The Seat Leon Cupra 280 Is Dead: Say Hello To The 290

September is shaping up to be a pretty good month in the world of fast Seats. Only last week we found out that the Ibiza Cupra lost its DSG-only 1.4-litre engine for a more powerful 1.8-litre fitted with a manual, and now its Leon big brother has received its own update.

It’s not quite such a major one, however. What Seat has done is drop the Cupra 265 model in the UK (because pretty much no one was buying them), and given the 280 a power bump to create the Cupra 290. As you’ve probably gathered, this equates to a 10bhp boost, bringing the total to 286bhp (or 290PS, hence the name).

The more powerful 290 replaces the 280, and other than the power boost, nothing else has changed. Since it was already one of the best hot hatches in its class, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

No word on pricing yet, but expect a very small increase in the 280’s £28,210 tag.