Seat is following in the footsteps of parent company VW by bringing a performance compact estate to market with the new Leon ST Cupra, which has just been unveiled in production form.
The hot estate is the first Cupra model that adopts this body style and sources all its mechanical parts from the Leon Cupra Sport Coupé and five-door hatches. This means it is powered by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine available with two power levels: 265PS (261hp) in the Leon ST Cupra and 280PS (276hp) in the Leon ST Cupra 280. Both versions produce a maximum torque of 350Nm (258lb-ft) from 1,700 to 5,600 rpm.
Needless to say, the Cupra 280 is the fastest, reaching 100 km/h from standstill in 6 seconds flat when mated with the optional DSG transmission (6.1 seconds with the six-speed manual gearbox). The standard Seat Leon ST Cupra accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.1 seconds with the DSG and 6.2 seconds with the manual. Both models have an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
The figures are quite impressive for an estate that has a maximum load space of 1,470 liters (51.9 cu-ft) with the rear seats folded flat. Furthermore, declared fuel economy is quite low, at 6.6 l/100 km (35.6 mpg US) for both power variants with DSG and 6.7 l/100 km (35.1 mpg US) with the manual gearbox. This equates to CO2 figures of 154 and 157 grams.
The Seat Leon ST Cupra sports a similar styling kit to the Leon Cupra hatches that includes a revised front end with large air intakes, rear skirt with diffuser effect and the two oval end pipes. The alloy wheels are exclusive to the Cupra, while the red brake calipers and tinted side and rear windshields make it stand out from regular Leon ST models.
Inside, the Leon ST Cupra gets a sports steering wheel with shifting paddles for the optional DSG transmission, sports seats in black Alcantara finished with white stitching, as well as aluminum pedals and door sill plates.
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