Seat Leon celebrates its 20th anniversary with over 2 million units sold

From Moscow to Vladivostok. A distance of over 9,000 kilometres spanned by the legendary Trans-Siberian train. The same distance that the more than two million units sold to date (1999) of the Seat Leon would stretch if they were placed in a straight line.

With the fourth generation about to be launched not only has the Leon exceeded the two million units sold mark, but it has been achieved with constant growth over its three generations. The current one (which began in 2012 and is still on the market) accounts for more than one million units sold, or twice as many as the first generation (launched in 1999 and a total of 534,797 vehicles), and a third more than the second generation (which began in 2005 and sold 675,915 cars).

New markets and an extended range, including a family size version and its different variations, such as the Leon X-Perience, are key to explaining the fast growth of the Spanish compact; a similar boost as that experienced by Seat, which has increased its sales by 60% since 2010.

The three generations of the Seat compact were designed, developed and produced in the Seat facilities in Martorell (Barcelona). Italy's Giorgetto Giugiaro designed the first, Walter da Silva the second and Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos the third. The Spanish designer was also responsible for breathing life into the fourth generation of the model.

The Seat Leon won the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) in 2008 and 2009, marking the first time that a carmaker won the title with Diesel engines.