SEAT Leon Cupra
Perhaps I could claim some sort of referral bonus from SEAT. For a spell back in 2000/2001, I must have shifted a decent number of Leon Cupras from recommendation alone. A few friends are still driving them, their word of mouth shifting yet more. For some time, there really was very little that could get near it from a price/performance/practicality perspective.
That was back then, however, and these days there are some very talented rivals that SEAT needs to knock down before garnering another recommendation. Is the 2006 vintage up to scratch?
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This time round, theres been a gestation period of well over a year between this second generation Leon hitting the dealers and the Cupra model appearing. Its not all SEATs fault. The company has to operate in close formation with Volkswagen, Audi, and Skoda and the last thing this group needs is SEAT stealing sales from, say, the potentially more profitable Volkswagen Golf GTI. Thats why the Golf gets a clear run at the market for a year or so and then first the Skoda Octavia vRS and then the SEAT Leon Cupra appear.
But does the Cupra really have the mettle to make customers defect from the tempting cabin of a Golf?
"The Leon Cupra proves that a 150mph+ performance car can double as everyday family transport for less than £20k"
It depends very much on your priorities. Put bluntly, you get more engine but less feel good factor with this car. The cabin of the Golf GTI is beautifully detailed and its easy to appreciate this as a premium piece of design. The SEAT, on the other hand, feels as if it has consciously been de-contented, the plastics a grade or two cheaper, the depth of engineering that has gone into the control surfaces that tangible bit shallower.
If this means very little to you, the Leon could well be your thing. It certainly doesnt want for performance. Itll catapult itself from standstill to 60mph in just 6.1 seconds and keep going to 153mph.
The 237bhp engine is based around the 197bhp unit used by both the Golf GTI and the Leon FR 2.0TFSI. However, in this form, the Cupras powerplant offers a heftier turbocharger, bigger capacity injectors, reinforced conrods and pistons and a revised cylinder head. Adding just over 30bhp gives the unit a notably different character.
Although its still very competent for a turbocharged four, youre now aware that there is a turbocharger at work under the bonnet whereas the 197bhp installation merely feels like a larger capacity six-cylinder engine. There have been some small modifications to the suspension as well, with revised spring and damper rates. Cupra buyers can also expect an upgrade from the FRs 17-inch rims to 18-inch ten-spoke alloys, as well as the fitment of some weight-saving aluminium parts that go some way to countering the increased unsprung weight of the wheels. Ride quality is extremely good and power deployment is a good deal more civilised than you might expect.
Drive the Leon Cupra back to back with an Astra VXR and youll appreciate that its a far more competently engineered car. What it isnt, however, is a more exciting car. Where the Astra will possibly be a little slower on a given cross country route, itll leave you thrilled, dry-mouthed and possibly a little sweaty palmed. The Leon, on the other hand, will have demolished the Vauxhall without a great deal of drama.
In building a car that only gets exciting when frankly horrifying figures are showing on the speedo, perhaps SEAT has been a little too clever for its own good. I could be wrong but Im certain the Golf GTI is a few degrees more communicative and live. This generation Leon is a good deal bigger than its predecessor and this extra space is particularly noticeable in the rear. The old car was pretty tight in the back but the addition of 12cm to the latest models length is felt particularly in the rear, where theres now knee room for six-footers.
Although theres no armrest in the back and the bench is a little flat, you wouldnt feel hard done by undertaking a longer journey here. The rear tailgate opens wide to reveal a load bay thats a little awkwardly shaped for bulky items but is otherwise perfectly adequate for this class of car. Weight has gone up by a mere 8kg, helped in no small part to innovative panel stamping procedures and an acrylic rear side window that incorporates the door handle. Both the front seat and the steering wheel are multi-adjustable and theres plenty of headroom up front even for taller drivers.
The nose curves rapidly out of view and shorter drivers may want to specify parking sensors. The windscreen pillars are annoyingly chunky which means that youll probably be doing a fair bit of see-sawing in your seat as you negotiate roundabouts. One can almost excuse this feature due to the fact that the windscreen wipers park vertically into the pillars a rather neat trick that helps with the vital showroom wow factor. All-round visibility isnt a Leon strong point, the three-quarter view being hampered by thick pillars and the rearward view consisting of a number of headrests.
The MK2 Leon Cupra improves on its practicality and, on most objective scorecards, offers a bigger bang and equivalent value for money as its forebear. However, much has changed since I first raved about the MK1 version of this model in 2000. While its a car that still comes with a big thumbs up, there are many talented rivals. Is this Leon really any better than a Ford Focus ST, a Renaultsport Clio 197 or a Honda Civic Type-R? I have my doubts.
SEAT has built a fine car but I dont think Ill be getting rich on any referral fees.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: SEAT Leon Cupra
PRICE: £19,622 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 17
CO2 EMISSIONS: 199g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 153mph / 0-60mph 6.1s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 34mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: six airbags, 3-point seatbelts with pre-tensioners, ESP, EBA and DSR.
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4323/1768/1458
