Roller bucket man loves this 2.0 TSI, this example also proves why
We don’t know where Seat is going, but we do know that this is a very cool Leon: with 300 hp and 380 Nm it is the strongest Spanish station wagon ever! It is the car of Kim Jansen and Michiel Verlaat from Veenendaal and they are happy with it, because it is a lot of car!
Uncompromising
Almost every car is a compromise. You simply cannot have everything in one model. Yet the Seat Leon ST from Kim Jansen and Michiel Verlaat has come quite far in this regard. There is a lot of practical convenience on board, because it is a station wagon. In addition, there is a very powerful turbo engine at the front, which makes the Leon ST a very fast driver.
Why this Seat Leon Cupra?
Sporty, fast and practical, you can do something with that. How did that happen? Let’s go back in time a year. “I had a Volkswagen Golf VII GTI from 2015. A wonderful car, which I really liked, but when the family expansion announced, I had to do something,” says Michiel. Young parents, first child on the way. Then panic sets in: another, larger and more practical car is needed. And as quickly as possible, before the water breaks! Because of the stress and hormones, people often ended up with an unsightly, compact MPV, because it is so conveniently high. The time of ugly cars is largely over. It will now be an SUV, or something else? Michiel and Kim are sensible young parents and chose a station wagon. One from the D-segment is heaven, but a C-segmenter is an excellent alternative. “But a nice one, if possible,” Michiel jokes.
Where’s the R?
If you come from a Golf GTI and you are looking for something more car, what do you end up with? That’s right, a Golf Variant, but an R. “It couldn’t be found, and what I saw was not to my liking,” says Michiel. Then Spanish lightning struck. Michiel and Kim came across a Seat Leon ST with the desired ‘could it be a little more’. Michiel: “It was on the sidelines of my list, but I actually thought it was very beautiful. And it is still somewhat of a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and I think that is a condition. Not too flashy.” And what does Michiel think of the four-wheel drive of this Cupra? “I wouldn’t have minded without it, but I assume it is an additional aid for reduced grip. That’s fine, but I’m not someone who constantly pushes the boundaries.” The test drive was the deciding factor. “Yes, it was completely correct. Good power, but above all a finely tuned chassis, not rock hard, because the little one needs to be able to fall asleep in the back.” Michiel knows about it. He still has something to say. “We thought the sound was a bit too tame, but there are exhausts and filters for that, I read about the Leon on an English forum.” Michiel has also very subtly provided the exhaust and diffuser with a refined black edge.
All the stops
Ghisbert van Ginhoven of Beek Auto Racing in The Hague likes to see cars with the engine like this fast Leon ST: they always perform well on the chassis dynamometer. “It comes in many forms, but the basics are just fine. And you can do fun things with it,” says our measurement professional. The beautiful Leon is tied up and then gives everything he has. And that is quite a lot and certainly more than the factory specifies. Everyone is happy, even the little ones!
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl