Hello guys. In answer to some of your points re. new Leon
Cupra:
To be fair to the dealers, the pricing bulletin was submitted late today, a little after the press release, which went out this morning. So that dealer wouldn't have been aware of either price or on-sale date at that time. At least now all parties are aware of price and spec.
The car's official on-sale date is 1 March. The fitment of Brembo brakes, which were shown on the motor show display cars, is still to be confirmed, and I will keep you posted on this subject as soon as we hear more.
The six black cars driven earlier this week by UK press were all hand-built prototypes. By the time the car arrives next year, there will be a slight modification to the grille. Whereas initial test cars have a chrome frame to the now-familiar SEAT kidney grille (as per all other Leons), on the
Cupra this will be polished Ebony black, to match the mirrors and pillars.
I think that the
review in Auto Express this Wednesday will be very positive (he says, tempting fate!).
By the way, though I didn't get the opportunity to drive the car this week, I was passenger to a journalist, who didn't hang around on some particularly hairy mountain roads in Northern Spain. The car felt absolutely rock-solid and totally confidence-inspiring. Performance, grip and poise are all astounding. And the tweaks to the exhaust are most evident at the red line. On more than one occasion, I overheard journalists describing the noise as 'raspy'. Take it from me, this is a top-notch hot hatch.
Mike, SEAT PR
