Ian Lamming lets the Cupra Leon Estate take the load
IT’S windy and I’ve already cycled 20 miles, a lot of it up hill.
There’s not much in my legs and it’s starting to rain; oh, and I’m feeling lazy. Fortunately, my partner is locked out of the house and needs my key. She says she’ll meet me and sets off. As the minutes pass by I’m mulling over which car she’ll arrive in.
Ah, it’s a 310PS fire-breather, but luckily for me, it’s also a four-wheel-drive estate car so I can sling my bicycle in the back and cadge a lift home.
Bikes are incredibly ungainly but all I have to do is drop the back seats of the Cupra Leon Estate, remove the luggage draw blind and chuck the bike in the cargo bay. It drops in nicely with no fuss and before you know it I’m sitting in the front with the heated passenger seat cranked up to the max to thaw out my bones.
Who says you have to compromise practicality for performance? Cupra Leon Estate has both.
Functionality doesn’t forsake form either and the Cupra is a very smart and sporty looking estate car. Sleek lines, massive alloys and four rear pipes all scream that this car is built for speed.
The 2.0 turbocharged engine wallops out 310PS and 400Nm of torque. That makes it very rapid indeed with 62mph coming up in just 4.9 seconds on its way to a top end of 155mph. Yet somehow I manage to see 35mpg on the trip computer at one point – obviously not driving like that – which is impressive. It’s got a real growl to it too especially when you switch through to the more sporty settings.
With all that performance Cupra is going to need decent suspension; no fears there. The estate is firm without being harsh and is beautifully controlled through the bends. Ride is flat and the steering sharp. Brakes are powerful with plenty of feel and the DSG automatic gearbox super-fast changing. It rockets through all seven speeds like an F1 car.
Inside, the seats are comfortable and supportive and the ergonomics for my small frame are perfect.
The interior is dark with bronze highlights and is well laid out. The steering wheel is chunky and features the Transformer bronze badge.
Virtual clocks and touchscreen dash are clear enough but require profuse use of the digits. If you like buttons and switches, there aren’t any. There’s a red LED strip-light across the fascia at night which is a tad too bright. Thing is, when I turn it off I can’t see the heater controls in the gloom.
The sound system is excellent, particularly when you Bluetooth it to your phone for your favourite tunes. A playlist of musical scores bangs out through multiple speakers and it feels like you have gone to the theatre.
If you are looking for extreme performance backed by immense practicality then look no further than the Cupra Leon Estate. It’s a car to get you on your bike.
Fact File
Cupra Leon Estate
Engine: 2.0
Power: 310PS
0-62mph: 4.9 secs
Top speed: 155mph
Combined MPG: 34
Transmission: seven-speed DSG-automatic
CO2 g/km: 188
Price: £48,640.00
