Seat Leon Cupra news - In the hot Seat - 2007

Spring is definitely on the way. Daffodils are flowering, cuckoos are, erm, cuckooing and a whole clutch of new hot hatches are emerging, blinking, into the light.

This weekend it's Seat's turn to play the proud parent, as the Leon Cupra hits UK showrooms.

Based on the same underpinnings as the Golf GTi, the Cupra is Seat's most powerful-ever production car.

Its 2.0-litre turbo engine develops a meaty 237bhp, powering the Cupra to 62mph in just 6.4 seconds.

With 18-inch alloys, bucket seats, a dropped ride height and black trim, the Cupra gets a decent level of standard kit.

But it's the 'SEAT SOUND' system that the Spanish manufacturer is particularly pleased with.

No, it's not a set of chav-tastic subwoofers and tweeters, but a tricksy new exhaust system.

Obviously loud enough to require upper case treatment, it aims to enhance the aural experience of driving by amplifying the engine note at idle and high revs.

See how the Cupra fared in on our hot hatch scale

The Seat Leon Cupra goes on sale today, with prices starting at £19,595.