ANY tiny glimmer of doubt I might have had about the true nature of the new SEAT Leon Cupra was immediately snuffed out by the sight of a smiling, yellow-jacketed figure reclining on a comfy sofa at one of Oxfordshire's most idiosyncratic venues.

The grin was on the face of Jason Plato, former British Touring Car Champion, TV presenter and lead driver in the team that brought SEAT its first victory in the BTCC Manufacturers' Championship last year.

We were at The Crazy Bear, Stadhampton, for the UK Press launch of the new car and within an hour of pounding around the local roads, I was wearing a similar smile.

If the appearance of one of Britain's fastest racing drivers at the car's debut was not enough clue to the essence of the new Leon Cupra, there are plenty of other hints once you have slotted yourself into the bucket-style driver's seat.

The 30mph indicator on the large speedometer sits where you would normally be looking for the 5mph mark. The dial goes round to 170mph and the awesome reality is that the potential top speed tops 150mph.

Other subtle clues are the chequered flag on the gearchange and the white-faced rev counter, which red-lines at 6,500pm with more chequered flag background above 8,000.

The new £19,595 Leon Cupra, which numbers the Vauxhall Astra VXR, Ford Focus ST, Mazda 3 MPS and Renaultsport Mégane 225 among its rivals, is SEAT's most powerful production model to date.

With a maximum power output of 240 horsepower, the sophisticated 2.0-litre T FSI turbocharged petrol engine packs immense punch. Lowered suspension, modified transmission, massively-powerful brakes and touch-sensitive steering, mean the Leon Cupra is a racer at heart, but more than capable of delivering day-to-day enjoyment.

Fire up the engine and a deep, menacing burble bursts forth. Closer to the red line an urgent, raspy note takes over. In between, and that's where most of us spend our motoring lives, the new Cupra remains quiet and civilised, for unruffled and relaxed cruising.

As the top model in the Leon range, the new Cupra is superbly well equipped with everything from dual-zone climate control and eight-speaker audio system to cruise control, tyre pressure monitoring system and swivelling bi-xenon headlights.

One of the cleverer electronic systems fitted is Driver Steering Recommendation. When the electronic stability program control unit detects that the vehicle has entered an unstable situation caused by oversteer, it transmits a signal, instructing the steering system's electric motor to turn the steering wheel in the correct direction.

The driver senses this as a subtle recommendation, prompting you to turn the steering wheel further in the recommended direction, stabilising the vehicle. When driving over a dry, asphalted road, the driver barely notices this steering prompt. The system proves most effective when driving along roads offering differing levels of grip on each side of the car, such as a surface that is dry on one side and wet on the other.

The Cupra is distinguishable from other Leons by its 18-inch alloy wheels, more aggressive front air intakes with black lower lip, black mirror housings, glossy black B- and C-pillars, trademark Cupra oval exhaust pipe, Cupra badge on the bootlid and red painted brake callipers.

Inside, the front sports bucket-style seats have integrated head restraints, black interior trim (including roof lining), metal-covered pedals, and specific Cupra-branded instrument cluster, steering wheel and gearknob.

The new Cupra is the flagship of the successful SEAT Leon range, which saw its UK sales increase by 42 per cent in 2006 compared with the previous year.

Auto facts SEAT Leon Cupra 2.0 T FSI

  • Price: £19,595
  • Ins group: 17E
  • Fuel consumption (Combined): 34mpg
  • Top speed: 153mph
  • Length: 432.3cm/170.2in
  • Width: 176.8cm/69.6in
  • Luggage capacity: 12 cu ft
  • Fuel tank capacity: 12.1 gallons/55 litres
  • CO2 emissions: 199g/km
  • Warranty: 3 years/60,000 miles