Seat: Second helping for the Spanish horsepower king

Seat celebrates its birthday: 20 years of Cupra! In 1996, the Spanish automaker surprised everyone with the Ibiza Kit-Car, a race car that was to take over the top position in the 2-liter class in the World Rally Championship, and its twin brother Ibiza Cupra with 150 hp for the road. With the Cupra anniversary version, Seat is primarily building on the tried and tested. Neither visually nor technically does the new model offer any additional changes worth mentioning. All that really remains is the 10 hp increase in power. With 290 hp and 350 Nm, the Leon Cupra should gain a small but significant advantage over its competitors Opel Astra OPC, Renault Mégane RS and Ford Focus ST in the highly competitive segment of everyday sports cars.

Sound actuator and stop-start system ex works
The 2.0-liter TSI gasoline engine with dual injection and variable timing gives the Leon Cupra attractive performance. It delivers its power to the asphalt via the front wheels with responsive traction. Depending on preference, the driver can choose between Comfort, Sport and Cupra driving modes. The latter was a particular focus of further development: throttle response is even more sensitive, the DSG transmission changes gears even more sportily, and the sound actuator ensures that the sound of the engine also matches the driving performance. All versions feature the stop-start system.

The entry-level model is available from 37,950 francs
The Cupra 290 is already at Seat dealers, as a three-door SC, five-door and station wagon ST. Prices start from 37,950 francs. The DSG dual-clutch transmission costs an extra 1800 francs, and the station wagon is priced from 39,500 francs.

www.seat.ch
Photos: Factory