Seat Leon Cupra R burns itself on to our retinas
Seat has announced that it will show the most powerful version of its Leon hatchback at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month.
The Spanish carmaker says that the Leon Cupra R’s 261bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine will match the power output of the Leon TDI it races in the World Touring Car Championship.
All this power means that, on the road, Seat claims it will be capable of 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, which puts it at almost Focus RS pace (5.9 seconds for 0-62mph) and a fair bit quicker than the Golf GTI (6.8 seconds). The official fuel consumption should be just under 35mpg, but few of the, shall we say, enthusiastic drivers who own one will get anything like that in the real world.
As befits a hot hatch, there are the usual badges around the car (an R on the grille and boot, Cupra badges on the exterior and in the cabin) reminding us it’s a bit tasty. There are also 19” alloys, bright red brake calipers, bucket seats in grey Alcantera, leather steering wheel and aluminium-trimmed pedals.
Other standard equipment includes the usual alphabetti spaghetti safety equipment – in this case ABS and TCS (anti-lock brakes and traction control), ESP and EBA (stability control and brake assistance), XDS (Seat’s new electronic limited slip differential) – plus the usual array of airbags, Isofix anchoring points, tyre pressure warning, light and rain sensors, rear parking sensors, cruise control, trip computer, cornering fog lights, dual-zone climate control and MP3-compatible eight-speaker CD/radio.
There’s no confirmation yet on UK availability, but as we’re the biggest market in the world for hot hatches, it’s probable we’ll see the Leon Cupra R in our showrooms sometime next year. In an eye-searing colour, no doubt.
Seat Leon Cupra R burns itself on to our retinas - Sky Motoring
The Spanish carmaker says that the Leon Cupra R’s 261bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged TSI engine will match the power output of the Leon TDI it races in the World Touring Car Championship.
All this power means that, on the road, Seat claims it will be capable of 0-62mph in 6.1 seconds, which puts it at almost Focus RS pace (5.9 seconds for 0-62mph) and a fair bit quicker than the Golf GTI (6.8 seconds). The official fuel consumption should be just under 35mpg, but few of the, shall we say, enthusiastic drivers who own one will get anything like that in the real world.
As befits a hot hatch, there are the usual badges around the car (an R on the grille and boot, Cupra badges on the exterior and in the cabin) reminding us it’s a bit tasty. There are also 19” alloys, bright red brake calipers, bucket seats in grey Alcantera, leather steering wheel and aluminium-trimmed pedals.
Other standard equipment includes the usual alphabetti spaghetti safety equipment – in this case ABS and TCS (anti-lock brakes and traction control), ESP and EBA (stability control and brake assistance), XDS (Seat’s new electronic limited slip differential) – plus the usual array of airbags, Isofix anchoring points, tyre pressure warning, light and rain sensors, rear parking sensors, cruise control, trip computer, cornering fog lights, dual-zone climate control and MP3-compatible eight-speaker CD/radio.
There’s no confirmation yet on UK availability, but as we’re the biggest market in the world for hot hatches, it’s probable we’ll see the Leon Cupra R in our showrooms sometime next year. In an eye-searing colour, no doubt.
Seat Leon Cupra R burns itself on to our retinas - Sky Motoring
