petrol people. Folk who, as I’ve been saying all the way through, should avoid the entry-level three-cylinder 74bhp 1.2 with its rather poor returns (46.3mpg on the combined cycle and 137g/km of CO).
In favour of the impressive four-cylinder 85bhp 1.2 that as well as being not much more expensive, more refined and considerably faster manages 55.4mpg and 119g/km of CO. Opt to get this engine in pokier 104bhp form and the returns actually improve – expect 56.5mpg and 116g/km.
“It’s all the car you need”. Seat’s description of this fourth generation Toledo may well ring true for a large number of the older buyers and practically-minded family folk.
If you’re not part of that demographic and want something with a little more aesthetic and dynamic sparkle, then you may struggle to see the appeal. Even then it’s difficult to argue with the Spanish brand’s contention that this car delivers an awful lot for the money, especially with its recent equipment upgrades and price reductions.
It’s the kind of tough, practical car that Eastern European, Asian and African markets tend to opt for by the bucket-load – the sort of vehicle that pampered western Europeans should probably take more seriously, offering as it does the space of something Mondeo-sized for a price not much greater than that of many superminis.
Of course, this Seat’s near-identical sister design, Skoda’s Rapid, can claim exactly the same attributes. But model-for-model, it’s a few hundred pounds more expensive, which could make all the difference, particularly if you already happen to have a Seat dealer on your doorstep.
Buyers will tend to be enthusiasts for life rather than for cars – people, you could argue who, like this car, have their priorities right where they need to be.
Model: Seat Toledo
Price: Between £10,000 and £15,500
Engine: 74bhp 1.2-litre 12V petrol (entry level)
Performance: 0-62mph in 13.9 seconds; top speed 109mph (1.2 12V)
Economy: 46.3mpg combined (1.2 12V)
CO rating: 137g/km (1.2 12V)