Originally introduced in 1998 as a small family hatchback->ke304, the Seat Leon->ke316 quickly grew into a family that included many iterations and a host of gasoline and diesel engines. The newest member of the lineup, the Leon ST, joined the ranks for the 2013 model year, shortly after Seat introduced the third-generation model. Only one year later, the Spanish manufacturer expanded the Leon family once again by adding the X-Perience model, an all-wheel-drive wagon->ke143 sporting crossover->ke288-like visuals and an increased ride height.

Brought to life to bridge the gap between the Leon ST and Seat's upcoming SUV->ke145 -- rumored to share the MQB platform with the Volkswagen Tiguan -- the Leon X-Perience represents the company's first venture into the niche. The raised wagon comes to tackle the likes of the Audi A4 Allroad quattro and Skoda Octavia Scout, all of which are crammed under the Volkswagen Group.

Naturally, the X-Perience won't be much of a threat to the Audi A4->ke1087, which serves a different audience in terms of pricing and amenities. However, the Leon X-Perience is a wagon most families shouldn't ignore.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Seat Leon X-Perience.

Exterior

Visually, the latest member of the Seat Leon lineup is a perched up station wagon. Much like the Audi A4 Allroad, the Leon X-Perience benefits from an increased ride height, SUV-like cladding for the wheel arches and door sills, and metal underbody guards. The front bumper carries a distinctive design highlighted by a larger air intake and integrated fog lamps with cornering light function, while the rear bumper features a faux-aluminum insert and chrome tailpipes. Unlike the Audi A4 Allroad, the X-Perience doesn't come standard with full-LED headlamps, but the high-tech feature has its own check box on the options list.

Overall, the crossover-like Leon retains the wagon's main design characteristics, including its sculpted lines and muscular shoulders, but the body cladding and the ride height alleviates its appeal.

Interior

The Leon X-Perience comes in just one trim, meaning customers will have to settle for what the Spanish manufacturer is offering them. In its standard form, the wagon's cabin is dressed in black and grey fabric. However, those looking for a more upscale interior can go with the optional leather seats. These can be had in either all-black leather, or with brown Alcantara covering the center section.

Once the leather option is selected, strings of orange contrast stitching make their way onto the seats, the steering wheel, and the gear shifter. Other than the aforementioned features and the X-Perience logos mounted on the steering wheel and the door sills, the crossover is pretty much standard Leon ST. Not too shabby, but miles behind the A4 Allroad.

On the good side, the Leon X-Perience comes with plenty of carrying capacity, offering 587 liters (20.7 cubic feet) with the rear seats up and as much as 1,470 liters (51.9 cubic feet) with the seats folded down.

Drivetrain

Only one engine is available in the Leon X-Perience, and none of its versions will help you break the sound barrier. The mill in question is a 2.0-liter TDI diesel set to deliver 148 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque in the base model and 181 ponies and 280 pound-feet of twist in the range-topping variant. The engine is identical to the one powering the Leon ST 2.0 TDI and comes with standard start/stop and the company's Energy Recover System for more efficiency.

While the 148-pony engine mates to a six-speed manual transmission, the 181-horsepower four-banger uses a DSG autobox to communicate with the wheels. Both versions are equipped with a permanent all-wheel-drive system. The latter enables the 181-horsepower unit to push the car from naught to 62 mph in 7.1 seconds.

While its performance figures are anything but impressive, the Leon X-Perience returns outstanding fuel economy numbers. According to Seat, the base model delivers up to 57.6 mpg (47.9 U.S. mpg) , while the range-topping versions boasts 55.4 mpg (46.1 U.S. mpg) on the European cycle.

Prices

Pricing for the Leon X-Perience is not yet available, but expect it to fetch more than the Leon ST wagon, which retails from £20,390 ($34,622 as of 06/25/2014). Unfortunately, the Leon X-Perience won't cross the Pond to the U.S.

Competition

Audi A4 Allroad quattro

Essentially a smaller A6 Allroad, the A4 Allroad quattro distinguishes itself from the regular A4 Avant by means of a wider track, increased ground clearance, stainless steel underbody guards and roof rails. The model comes with standard quattro permanent all-wheel drive system and your choice of either a manual transmission or a S tronic auto.

The A4 Allroad quattro is offered with the same engines as the standard A4, except for the 2.0-liter TDI and 3.0-liter TDI diesel mills. The four-ringed wagon benefits from a bevy of luxury features and technology, not to mention more horsepower, but all those extras add to the car's sticker. The A4 Allroad quattro starts from £32,253 in the U.K., which is nearly $55,000 as of 06/25/2014.

Just like the Leon X-Perience, the A4 Allroad is not available in the U.S., where customers will have to settle for the larger A6 Allroad.

Conclusion

Developed to bridge the gap between the regular passenger cars and Seat's upcoming SUV, the Leon X-Perience is obviously the most off-road capable vehicle the Spanish manufacturer has built to date. But in spite of its crossover-like skills, it's unlikely that the X-Perience will improve on the company's sales, especially with the A4 Allroad quattro ruling the segment in Europe. However, this perched up Leon wagon proves Seat is willing to expand and experiment with several niches, and this is of great importance to an automaker known as the poorest member of the Volkswagen Group->ke94 for so many years.