COMMENT
Steve Cropley
MY WEEK IN CARS
Cupra Leon shares much with a Golf yet feels quite different
Boxster swap-over took place at Caffeine & Machine in Warwickshire
MONDAY
Decent week for quick cars. Today, the fastest Cupra estate (the 306bhp Leon 4Drive with seven-speed dual-clutch ’box) gets delivered to my place, mainly because it’s a handy droppingoff point for something the road testers have in mind. Rude not to take a quick whizz up the road so I do – and discover it’s much better than I expected. I’ve tended to file all Golf-based Volkswagen Group models under ‘G’, but in this case, it’s a mistake.
This car has its own good looks, its own character and its own driving position, control layout and feel. It’s hugely quick for a dog-toter (0-62mph in 4.9sec) and the performance is easy to deploy. You can stroke it along pretty quickly on favourite A- and B-roads, enjoying a different kind of neatness and balance. Sure, I got lost in the multifarious menus of its infotainment, but who doesn’t? Best of all, the Leon is due to be swapped in a couple of days for our Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 long-termer, which tester Ricky Lane will leave with me for a few days.