Monday 13th November 2006

Seat unveils Leon Cupra's price

More power for less cash than a Golf GTI

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SEAT has revealed the UK price for the new Leon Cupra.

Costing £19,595 on the road for 237bhp, the Cupra sits at the top of the Leon range, and will be offered with one very special engine, exclusive to SEAT: a 2.0-litre turbocharged T FSI 16-valve petrol unit. Compared to a £20,360 Golf GTI with 197bhp from the same engine, it looks good value.

The engine has been uprated from the Leon FR/Golf GTI’s version on which it is based. Modifications include a larger turbocharger, reinforced pistons and engine block, strengthened connecting rods, a new ultra heat-resistant alloy for the cylinder head, plus larger injectors. The car also sounds sportier thanks to a specially tuned exhaust system. Yet despite the Cupra’s extra dose of power, the efficiency of direct injection allows average fuel economy of 34 mpg.

As a result, SEAT’s most powerful model to date can sprint from rest to 62 mph in 6.4 seconds, before hitting a maximum speed of 153mph -- performance that the company likes to compare with the Leon Touring Car, as driven by Jason Plato, and which helped SEAT secure the BTCC Manufacturers’ Trophy 2006.

Standard specification includes bi-xenon headlights, six airbags, ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), dual zone climate control, MP3-compatible CD player for directly connecting, for example, an iPod, plus front and rear electric windows.

From the outside, the new Cupra is distinguishable from other Leons through its black door pillars and mirrors, black chin spoiler, exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels, single wide oval exhaust pipe, red sports brake callipers and the word ‘CUPRA’ across the tailgate, where ‘LEON’ would usually reside. The Cupra sits 14 mm closer to the ground than a standard Leon.

Inside it gets an exclusive steering wheel, gearknob and dials, aluminium-covered pedals, dramatic wraparound bucket seats, and black trim throughout.

Pity about the ped-friendly design that's forced the raising of the front snout though...

[erijaso]

Dear Santa, please, I will be good

[E4UAN]

Looks a bit tame to me...

[waynepixel]

This does look very good value for the money. Get the REVO Re-map, and you could be looking at almost 300-Bhp. Me like.

Edited by waynepixel on Monday 13th November 12:44

[Saied]

Shame its overweight by some quarter of a tonne.

[Scoobers]

mungo said:

Still prefer the older style Cupra R

I agree ! I am kinda biased though .

Hope it can put the 237Bhp down better than mine does 225.

[Lord-Flasheart]

19,595?

Focus ST is £2000 cheaper I think

VW GTI and Focus St are better looking in my opinion.

[panthro]

I think its fugly. Would take an ST or GTI over it. Shame the S3 is 7k more.

[thekirbyfake]

Seat have traditionally been the sportiest in the VAG stable so it should drive well if the GTI is anything to go by.

The ST and VXR undercut it by some margin though, the Focus by £2k (3dr version, £1.5k less for a 5dr ST). With the Octavia vRS at £17.5k it had to differentiate itself but the best part of £20k for a Seat seems a bit steep.

[havoc]

Saied said:

Shame its overweight by some quarter of a tonne.

Most cars are nowadays, sadly. Ped regs, crash regs, all the toys that most buyers apparently 'demand'

If they can keep the feedback and poise of the GTi, should be quite a weapon.

[adycav]

It's a shame that the price of SEATs has gradually crept up. I'he has 3 SEATS in the past (including a 2003 Cupra R) and as a tight git their value for money has always appealed to me.

One of the main reasons that the original LCR was so popular was that it was the cheapest way of getting 210/225hp at the time.

The Focus ST is the biggest problem for the Cupra now. SEAT should have tried harder to undercut this, even if it meant ditching some of the fripperies.

It does, however, make the £16,995, 200hp FR look like a bit of a bargain, especially since you should be able to haggle a little bit off when the Cupra is in the showrooms.

[thekirbyfake]

adycav said:

The Focus ST is the biggest problem for the Cupra now. SEAT should have tried harder to undercut this, even if it meant ditching some of the fripperies.

I just had another look at the ST and specced a Focus to the same spec as a standard Leon Cupra-R.

£17.5k is a bloody good start for the ST but if you go for 5 doors (£500), ESP+MP3+HID (£1000 as part of the ST2), Climate (£400) & rear leccy windows (£175!!!) then you're looking at thirty sheets below £20k.

The question is do you need all of those options?

[Mr Whippy]

But FIVE doors.

Yuk!

Sorry but the looks just suffer. Fair enough if you NEED five doors, but many don't and there isn't a 3 door option!

Dave

Edited by Mr Whippy on Monday 13th November 17:03

[thekirbyfake]

I actually think the Leon is one of the few cars that holds 5 doors well. Certainly better than mine!

[chriz1]

Looks uguly though doesnt it!all the new Leons do theyve ruined the look of the Leon.

[mackie1]

It looks and feels like a people carrier. Don't like it. The front overhang is huuuuge.

[tomtvr]

So no Cupra R version? No AWD system.

I would definatley go Focus ST and given it has a 2.5 engine to start with i expect it could be more tunable.

[thekirbyfake]

Top Gear review

Don't rate it that highly

[Whiters]

Sat in it at the motorshow. Feels really nice from the drivers seat, and by that I mean nice and hemmed in, not like the people carrier feel some new hatches have. Looks good in the flesh but barely any different to the well spec'd FR that was next to it IMHO.

[angrys3owner]

Now I wonder if to get to the 237bhp that is a remapped lesser engine / turbo / cooling or a detuned S3 engine / turbo / cooling. Depending on which that could be one hell of a bargain. Or you could wait a year or two to get the full turbo nutty 260bhp version which I'm pretty sure will happen.

[Denn1s]

The looks are poor, too much like the FR and too soft in general, the LCR (our lass has a 225) was agresive, this is just to pedstrian friendly etc.

Teh price is also too much, they should have priced it simliar to the LCR.