| SEAT is fast becoming a favorite on British roads as | | | | little blocked vision from the centre B-pillar when |
| more and more customers warm to Spanish flair linked | | | | glancing over the right shoulder when looking to |
| to Volkswagen excellence. | | | | overtake. |
| It's certainly a brand on the ascent, with an impressive | | | | But the Cupra has a generous amount of inside space, |
| 15 per cent sales increase last year. | | | | bags of rear legroom and a generally airy feel. |
| And the Leon, in particular, had a fantastic 2006 with | | | | SEATs are rightly famed for their huge boot space, |
| sales up by an impressive 42 per cent. | | | | and the Cupra is no exception. It's extra deep, with |
| Nothing has boosted its image more than the Leon's | | | | unobstructed full width. Rear seat backs fold down to |
| flagship Cupra - the hot hatch that has captured the | | | | form an almost flat platform, creating a really useful |
| imagination of a generation of thrill-seekers but is still | | | | load area if you really need to fill up, though they don't |
| recognised as a desirable and practical day-to-day | | | | fully tumble. |
| family car. | | | | Some aspects of the car verge on the quirky, adding |
| Now the new Leon Cupra has burst onto the scene | | | | to its mystique. I can remember few other cars I have |
| and become SEAT's most powerful production model | | | | driven that have crab-action wipers that park vertically |
| to date. | | | | at either side of the windscreen. And the massive |
| The rakish and sporty Cupra boasts fantastic looks, | | | | front pillars sweep back at an amazing angle. |
| with great road presence, and its performance figures | | | | A word of praise for the totally simplified ergonomics - |
| are eye-watering. | | | | this is a car that's easy to find your way around |
| The five-door hatchback's raw figures give a revealing | | | | quickly and main dial displays offer clear, precise |
| glimpse of the car's awesome power potential, thanks | | | | readout. |
| to a 2.0-litre T FSI turbocharged petrol engine which | | | | I still can't quite understand why the handbrake is sited |
| really does pack a punch - standstill to 62mph in a | | | | over the other side of the centre console slightly too |
| blistering 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 153mph | | | | far away and my only minor criticism of the car is that |
| should be fast enough for even the most demanding | | | | the rear wiper only clears the centre of the rear |
| enthusiast driver. | | | | window, leaving the sides untouched. |
| Yet SEAT's most potent model can still return around | | | | But at under £20,000, the Leon Cupra is one of |
| 34mpg on the combined cycle. | | | | the most strikingly original, dynamic and satisfying hot |
| The car is also orally exciting, with a low-down | | | | hatchbacks around. |
| menacing burble at low speed that rises to an urgent | | | | Don't take my word for it - ask all the drivers queuing |
| rasp when it nears the red line. | | | | up to buy it. |
| Like many of today's best engines, the Cupra's power | | | | # Factfile: |
| comes through so smoothly and effectively and the | | | | # SEAT Leon Cupra, £19,995. |
| car never feels flustered, however much horsepower | | | | # Most powerful SEAT production car to date. |
| is flooding through. | | | | # 240PS from turbocharged 2.0-litre T FSI engine, |
| The driver is assured of total involvement in all the | | | | which is exclusive to SEAT, featuring direct injection |
| action, with tight steering, excellent handling and | | | | and 16 valves. |
| razor-sharp control and feedback, linked to agile | | | | # Similar gearbox to Leon FR but with slightly modified |
| handling. | | | | ratios and reinforced to cope with higher torque output. |
| The driving experience is boosted by the Cupra's slick, | | | | # 18-inch alloys, aggressive front air intakes with black |
| fast and wristy six-speed gearbox and the Cupra | | | | lower lip, black mirror housings, glossy back B- and |
| tackles corners with relish, boasting confidence-inspiring | | | | C-pillars, trademark oval exhaust pipe, CUPRA badge |
| grip and control. | | | | on bootlid, red painted brake calipers. |
| Although the ride is firm to hard, and knobbly over bad | | | | # Bucket-style front sports seats, metal-covered |
| surfaces, generally the car is equally at home as an | | | | pedals, Cupra-branded instrument cluster, steering |
| everyday workhorse as an exciting weekend racer. | | | | wheel and gearknob. |
| The deeply raked front screen is visually quite alarming | | | | # Lowered suspension set-up, lighter front axle through |
| from the inside until you get used to it and there is a | | | | use of aluminium. |