Add another fine building or museum to SEAT’s home city of Barcelona and you might make an attractive place that little bit better.

Likewise, adding another 10ps of power to the Spanish manufacturer’s already-feisty Leon Cupra produces an improvement that is subtly pleasing rather than spectacular.

Nevertheless, an improvement it certainly is! The power of this much-loved hot hatch is up from 280 to 290ps, which equates to 286bhp in old money.

The upshot of that extra punch is a car that’s the most powerful SEAT model ever and, it must be said, a hugely enjoyable machine to drive.

The acceleration on offer from the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine offers a 0-62mph time of 5.8 seconds.

The Cupra 290 also benefits from a new sports exhaust system and a range of subtle styling tweaks as SEAT seeks to remain on the pace in a hot-hatch market that has moved on rapidly since the new Honda Civic Type R and Ford Focus RS upped the stakes.

When cornering, the Cupra 290 has remarkable stability, grip and balance. The way it grips the road instils great confidence.

Strangely enough, it’s a little less stable as you try to accelerate swiftly on the straights. You have to fight the steering wheel as it struggles a little to get the power down through the front wheels.

Would-be buyers have a choice of manual and paddleshift DSG gearboxes.

On the whole, ride quality is high, perhaps adding a little more comfort than you might find in the more abrasive Civic R. That said, it largely depends which driving mode you select. Comfort mode certainly offers extra refinement and sophistication, but you may find Cupra mode much harsher in terms of suspension, steering and engine settings.

However, if you enjoy a car with pin-sharp responses, you’ll find your finger wandering towards the Cupra setting with increasing regularity - a habit that only really relents when visits to the petrol station become too frequent.

For those who crave individuality, there’s even an Individual button which allows you to tailor the car’s set-up to your own driving style or mood.

In terms of looks, very little has changed. That’s probably because the Leon was already a good-looking car and, in that sense, Seat knew it had hit on a winning formula. Indeed, the Leon is its best-selling car - a genuine international sales success.

The 290 is available in three-door guise, five-door hatch or the more practical ST estate shape.

The ST has around 200 litres more boot space than the 380-litre boot shared by the other two.

The cabin is well-crafted and nicely laid-out, although perhaps a little dull if I was going to be hyper-critical.

During my week-long stint in the vehicle, I found the driver’s seat to be comfortable, well-shaped and very supportive.

There’s no shortage of room and adjustment in the front seats and you’ll also get three adults in the back with adequate legroom, albeit not plentiful space. In terms of options, my test car was further enhanced by the addition of the Black Pack, which brings more stylish wheels, gloss-black door mirrors and front grille surround and bucket seats.

The 290 is the only model in the Leon range that comes with MirrorLink as standard, allowing users to transfer smartphone content on to the dash screen. There’s also an upgraded SatNav system, which comes with voice control.

Leon’s appeal as an accomplished all-rounder. The 380-litre boot is significantly smaller than you’ll find in a Civic Type R, but it trumps a Golf R’s, which suffers due to its bulky 4WD system.

All in all, this is a vehicle that is comfortable and practical for everyday driving in built-up areas, with the potential to burst into life and offer a much more aggressive and robust companion when the conditions allow.