MELBOURNE: Volkswagen has already announced the impending arrival of the Golf R Wagon and corporate cousin Skoda is rumoured to be prepping a 206kW version of its own Octavia RS – which may also be available in Labrador-friendly wagon flavour.
And not wanting to be left out, VW’s Spanish subsidiary Seat has revealed a fast wagon of its own this week: the Leon ST Cupra.
The Leon ST Cupra is powered by the same 2.0 litre turbocharged engine as the Golf R, and will be available in two guises: the entry-level 195kW Leon ST Cupra and the 206kW Leon ST Cupra 280.
Both engines have a peak torque figure of 350Nm, and both take drive to the front wheels. A six-speed manual or six-speed DSG twin-clutch auto are offered.
Though it has the same power output as the Golf R, the lack of all-wheel drive on the Leon ST Cupra R means it’s slightly slower to 100km/h than its VW relative.
Nevertheless, a 6.0 second 0-100km/h run is still plenty brisk for the Seat, if not quite as quick as the Golf R wagon’s 5.1-second sprint.
The less powerful Leon ST Cupra is only 0.1 of a second behind the 280 when equipped with the optional DSG transmission, while the regular six-speed manual hits 100km/h in a very respectable 6.2 seconds. Top speed for both models is electronically limited to 250km/h.
The extra weight of the wagon body still blunts performance though, and the three-door 194kW Leon Cupra DSG is still 0.1 seconds quicker to 100km/h than the Leon ST Cupra 280.
Inside you’ll find a similar interior to the Leon Cupra three-door, with a sports steering wheel, aluminium pedals and plenty of alcantara trim.
You’ll aslo discover a load area that measures a very handy 1470 litres with the rear seats folded down – perfect for those quick dashes to the hardware store.
