British International Motor Show - Seat

What's the star?
Seat unveiled the new Leon Cupra hot hatch at the London Show – one of a handful of genuine premieres at ExCel.

Is it a Golf GTI rival?
You bet! Seat’s Cupra shares the Golf’s 2.0-litre turbocharged engine but here it develops even more power, with 237bhp.

That’s enough for a 153mph top speed and, more importantly, it can sprint from 0 to 62mph in a scant 6.4sec. That makes it comfortably faster than the Golf GTI, with which it shares underpinnings.

When can I buy one?
The Leon Cupra goes on sale in January 2007 for around £20,000 – almost exactly the same as the Golf GTI.

Standard equipment hasn't yet been finalised, but it should boast a raft of kit. The Cupra is differentiated from lesser Leons by its black door mirrors and grille, 18-inch alloy wheels and sporty cabin, with alloy pedals and sports seats.

Take a look at the car by clicking on the links below.

• Seat on Windows Media
• Seat on RealOne Player

Anything else to see on the Seat stand?
The recently launched Leon FR sits alongside the Cupra range-topper. It shares the Golf GTI’s turbo engine in 197bhp guise – but costs £3000 less.