Seat Leon 2020: Video teaser revealed further details!

A few days before its world premiere, SEAT reveals how the new Leon was camouflaged, as well as several details.

The challenge of breaking with established designs pushed the Color&Trim designers to perform several preliminary tests. The design used until now had always been in black and white. Each brand has its own, and some even patent them. “This is the first time we didn’t use conventional camouflage. It was a challenge, because the main goal is to distort the shapes of the car. We worked on several versions to blur the lines but send a clear message – that we are Barcelona, that we are Mediterranean, and that we are colourful. We want to give meaning to our sculpture” says Jordi.

45° heat treated design. Not only does the camouflage have an aesthetic function, but it must also withstand extreme weather and driving conditions. The material used is a special cast vinyl that resists these conditions. “The cars are camouflaged so that they can be tested in different weather situations, sub-zero temperatures, long exposure to the elements, rain and desert heat. This vinyl is made with a very durable material and has special characteristics that prevent it from peeling off or deteriorating”, says Edgar Aneas.

20 square meters of vinyl were used for this model. The window and light sections are micro-perforated to allow light to pass through and see the outside, but not the other way around. The camouflage vinyl is applied with heat at 45 degrees so that it fits snugly to the shape of the car.

Breaking away from traditional moulds. In order to disguise a new model, a prior study is required of the vehicle’s most representative elements and what the main changes have been. The more chaotic the camouflage, the more it conceals, so you have to break up the lines and colours. The most complicated sections to cover with vinyl are the mirrors and the parts with curves and spoilers. And the major aspects that must be camouflaged? “The headlights, the shape of the taillights, the tension lines… They are the sculptural features of the car, our DNA” says Jordi Font.

The finished piece will be unveiled on January 28th, without its camouflaged exterior.