This new SEAT Leon Cupra should be very good indeed: it’s based on our 2013 Car of the Year and it shares similar mechanicals to the Volkswagen Golf GTI, one of our top hot hatchbacks.
So what do we know about the SEAT Leon Cupra? Well the first thing is that you can get a whole range of different models.
The entry-level version is a 3-door with a manual gearbox and 261bhp, or you can get a 3 and a 5 door with a manual or 6-speed DSG with 276bhp.
All versions are front wheel drive but do come with a limited slip differential and adaptive dampers as standard - both those things are optional on the Golf GTI.
The styling is actually quite restrained for something this fast. There’s a deeper front bumper, full LED headlights, 19-inch wheels on the 280 models and around the back, 2 oval exhausts. When the standard car looks so good the great design is hardly surprising.
It’s certainly classy inside, too - you get all the same high-quality switchgear that you would in the standard Leon but with a few little extras to make it feel a bit more special. The first is a flat-bottomed steering wheel, plus there’s figure-hugging sports seats and a few Cupra badges sprinkled around.
What you really want to know is what’s this thing like to drive - well, it’s a lot of fun. The steering is quite light but really sharp. You can feel the limited slip differential shuffling the power to the outside wheel on tight turns and slingshotting you out the other side.
The engine? Well it’s really smooth and sounds great. It doesn’t quite have the grunt of the four-wheel-drive VW Golf R but it’s very quick nonetheless.
SEAT is dropping hints that this car could even be the fastest front-wheel drive hatch ever to drive around the Nurburgring. We’re going to find out for definite at the Geneva Motor Show.
The Leon Cupra has always been a bit of a bit player in the hot hatch game, but believe me that’s about to change.
Not only does this car look great, it drives brilliantly too and represents excellent value. You get the front differential and the adaptive dampers as standard and you get a lot more power than a Golf GTI but despite that it only costs around £500 more than the GTI, model for model.
Whichever way you look at it, that makes it a bit of a performance bargain.
Content
1.16 -> This is the hot hatch we've been waiting
for
3.739 -> Based on our 2013 car of the year and sharing
similar mechanicals to the Golf GTI, the SEAT
10.139 -> Leon Cupra should be very good indeed.
27.15 -> So what do we know about the SEATLeon Cupra?
Well the first thing is you can get a whole
31.839 -> range of different models.
33.43 -> The entry-levelversion is a 3-door with a
manual gearbox and 261bhp, or you can get
39.51 -> a 3 and a 5 door with a manual or 6-speed
DSG with 276bhp.
45.77 -> All versions are front wheel drive but do
come with the front limited slip differential
50.69 -> and adaptive dampers a standard. Now both
those things are optional on the Golf GTI.
58.359 -> The styling is actually quite restrained for
something this fast.
62.1 -> There's a deeper front bumper, full LED headlights,
19-inch wheels on the 280 models and around
67.48 -> the back, 2 oval exhausts.
69.91 -> When the standard car looks so good that's
hardly surprising.
73.05 -> It seems SEAT wants to ditch the boy racer
image for a higher class customer.
80.86 -> It's certainly classy in here - you get all
the same high-quality switchgear that you
84.54 -> would in the standard Leon but with a few
little extras to make it feel a bit more special.
89.13 -> The first is this flat-bottomed steering wheel
here and you've got these great figure-hugging
93.78 -> sport seats you can see behind me and a few
badges sprinkled around and that's about it
99.12 -> What you really want to know is what's this
thing like to drive - well its a lot of fun.
104.86 -> the steering it's quite light but
its really really sharp and into a tight corner
109.91 -> like this and get back on the power, you feel
the limited slip differential
114.41 -> shuffling the power to the outside wheel with
the most grip and slingshotting you out the
119.65 -> other side.
120.66 -> The engine? Well it's really smooth you can
hear that it sounds great. It doesn't quite
125.02 -> the snap of say a four-wheel-drive Golf R
but it's very quick nonetheless.
129.83 -> Now SEAT is dropping hints that this car could
even be
134.1 -> the fastest front-wheel drive hatch ever to
drive around the Nurburgring. We're going
137.74 -> to find out for definite at the Geneva show.
141.48 -> The big surprise for me driing this Curpa
around is just how easy it is to live with.
146.07 -> You got these adaptive dampers so put it in
comfort mode and it floats around just as
150.67 -> comfortable and quiet as any other Leon in
the range.
153.57 -> Then put it in Cupra mode and it firms up,
everything becomes that much more sharp and
158.75 -> you've got yourself a properly focused hot
hatch.
169.13 -> The Leon Cupra has always been a bit of a
bit player in the hot hatch game, but believe
173.93 -> me that's about to change.
175.6 -> Not only does this car look great, it drives
brilliantly too and represents excellent value.
181.98 -> You get the front
differential and the adaptive dampers standard
185.31 -> and you get a lot more power than a Golf GTI
but despite that it only costs around £500
190.569 -> with more than a GTI model for model.
193.2 -> Whichever way you look at it, that makes it
a bit of a performance bargain.
