Seat Leon Cupra 280 DSG

It comes from Spanish manufacturer Seat, which has seen its UK sales rise steadily over the last five years to 45,312 in 2013.

Time, then, for something to make those with a penchant for his type of car - and there are plenty of them - to sit up and take notice.

Enter the new Leon Cupra 280, the cherry on top in a selection of five new Cupra models, and the quickest and most powerful car the company has ever built.

There is a choice of two turbocharged two-litre petrol TSI engines, in either three or five-door, for the new Cupra. The 265 (with 261bhp) and 280 (276bhp) both provide plenty of fireworks, but Seat will be counting on the more powerful of the two to find favour with those fans of front-wheel drive muscle attracted to the Ford Focus RS, Renault Megane RS and the like.

Seat is aiming high with the premium sports hatch Cupra, and it certainly looks the part. Large air intakes, a honeycomb mesh grille, sharply-styled LED headlights and dual oval-shaped exhaust pipes provide plenty of clues to the performance virtues.

Prices start at £26,695 for the three-door six-speed manual 265 and rise to £28,530 for the 280 mated to a DSG gearbox. For those prices you get a lot of premium touches and some clever engineering that steers the Cupra to the top of your shopping list.

Every Leon Cupra completes the zero to 62 mph sprint in less than six seconds, while all manual versions return 44.1 mpg average fuel consumption.

For the media road and track test, Seat invited journalists to a very wet Mallory Park in Leicestershire, where – despite persistent rainfall - it was still possible to enjoy the power of the turbo-charged 280 engine and appreciate the locking differential that make for a terrific driving experience.

Depending on you mood and the road conditions, you can choose to drive in Normal, Comfort or Sport mode or try your hand in the Cupra setting, which adjusts the throttle response and holds the gears for an even more sensational driving experience to the accompaniment of a rip-roaring soundtrack.

Built on an all-new chassis, with a wider front track and fully independent suspension front and rear, the Cupra comes as standard with a mechanical front axle differential lock, a progressive steering system that sharpens the turn-in for improved agility, DCC dynamic chassis control to alter the suspension settings between sportier or more comfort-oriented, and two-stage deactivation of the electronic stability control (ESC) – including the ability to turn it off entirely.

This car really is the business, recently setting a new lap record as the fastest front-wheel drive hatchback around the Nurburgring.

Now if all this sounds like you might be in for a very fast but rather uncomfortable ride, let me assure you that the Cupra has good manners, too.

It’s a quite firm ride on the eye-catching 19-inch titanium-finished alloys that come with the 280, yet it feels very civilised in the cabin.

VW quality abounds, from the easily adjustable steering wheel to the excellent sports seats that manage to be both supportive and comfortable.

The Cupra comes with Bluetooth, USB, SD card and aux-in capability, plus DAB radio and ten speakers. Satellite navigation also comes as standard.

I am left asking myself whether the Leon Cupra is better than the benchmark Volkswagen Golf GTi. Being from the same stable, there are obvious similarities, and for many the GTi will remain the car of choice.

But the performance figures and my experience of the Cupra point me in the direction of the Seat.

The new front end, with its large air intakes and full-LED headlamps, ensures a powerful look, as does the rear skirt with its diffuser effect and the two oval end pipes. The alloy wheels are exclusive to the Cupra, while the red brake callipers and tinted side and rear windows underscore its individuality.

The focus of the interior is on the Cupra sports steering wheel in its own unique design, complete with shifting paddles for the optional DSG transmission. The sports seats, in dark grey Alcantara finished with white stitching, are another interior highlight. Black full-leather upholstery, likewise with white stitching, is also available. The pedals and entry sills are made from aluminium.

The Cupra 280 is visually differentiated by its unique 19-inch wheels with a titanium paint finish, plus the Aerodynamic Pack, which comprises a spoiler on the rear roof edge, Cupra lettering on the brake callipers and black exterior mirror housings. The trim elements in the cockpit of this top sporty variant are a deep glossy black.

Additional standard equipment for the Leon Cupra over and above the FR model (and the aforementioned styling details) includes 18-inch alloy wheels, full-LED headlights, DAB digital radio, SEAT Media System Plus, aluminium front door sill trims with Cupra logo, rain-sensing wipers and automatic headlights.

The Cupra 280 is distinguishable by its standard 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss black mirror caps, black exterior mouldings and frames, black rear roof spoiler, red brake callipers with Cupra logo, and black interior inserts. Satellite navigation comes as standard with the Cupra 280, too.My only disappointment was an aesthetic one – the decision to abandon the integrated rear door handles in favour of a conventional pair to avoid confusion between the three and five-door.

Fast Leons have been about for most of this century, but this is without doubt Seat’s finest hot-hatch to date.

At a glance

Seat Leon Cupra 280 DSG

Price: from £28,225

Engine: Turbo-charged two litre petrol, developing 276bhp

Transmission: automatic (manual available)

Performance: 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds; top speed 155mph

Economy: 42.8mpg combined

CO2 emissions: 149g/km