Currently reading: Hot Seat diesel shows its face

Seat’s first diesel-powered Cupra is on sale now, priced £16,000. The Leon TDi PD Cupra follows the lead of sister company Skoda’s Fabia vRS with an oil-burning hot hatch, in this case powered by the Volkswagen Group’s muscular 1.9-litre pumpe düse turbodiesel.

With 148bhp and a hefty 236lb ft of torque sent through a six-speed ’box, the TDi Cupra sprints from 0-60mph in 8.9sec – 0.9sec shy of the petrol Cupra – and on to a top speed of 134mph, 2mph faster than the petrol car. And all with 52.3mpg combined economy.

Big bumpers, a roof spoiler, mesh grille, chrome exhaust and 17in alloys distinguish the exterior, while the cabin gains sports seats, white dials, a leather wheel, an on-board computer, climate control and a six-CD stacker.

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