Test – Seat Leon CUPRA ST – An estate for dads in a hurry?

ST: Abbreviation for Station Wagon. We therefore took the wheel of the estate version, 4drive – with non-permanent four-wheel drive.

Conception

The Leon is available in a 3-door version (SC), 5-door, and X-Perience version (raised estate) for adventurers.

Only the ST version has all-wheel drive. The Leon, like all sedans from the Volkswagen group, is based on the MQB platform, which it shares with the Golf and the latest generation Audi A3. New at Seat, the ST features the 6-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, which until now, was exclusive to other brands in the group.

On the numbers side, the station wagon is 4.55m long and has an unladen weight of 1,650 kg. The all-wheel drive and the extra few centimeters of this station wagon version add an additional 200 kg compared to the 2-door coupe version.

Design Side: A Discreet Yet Remarkable Shooting Brake!

The model tested by our teams is the facelifted phase 3, dressed in this magnificent blue, which leaves no one indifferent. The changes are rather discreet, with its Full LED signature (The Leon was the first car to offer this technology in 2012) allowing easy recognition of the different models in the group (Ateca / Terraco).

The indicators are now integrated into the daytime running lights at the front and rear, slightly evolving by taking up the entire width of the daytime running light.

In terms of design, our station wagon features very straight-lined shapes. The designs of the grille, the profile, and even the tailgate are sleek, right down to the side mirrors straight out of Need For Speed Underground.

We can see the two exhaust outlets by their oval shapes, details that are not at all aesthetically in line with the rest of the car. In terms of ground clearance, our test version features 19-inch wheels fitted with Continental Sport 235/35/19 tires. The wheels perfectly dress the wagon and reveal the sporty brake calipers from the Spanish brand stamped with CUPRA (Brembo sport brakes optional).

To distinguish it from the FR Version, only the flag badges will let you understand that this version has the most powerful engine of the brand. The sportiness remains generally discreet.

On the aesthetic side, we can characterize it as Young, Dynamic, and Distinctive!

Life on board: Family-oriented and not sporty!

Inside, the Spanish brand adopts 90% of the instrumentation and atmosphere from the Volkswagen group’s sedans. Whether you step into a Seat, an Octavia, or even a GOLF R, you won’t feel out of place. Again, sportiness remains discreet or even nonexistent. Seat has simply stamped the Cupra badge on the white-stitched steering wheel and next to the DSG gearbox, nothing more.

The full leather seats are enveloping and beautiful to look at, with a carbon imitation on the side and the Cupra logo embossed in the middle. Small drawback: only the driver’s seat has electric adjustment and no memory… Sad savings.

As we are discussing a station wagon, we cannot write this article without mentioning the rear seats and the trunk. The latter is generous, offering a volume of 587 liters and even 1,470 liters with the rear seats folded. As for the rear seats, they are more than adequate if you need to drop the kids off at school with a 10-minute delay.

Our test model features the panoramic sunroof, providing a magnificent well of light, which remains a definite advantage.

Motorization and road behavior: simple, effective, and fast

The biggest evolution is under the hood. The engine and gearbox unit undergoes a very interesting modification. The 2.0L TSI has gained 10hp since 2014 and now produces 300hp at 5,500 rpm. The torque of our wagon increases by 30nm, bringing it to 380nm available from 1,800 rpm. In terms of performance, the 0 to 100 km/h is achieved in 5.8 seconds with excellent acceleration.

The 4Drive allows us to integrate an electronically controlled VAG Haldex limited-slip differential into our shooting brake. This very interesting system allows torque to be distributed up to 100% to a single wheel. Coupled with the well-known and highly efficient DSG gearbox, we noticed exemplary traction and acceleration on our country roads under all circumstances.

The Cupra also features dynamically adjustable adaptive suspension. It is managed through 3 modes: Comfort, Sport, and Cupra.

We go from family car to shooting brake with a click.

We therefore take the wheel of this family station wagon. We get on board using the Key free system, press the Start/Stop button (flashing red… like a heartbeat, a nice detail for those who like gadgets), and the engine starts with a very discreet purr.

We drive a few kilometers in comfort mode and what strikes us is the overall dynamism of our station wagon. You can enjoy it as much in « Comfort » mode as in « Cupra » mode. Once the kids are dropped off, the real fun begins (joking aside, we didn’t have kids for our test:D)

We activate the Cupra mode (the sport mode doesn’t make much of a difference in our opinion). The engine sound changes slightly in tone (unfortunately, it is fake). The suspensions stiffen, the accelerations are brisk, and the torque available from low revs allows us to maintain a very brisk pace and chain together corners quickly without fear. The car’s handling is precise, the steering is sharp, and the traction is exemplary. The electronics coupled with the all-wheel drive correct our mistakes, even on a wet road after an autumn rain. The sport seats provide excellent support, and the gearbox is responsive, even in manual mode with the paddle shifters.

Weak point, the braking lacks bite. Indeed, you have to stop the 1.6 tons in motion, and the turns come up so quickly that we have a few scares with late braking. In our opinion, the Brembo braking option is not too much if you really want to exploit the 300hp of the Cupra.

You can therefore cruise at 130 km/h on the highway with mom and children sleeping, and enjoy yourself on our mountain roads without blushing in front of compact sports cars.

In conclusion

Seat has been surprising us for several years, and has done it again with this Seat Leon Cupra, embodying the youthful spirit of the brand. The engineers at Seat have brilliantly combined comfort and sportiness. Only the lack of a sporty signature inside leaves a negative note for our shooting brake.

On the price side, you can get this model for less than 45,000 euros, which is very competitive compared to some competing brands.

Numbers

The Seat Leon Cupra ST 300 4Drive is listed in the catalog starting at €40,499, which positions it advantageously compared to the Golf R Variant, which costs €43,880. The consumption of this Cupra ST is rated at 7.2 l/100 km. Expect around 9.5 l/100 km on average with frequently spirited driving on small roads, which remains very respectable for a 300 hp car.

The most

• Family / Sport Combination
• Perfect Engine / Gearbox
• Performance / Comfort Compromise

The least

• Too effective « brake » and not playful
• Cabin and interior pleasure: weakly defined sporty identity
• Artificial engine sound

The photos of our test: