DO foreign languages leave you speechless?

Well, you may lay claim to being resolutely mono-lingual, but it is highly likely you use words from other languages on a regular basis without thinking about them.

Take Spanish for instance. Even if your experience of Iberia is limited to a single week in Benidorm 20 years ago, you will have some Spanish words in your vocabulary, such as tapas, paella, cava and flamenco.

UK motorists will be well acquainted with another one: SEAT. OK, it’s an acronym, but the title of the Spanish motor manufacturer is as well known as any other on these shores.

SEAT stands for Sociedad Española de Automóviles de Turismo, and the Barcelona-based company’s top selling car is the Leon (another Spanish word for your collection).

In the 18 years since its launch, the Leon has become a brand flagship, notching up approaching two million sales, with main markets being the United Kingdom, Germany and Spain.

The third generation of the Leon is a sales record-breaker, overtaking figures set by the two previous iterations. From the end of 2012, the carmaker has sold almost 700,000 of the model.

This year the Leon has had a facelift and Weekend Wheels spent a week at the helm of the estate version – the ST – which represents almost a third of the model’s sales.

The design update includes a lower and wider bonnet, revised front bumper and wider front grille.

Features on our ST XCELLENCE Technology 2.0 TDI model included twin exhaust pipes, LED headlights, daytime running lights, front fog lamps and tail-lights, front parking sensors, LED interior illumination pack, leather-trimmed front sports seats, multi-coloured ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, connectivity hub (wireless phone charger with built-in GSM signal booster), keyless entry and go, automatic lights and wipers, 10-speaker sound system.

Fitted options included panoramic sunroof, high beam assist and lane keeping system, space-saver spare wheel and a boot divider for the 587-litre luggage space that extends to 1,470 litres with the rear seat-back folded down.

The driving experience is engaging with assured handling and plenty of smooth power from the four-cylinder diesel engine, giving 0-62 mph in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 134 mph. Average fuel economy is 67.3 mpg (combined)and CO2 emissions are 112 g/km.

Price: £27,580, inc options.