Photo: SB-Medien
Right now, the new SEAT Leon has got to be the least interesting of the upcoming VW Group debuts. Perhaps for that reason, the company is already working on an attention-grabbing Cupra model before the RS and GTI sisters arrive.
In quick succession, we got an official statement from a SEAT boss and spyshots of this hot hatch prototype at the Nurburgring. Instead of a more powerful car with AWD, the Cupra brand is giving us a hybrid with 245 HP (plug-in is implied).
These latest spyshots show the Cupra Leon undergoing a round of testing in the Alps. It's wearing a camouflage wrap, but we can still see how understated its design is. This is partly due to the more premium nature of the base next-generation Leon, but they could have done much more with the exhaust and diffuser as well. Where's the carbon fiber?
Despite the subtle nature of the new Cupra and what the rumors say, we find it hard to believe that this is a plug-in hybrid, since it has no visible ports. Perhaps we misunderstood the whole thing, and there isn't a 1.5-liter turbo+electricity under the hood, like the Cupra Formentor. This could just be a mild-hybrid 2-liter turbo that's to be shared with the Golf GTI. That would be better, but the gap betwen it and the Golf R would still grow.
That wouldn't make the purists happy, but automakers are facing increasing scrutiny from EU legislators, who want to kill everything that's hot or fun. SEAT is even working on an EV, something it didn't want only a few years ago.
The one major positive of this generation switch will be the upgraded interior. We can almost see the digital dashboard, while the infotainment screen will have over-the-air updates, Amazon Alexa and superior graphics. Also, expect a more modern climate control system and a driver-oriented dashboard.
These latest spyshots show the Cupra Leon undergoing a round of testing in the Alps. It's wearing a camouflage wrap, but we can still see how understated its design is. This is partly due to the more premium nature of the base next-generation Leon, but they could have done much more with the exhaust and diffuser as well. Where's the carbon fiber?
Despite the subtle nature of the new Cupra and what the rumors say, we find it hard to believe that this is a plug-in hybrid, since it has no visible ports. Perhaps we misunderstood the whole thing, and there isn't a 1.5-liter turbo+electricity under the hood, like the Cupra Formentor. This could just be a mild-hybrid 2-liter turbo that's to be shared with the Golf GTI. That would be better, but the gap betwen it and the Golf R would still grow.
That wouldn't make the purists happy, but automakers are facing increasing scrutiny from EU legislators, who want to kill everything that's hot or fun. SEAT is even working on an EV, something it didn't want only a few years ago.
The one major positive of this generation switch will be the upgraded interior. We can almost see the digital dashboard, while the infotainment screen will have over-the-air updates, Amazon Alexa and superior graphics. Also, expect a more modern climate control system and a driver-oriented dashboard.
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