SEAT Leon Cupra 290 2016 review ~ station of gear

SEAT Leon Cupra 290 review - crop front tracking

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SEAT Leon Cupra 290 review - front tracking

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26 Feb, 2016 1:00pm Steve Sutcliffe

Can the new SEAT Leon Cupra 290 take the hot hatchback fight to the Ford Focus RS and Honda Civic Type R?

The SEAT Leon Cupra has long been a wolf in sheep’s clothing, boasting the performance and dynamic repertoire to worry all but the most expensive, most exclusive hot hatchbacks. And this new 290 model (replacing the outgoing 280) continues that theme with a bit more power, a bit more torque, a new sports exhaust, and a range of styling tweaks inside and out.

• Best hot hatchbacks to buy right now

The result is a front-wheel drive hot hatch that still costs considerably less than all its key rivals, but that can, on paper at least, compete with just about any of them where it matters.

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SEAT Leon Cupra 290 review - rear tracking

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The cheapest model is the three-door SC, seen here, which costs £28,375. When fitted with a manual gearbox the 286bhp SC (it has 290PS, hence the name) can hit 62mph from rest in just 5.7sec with a top speed of 155mph. Go for the excellent but optional DSG gearbox (£1,158 extra) and that time drops by a tenth to 5.6sec.

Either way, it’s clear that the 290 has firepower to all but level with the new breed of uber-hatchbacks personified by the Honda Civic Type R, Ford’s new Focus RS and even its own rather more expensive stablemate, the subtle but brilliant Golf R.

Question is, can it deliver the goods in the twisty bits as well, or is 286bhp beyond what a front wheel-drive chassis can handle nowadays? Even if it is aided in its cause by a standard fit electronic limited slip differential? Answer; yes.

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On the road, the 290 feels genuinely rapid, and because its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine now develops more torque over a broader rev range than before, it has that effortless edge to its performance that elevates it above most regular hot hatchbacks. Select Cupra mode and the steering, dampers, throttle response, exhaust noise and even the responses from the DSG (when fitted) all get sharper, keener. But even in Sport or Comfort modes the 290 still feels urgent. And quick with a capital F.

Its real talent on the move, however, is its soothing, almost grown up blend of noise and suspension refinement, allied to its very real sense of potent acceleration. The ride quality is excellent considering the amount of lateral composure that’s on offer, yet traction is never seemingly an issue either. Admittedly, the smooth roads we tried the car on in Spain were hardly a challenge for grip, but the standard-fit electronic diff worked well, sending power to whichever front wheel is best able to deploy the torque – without there ever being much sign of torque steer.

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Unfortunately, the Cupra 290 is let down a little by its interior. The sports front seats are both comfortable and supportive and the new Full Link comms system is brilliantly intuitive to use and comes fitted as standard. The rear seats are also roomy and comfortable while the build quality is right up there with the very best in this class, but what there isn’t is much of inside is visual pizazz. The dials and dashboard are perfectly neat and tidy, but they lack any design distinction from lesser members of the Leon range. Similarly the trim in general is a bit ordinary for a car that has this much potential to entertain.

Overall, though, the Leon Cupra 290 is another peach from SEAT. In many ways it’s a cut price Golf R that does a staggeringly good job considering it lacks that car’s four wheel drive system. And as before, it’s also thundering good value for money, with the performance and pure dynamic ability of cars that cost far more and, sometimes, deliver less.

Another gem from SEAT, the Leon Cupra 290 is not just faster and more powerful than before but also better to drive. Despite it costing less than all the top line hot hatchbacks of the moment, it can level with most of them where it counts; on the road. And it comes better equipped than many rivals to boot. If only it had a slightly fun interior…

Model: SEAT Leon Cupra SC 290
Price: £28,375 (SC manual)
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front wheel-drive
Power/torque: 286bhp/350Nm

0-62mph: 5.7s
Top speed: 155mph
Economy/C02: 42.2mpg/156g/km
On sale: Now

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