A couple of months back, I gave Seat a fairly hefty kicking in the magazine. The gist? Its current product line-up versus brand identity confused me, and I missed the flare of Cupras and Cupra Rs from years gone by.
But it wasn’t all negative. I said that Seat could get back on form with some properly hardcore hot hatch action. Today I’m even more convinced that that’s the case. I’ve recently driven the Focus RS and it’s brilliant – lairy to look at, boisterous but thrilling to drive and ludicrously powerful too. Volkswagen really needs to respond to it. Thing is, I don’t reckon the mother brand’s core values will allow it – those function-before-form, minimalist-though-cosseting, well-rounded attributes we expect from every Wolfsburg product won’t stretch to something as uncompromising as a Focus RS.
The new Golf GTI is only a very mild evolution of the old. And look at the GTI-R Golf we’ve scooped online. Volkswagen can’t go too OTT, so we’ll see a less spectacular power output (around 260bhp), mated to a four-wheel drive drivetrain to improve road manners. Good car, I’m sure, but I doubt it’ll be a true riposte to the outrageous RS.
As for Audi? Its products need to be even more premium, even more restrained than those from VW. Skoda? No chance. Seat? Mmm. The Focus RS provides an open goal for Seat, because it can do zesty and fun and outrageous. Of all the VW brands, only it can convincingly hit back at Ford. And it’s already got a world touring car championship under its belt; Focus RS plays on a second place in the WRC, hot Leon plays on a WTCC victory. That’s serious motorsport cred.
Come on Seat: give us a Leon with 300bhp, front-wheel drive, four-piston brakes, pared-back interior, optional half-cage. You know it makes sense!
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