Seat Leon Cupra R ABT 4Drive ST 2019 UK review

If you’re after a fast estate car that’s just the right size and has something approaching the optimum power-to-grip ratio, to be flung about a B-road with as much degree of abandon as you choose – when the kids aren’t aboard, naturally - look no further.

The Abt package provides a meaningful amount of mid-range muscle that’s most noticeable when a road opens out ahead and you get to work the engine through its mid-range, in third and fourth gears.

Here, it offers an impressive turn of pace. As the digital rev counter’s animated needle swings past 2000rpm, there’s effortless pace, and by 4000rpm the engine redoubles its efforts, with the exhaust’s four tailpipes bringing that combustion process into the cabin. It’s a more authentic experience than the regular Cupra provides.

With four-wheel drive, the chassis never wants for traction, while the levels of grip (thanks to Continental Sport Contact tyres) are impressive. It also manages to ride over bumps without shaking your head off your shoulders.

Compared with a regular Cupra the R feels just a touch keener to bite at the road surface as you turn-in, and its balance with the ESP system switched off is pleasingly neutral.

Brembo brakes are more than up to the task of managing the R’s cross-country pace, but there's a weak link that rears its head while decelerating hard: in manual mode, the seven-speed DSG gearbox doesn’t shift down early enough – a continual annoyance that’s all the more irritating given this model’s specialist nature. The aesthetics of the R are a matter of personal taste, too. This reviewer happens to like the distinctly different carbon and copper vibe; traditionalists might find the approach sits somewhere towards the Pimp My Ride end of the taste spectrum.

Inside, Alcantara is wrapped around the steering wheel, gearlever and sports seat inserts. Copper-coloured trim replaces piano-black finish and the digital driver display and infotainment system work a treat.

There are more practical considerations, of course, such as how it copes with everyday family life. The boot will swallow 587-litres of luggage, the sides are intrusion-free and dropping the seats can be done from the boot opening or the seats themselves. There’s no powered tailgate, but when you can open and close it faster by hand, there’s less to go wrong and less weight, do you really care?