Super Cupra Is So Hot, It Sizzles

SEAT is fast becoming a favorite on British roads aslittle blocked vision from the centre B-pillar when
more and more customers warm to Spanish flair linkedglancing over the right shoulder when looking to
to Volkswagen excellence.overtake.
It's certainly a brand on the ascent, with an impressiveBut 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 withSEATs 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'sunobstructed full width. Rear seat backs fold down to
flagship Cupra - the hot hatch that has captured theform an almost flat platform, creating a really useful
imagination of a generation of thrill-seekers but is stillload area if you really need to fill up, though they don't
recognised as a desirable and practical day-to-dayfully tumble.
family car.Some aspects of the car verge on the quirky, adding
Now the new Leon Cupra has burst onto the sceneto its mystique. I can remember few other cars I have
and become SEAT's most powerful production modeldriven 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 figuresA 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 revealingquickly and main dial displays offer clear, precise
glimpse of the car's awesome power potential, thanksreadout.
to a 2.0-litre T FSI turbocharged petrol engine whichI still can't quite understand why the handbrake is sited
really does pack a punch - standstill to 62mph in aover the other side of the centre console slightly too
blistering 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 153mphfar away and my only minor criticism of the car is that
should be fast enough for even the most demandingthe 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 aroundBut 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-downhatchbacks around.
menacing burble at low speed that rises to an urgentDon'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 thewhich is exclusive to SEAT, featuring direct injection
action, with tight steering, excellent handling andand 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 Cupralower lip, black mirror housings, glossy back B- and
tackles corners with relish, boasting confidence-inspiringC-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 anpedals, 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 ause of aluminium.