Skip advert
Advertisement

Hot cross fun! 296bhp SEAT Leon Cross Sport debuts in Frankfurt

SEAT's Frankfurt Motor Show concept is a jacked-up, all-wheel drive performance Leon and here it is...

Not content with offering the newly beefed-up Leon Cupra 290 hot hatch and the rugged Leon X-Perience estate, SEAT has merged the two ideas with the all-purpose Leon Cross Sport at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

The Spanish firm calls its creation a ‘performance athlete in high-tech trekking shoes’, and says the car is designed to blur the line between all-terrain capability and mega-hatch performance. The powertrain and platform are lifted from the all-conquering VW Golf R, meaning the Leon Sport Cross gets 296bhp and 380Nm of torque channelled through a fifth-generation Haldex four-wheel drive system and a six-speed DSG gearbox.

Advertisement - Article continues below

• Best crossovers to buy now

It’s capable of 0-62mph in 4.9 seconds, exactly the same time as the Golf and a second faster than the standard Cupra 265. It also gets the same electronic differential so it can handle the extra power. But unlike VW’s offering, which you’d be scared to drive up a kerb in, the Cross Sport gets 41mm of extra ground clearance to ensure it can tackle rougher ground than any hot hatch rival.

You’d have to be more cautious though - the Cross Sport doesn’t get the same rough-and-tough skid plates and plastic body cladding as the Leon X-Perience. Instead it favours a bold two-tone paint scheme with brown extended wheelarches, and racy two-tone 19-inch alloys. A butch silver rear bumper, quad exhausts and neat roof rails complete the transformation.  The rest of the exterior is identical to the three-door Cupra, with the same rear spoiler and large front air intake.

 The interior features the same Ultra Orange colour scheme that’s said to be ‘inspired by the Barcelona sun’. It’s all over the leather seats, door panels and steering wheel. 

According to Juergen Stackmann, SEAT’s chairman, there’s a real desire to put the Cross Sport into production, but the reveal at the Frankfurt Motor Show is intended to gauge enthusiasm for such a car.

If the car goes into production, he said, it will make most sense as a five-door hatchback, rather than the three-door shown in Frankfurt. He said SEAT top brass is hopeful a production version will have the rugged capabilities its looks suggest, indicating four-wheel drive will be offered. But he wouldn’t rule out a two-wheel drive Cross Sport featuring the kind of beefed-up cosmetic enhancements seen here.

No decisions have been made on engine choice. There is an outside chance a production version could feature the same 2.0-litre turbocharged engine as the Leon Cupra, but smaller engines are also viable.

Do you like the idea of a high performance crossover? let us know in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

SEAT Ibiza, Arona, Leon and Ateca get sporty upgrades thanks to new Black Editions
SEAT Black Editions

SEAT Ibiza, Arona, Leon and Ateca get sporty upgrades thanks to new Black Editions

This could be the final change ahead of updates to Ibiza and Arona later this year
News
1 Apr 2025
Cupra Formentor and Leon get the ABT high performance treatment
Cupra and ABT pair up for Formentor and Leon special editions - front view

Cupra Formentor and Leon get the ABT high performance treatment

The German tuner is also planning to create a more aggressive Raval special edition
News
21 Mar 2025
Best tow cars to buy 2025
Best tow cars to buy 2025 - header

Best tow cars to buy 2025

There’s more to towing a car than just hitching up a caravan. Check out these tow car stars to pick what’s right for you
Best cars & vans
20 Sep 2024
New 2024 SEAT Leon offers over 62-mile electric range and big screens
SEAT Leon front 3/4

New 2024 SEAT Leon offers over 62-mile electric range and big screens

The Leon family hatchback and estate remains available with a variety of powertrains, from pure-petrol engines to a new generation plug-in hybrid setu…
News
14 May 2024

Most Popular

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k
Kia PV5 Passenger - show front

New Kia PV5 Passenger MPV undercuts the VW ID.Buzz by a huge £25k

New entry into the electric people carrier market undercuts the VW ID. Buzz by a significant margin
News
29 Apr 2025
Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price
BMW X7 - front

Car Deal of the Day: BMW’s ultimate luxury SUV at an unusually low price

German firm’s flagship SUV could never be called cheap but it is exceptional value at £735 a month – making it our Deal of the Day for Sunday 27 April
News
27 Apr 2025
New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645
Kia PV5 Cargo on display at Commercial Vehicle Show - front 3/4

New 2025 Kia PV5 van starts from a tempting £22,645

All-new entry into the van market promises competitive pricing and comes with a range of up to 247 miles
News
30 Apr 2025