What better place to test your lighting capabilities than in the dark? That must have thought those of Seat and, luckily, they have not had to go very far. The Dark Sky Alqueva reserve, located in Portugal, is a unique place in Europe, from where you can observe nebulae and constellations with little light pollution. From there you could effortlessly capture Orion, almost as you would in the desert of Morocco or the arid center of Australia. A special place to test the strength of your own stars, those generated by the headlights and drivers of the fourth generation of the Seat León . This Spanish bestseller, which has not dropped from the top positions since its appearance, has gone one step further in 2020. In this article we tell you everything you need to know about this new Leon and we have also entertained ourselves to tell you about its advances in safety and connectivity. Now it’s the turn of your light.
The presentation of the Seat León was the most anticipated of a year that has caught us all off guard. I don’t know about you but, for us, talking about this car is the palpable demonstration of the strength, will and perseverance of a brand that has Spanish DNA . An essence that has pushed it to be even better, despite being the most acclaimed, registered and known in our borders. For this reason, it has been open to the incorporation of all kinds of propulsion systems, with special mention to plug-in hybrid variants. A model that we were able to test a few days ago and of which we bring you the first impressions in this link.
Beyond the stars
Having the number 1 is not enough for Seat . For the launch of the Leon countless tests have been done, failure was not an option. The lighting system is a compelling argument in this fourth generation of the León, an aspect that has been worked on tirelessly. LED technology has opened a field unknown until now, with infinite possibilities both for design and safety and comfort. The amount of light is greater and less space is needed to insert the diodes , so that you can play with their shapes and dimensions. Hence we see sharper and sharper headlights on the market. The complication is in its electronic operation, which forces drivers to be introduced into the system to control each bulb, as Carlos Elvira, Seat’s Head of Lighting and Signaling Development, comments.
It took many hours of work to make everything perfect, a total of 2,500 to be exact, and that was just the beginning. All that time it took them to design the light clusters, which then had to spend 800 hours in an optical tunnel that recreates driving at night. Elvira explains that: “Testing in extreme climates is essential for us. In hot areas to check the electronic functionality and in the cold to validate the optical distributions on the ice accumulations ”. Hence, this tunnel meets the conditions that we find in the four most different cardinal points.
In the end of the world
The tests in the Dark Sky Alqueva reserve (Portugal) had to certify what had been tested in the tunnel. Real life may contain a few surprises. With the beacons placed one meter from each other, they are able to detect the range of their lights. In this case, the Seat León offers 70 meters of light beam. A powerful, flexible and white scope , an essential detail for safety, since it allows us to much better identify the shape and color of the objects that we find on the road according to Magnolia Paredes, Head of Electronic Lighting Development at Seat. In addition, these LED diodes respond 150 milliseconds faster than any incandescent lamp, which allows an earlier reaction to the vehicle that follows us to any braking or intermittent warning.
But not everything is exterior light in the Seat León 2020, there is also the interior lighting. What’s more, according to Elvira, the wraparound light arc on the dashboard and doors has been the toughest challenge for programmers. It was important that it could be customizable, that it had safety functions and that it be adapted to the traffic situation. The engineers solved this with a notable effect, modifying the intensity of the light depending on the speed and creating light warnings when a car was placed in our blind spot. On the other hand, the coast to coast lighting signature , which runs along the tailgate, is more decorative than functional. Thanks to this element they have incorporated animations for opening or closing the vehicle. No more having to make sure or doubt our mind, as currently happens in cars that do not warn of their closure.
