This is the SEAT Leon Cupra R ST. Note that, unlike the hot version of its Ateca big brother, this Cupra still bears the SEAT 鈥楽鈥?on the nose. While Cupra has recently become its own standalone brand, the new copper-coloured logo - the one seemingly inspired by an evil conglomerate from a sci-fi movie - will only be applied to models developed as a Cupra from the start. So while you absolutely mustn't call a Cupra a SEAT, it鈥檚 okay to call this SEAT a Cupra. Fast family wagons are a fairly niche class of car, with the Leon鈥檚 only real rival coming from within the Volkswagen Group. The VW Golf R Estate is considered by many to be all the performance car you鈥檒l ever need, so does the SEAT deserve the same praise? Well on paper, the two are extremely similar. Both share the MQB platform, both are powered by the same 296bhp 2.0-litre, four cylinder turbocharged 鈥楨A888鈥?engine, and both send their power to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox.
The Leon does get some unique features to set it apart: new front suspension uprights increase camber by two degrees, while rear camber is revised, too. Adaptive dampers are fitted all round, suspending a set of 19-inch wheels wrapped in grippy Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres. The front brakes, meanwhile, are by Brembo. Elsewhere, not all of the Cupra R ST鈥檚 styling changes are just for show: the carbon fibre front splitter and rear diffuser, in addition to the extended rear wing, work together to produce a modest level of downforce. Inside, the Cupra R ST gets the same space for five and big boot as the rest of the Leon range. The driver is greeted by a steering wheel wrapped in gorgeous alcantara, and sitting behind it is SEAT鈥檚 digital cockpit display. The copper coloured trim pieces surrounding the air vents look subtle, but the carbon-effect material on the door inserts is a bit naff. But that doesn鈥檛 affect the way it drives, and the Cupra R ST is devastatingly capable on a twisty road.
The lateral grip warranted by those suspension tweaks and the Cup 2 tyres is nothing short of immense, and traction is all but impossible to break in dry conditions. The 2.0-litre turbo delivers formidable straight line speed, sounds great, and it鈥檚 kept in check by those Brembo brakes, which are powerful and give the driver confidence to stop late and hard repeatedly. It isn鈥檛 just a brutal tool to devour roads, though: the Leon feels adjustable, and the steering is wonderfully weighted. If anything, it feels more playful than a Golf R Estate - though we鈥檇 need to try the pair side-by-side to be sure. The suspension tweaks don鈥檛 come at the expense of compliance either. What few bumps we found on the smooth Catalan roads of the launch were dealt with admirably, whether pushing hard along a twisty road, or when switching into 鈥楥omfort鈥?mode along a motorway. In fact there鈥檚 only one weak link in the driving experience, and that鈥檚 the gearbox. Admittedly, the DSG system shifts quickly under hard acceleration, but it can be laggy in other situations, particularly when pulling away from lower speeds.
Take manual control, and the mix of cheap, plasticy paddle shifters and a reluctance to select a lower gear when downshifting all conspire to detach you from the fun. While a manual 鈥榖ox wouldn鈥檛 be as quick, it鈥檇 be much more satisfying to use. Despite this, the Leon Cupra R ST is a deeply capable car overall. You鈥檇 hope so, at 拢37,975, though. In its defence, a 拢1,140 premium over a Golf R Estate doesn鈥檛 sound too bad considering the Leon鈥檚 extras, and with just 150 examples coming to the UK, exclusivity is guaranteed, too. SEAT has another trick up its sleeve to tempt you away from the VW, too. Thanks to a tie-in with tuning company ABT, a quick software tweak - fully manufacturer approved and warranty compliant - bumps up the power to 365bhp, slashing the 0-62mph time to just 4.5 seconds. And the best news of all? It costs just 拢500. You鈥檇 be mad not to.
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