CUPRA, the performance brand spun off from Seat, has put the latest Leon hot hatch on sale, writes William Scholes.
It's a potent piece of kit. It arrives with hardware familiar from elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group empire - a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, here producing 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque, and a double-clutch automatic gearbox.
All that is enough to shove the Leon from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds. Top speed is 155mph.
Cupra says the car's fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 37.2mpg, with CO2 emissions rated at 171g/km.
It launches in two trim levels.
VZ2, priced from £35,660, gets black and silver 19-inch alloys, black brake callipers, bucket seats, quad exhaust pipes and the chrome and copper detailing which Cupra is developing as its signature finish.
A digital dashboard, many USB sockets, smartphone mirroring and three-zone climate control are among other standard features.
Moving up to the £37,390 VZ3 trim gets you a different wheel design, leather upholstery, a large sunroof and gadgets such as wireless phone charging and heated front seats.
Oddly, given the popularity of hot hatches and performance cars in Northern Ireland, there are as yet no official Cupra dealers here.
There are also hybrid and estate versions of the Cupra Leon.
