The Seat Leon SC will start from a remarkable £15,370 on the road when it arrives in showrooms in July.

The three-door SC is £300 cheaper than the five-door Leon when compared model for model, and is otherwise set apart by its sportier-shaped front seats and 35mm shorter length - all taken from the wheelbase.

In a 14-variant range spanning S, SE and FR trim levels there are five automatic options, two low-CO2 diesels that dip below 100g/km and power outputs from 104bhp to 148bhp. No model currently attracts a standard road tax charge higher than £125.

The wheelbase reduction makes the three-door car even more nimble than the already impressive five-door, as well as equalising the SC's proportions. With no rear doors the car would look too stretched if it kept the longer wheelbase.

The entry level model, a 1.2 TSI turbocharged petrol S model with a manual gearbox, has air conditioning, Bluetooth phone preparation and audio streaming, a six-speaker mp3-compatible stereo including colour touchscreen display, seven airbags, ABS and traction control.

SE trim adds a leather wrapped steering wheel and gear knob, ambient interior lighting, chrome-effect dashboard detailing, front fog lights with cornering function, cruise control, 16-inch alloy wheels, Seat's XDS electronic differential lock system and hill hold control.

FR trim gives buyers access to Seat Drive Profile, which alters the driving characteristics of the car through three modes, plus an individual mode which drivers can use to personalise their settings.

FR cars also get 17-inch alloy wheels, redesigned front and rear bumpers, twin chrome exhaust pipes, dark tinted windows, FR sports seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, LED tail lights and sports suspension, lowered by 15 mm.

The range tops out with the FR 2.0 TDI with the twin-clutch DSG automatic, which costs £22,335 on the road.