COOL AS ICE

MEN’S HEALTH SPENT THREE DAYS IN SNOWY FINLAND TO TEST DRIVE THE NEW SEAT LEON ST CUPRA 300. IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE NO ONE WILL FORGET IN A HURRY

With SEAT’S roots firmly planted in Barcelona, the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region, you might think that a dedicated ice track in Finland to test drive its new model, the SEAT Leon CUPRA, is an odd choice.

And you’d be right. That is, however, until you get behind the wheel – and everything soon becomes very clear. It shouldn’t be this easy to drive in conditions that would bring most UK roads to a standstill. It shouldn’t be this simple to reach speeds of more than 70mph, flick the wheel and drift effortlessly around corners most people would take in second gear... but it is (not that you ever should).

But that’s the point SEAT wants to make. This estate car – with a 2.0litre turbocharged petrol engine, 300ps and a top speed of 155mph – may never see ice again, but its ability to tackle such conditions is inspiring, and one can’t help but marvel at its creation, design and performance.

The SEAT Leon CUPRA is more than an estate car. It’s SEAT’S CUP RACER set free.