Seat Leon Cupra R ST 2019 first drive

This is not, I repeat not, a Cupra Leon R ST. Never mind the aggressive styling, quad tailpipes or shouty alloys - just ignore all of that. What this grey and copper-coated thug of a fast estate is, is a Seat: the Seat Leon Cupra R ST, to be exact, and only 150 of them are coming to the UK.

It seems a bit of a backwards step in terms of naming strategy, doesn’t it? Especially when you remember how militant Martorell was in its insistence that the Cupra Ateca was, you know, a Cupra and definitely not a Seat. Establishing a dedicated performance arm and then not naming your latest - and potentially most appealing - performance machine accordingly seems odd to me, but I’m no branding whizz. Seat says that as this generation of Leon was Cupra-ised before the sub-brand split, it will continue to call it a Seat until the next-generation Leon comes along. So it’ll be 2020 before we see a genuine Cupra Leon, then.

In the meantime, Seat Leon Cupra R ST will have to do. And, head-scratcher of a naming strategy aside, it bears all the hallmarks of a proper road weapon. As with the Leon Cupra R hatchback, the Volkswagen Group’s ubiquitous EA888 engine sits at its nose, where it develops 296bhp and 295lb ft. But while the hatch is a front-driven manual, the estate’s power is distributed to all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG. 

Such a set-up will no doubt be familiar (think Audi SQ2, Volkswagen Golf R et al), but here it carries a bit more significance: Seat claims this is its first car capable of hitting 62mph from a standstill in less than five seconds. Admittedly, 4.9sec is only a touch below that mark, but the novelty of being able to do it in a practical wagon with a 482-litre boot and enough room in the back for two taller adults will take some time to wear thin.Elsewhere, the Leon Cupra R ST gets new suspension uprights to increase negative camber at both axles to two degrees; adaptive dampers for even tighter body control; 340mm Brembo front brakes; super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres; and an Alcantara-clad interior. How very sporty.

On the closed section of Spanish mountain road that made up part of our test route, the Leon felt every bit as potent as its hardware suggests it should. With launch control engaged, acceleration off the line is certainly intense; but it was the car’s massive traction that impressed most. There’s no mucking about whatsoever; no discernable wheelspin, no hesitation from the transmission, nothing. You simply come off the brake, it squats down on its haunches and then proceeds to attack whatever road happens to be directly in front of that rather gratuitous front splitter.