2018 SEAT Leon ST Cupra Carbon Edition on sale now

The SEAT Leon ST Cupra is now available to buy in limited-run Carbon Edition specification, with just 50 examples coming to the UK. The special edition brings a host of cosmetic and performance upgrades and is priced at £35,575.

The Carbon Edition is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine with 296bhp, a seven-speed dual clutch automatic gearbox and SEAT’s ‘4Drive’ four-wheel-drive system. High-performance Brembo brakes sit behind 19-inch alloy wheels, while quad-exit exhaust pipes feature at the rear branded with the Cupra logo.

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Inside, there's a pair of sporty Cupra bucket seats, while on the outside the Carbon Edition is offered in one colour only – Monsoon Grey. Carbon-fibre ‘side blades’ and front and rear diffusers also help set the model apart.

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With its bolstered limited-edition specification, the SEAT Leon ST Cupra Carbon Edition costs more or less the same as a Volkswagen Golf R Estate, a car to which it's closely related in mechanical terms. The Golf boasts a bigger boot (605 litres versus 587), but otherwise the two are fairly evenly matched – performance will feel very similar in the real world.

The news comes as SEAT prepares to turn its Cupra brand into a standalone marque – a move that’s expected to happen before the end of the year.