16 Nov 05
The TFSI has, as it name suggests, a turbocharged 2.0-litre FSI petrol engine - which produces a total of 182bhp. It is essentially the same engine as found in the Golf GTI, just tuned down from 197bhp. It's worth bearing in mind that the future Leon FR will have the same power as the Golf and the next Cupra an impressive 236bhp.
It'll dispatch you and your four passengers to 62mph in 7.8secs and on to a maximum speed of 137mph, which, although slower than most other hot hatches, not in a completely different league.
On the exterior, the only thing to mark this out as the hottest Leon is a small TFSI badge under the side repeater; otherwise, it's all very restrained. 17" alloys are fitted, but are of a similar design to the rest of the Leon's range, so don't exactly stand out. Elsewhere, it's all standard fare, with six airbags, an 8-speaker CD player, ABS, ESP, climate control, leccy windows... basically, everything you and your family could want really.
Under the restrained exterior there are a few minor mechanical changes: the suspension is a little stiffer and the power steering has been tweaked to give more feedback from the front wheels. The brakes are a little bigger too.
On the road, it's clear to see the limitation of the minor dynamic changes, as the Leon's chassis doesn't really feel up to putting the 182bhp and 199lb ft of torque on offer down on the road. Switch the ESP off and you'll be wheelspinning in second gear: leave it on and your enthusiastic driving will be nullified by over-zealous electronics. Keep a decent grip on the wheel too, as torque steer can rear its ugly head if you're not careful.
