Gone are the days when running a car that sprints to 62mph in under six seconds meant MPG figures in the teens – officially, SEAT’s hottest hatchback will cover 42.2 miles for every gallon of unleaded. CO2 emissions are correspondingly low, at 156g/km. These figures alter slightly depending on the model - manuals are a little less efficient than DSGs, and heavier estates aren't quite as frugal as the hatchbacks.
Of course, it’ll do nothing like that during the day-to-day – our old five-door Cupra 280 long-termer managed low-30s and our long-term Cupra 280 ST estate did similar. Put your mind to it and you might eke out a little more efficiency, but in reality this is a 30mpg car – but then its rivals are too.
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Other running costs are par for the course too: SEAT’s warranty covers three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes soonest), and service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, again whichever is soonest.
Depending on your propensity for track days and hard use, tyres and brakes will be the main consumables. The optional Cup 2s aren’t cheap.
