The wraps have been taken off the new three-door Seat Leon SC, revealing a shorter wheelbase and a different side profile to differentiate it from the five-door.

Reducing the wheelbase by 35mm makes the SC more agile than the five-door, while a more steeply raked rear windscreen gives it a sportier, more aggressive silhouette.

The car is, on paper, otherwise much the same as the existing Leon hatchback. It shares the same range of petrol and diesel engines, and the wheelbase change hasn't affected boot space or rear headroom - although legroom in the back has decreased slightly.

"We have given the three-door Leon SC a highly distinctive character - just deleting two doors would not have been enough for us," said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Head of Seat Design.

"That is why we opted for the shorter wheelbase - although it is only 35 millimetres, the visual effect is very powerful. The result is a big difference in the expression of dynamics."

The turbocharged petrol engine range starts with the 104bhp 1.2 TSI, with a 138bhp 1.4 and a 177bhp 1.8 above it. In the way of diesels there are 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre choices, with the 104bhp 1.6 TDI pushing out 99g/km of CO2 and the arguably more impressive 2.0-litre with 148bhp emits just 106g/km.

"With its slightly shortened wheelbase, the Leon SC is the sportiest and most emotional member of the Leon family. It has the feel of a sports coupe, yet boasts an astonishing degree of functionality," said Dr Matthias Rabe, Vice President of Research and Development at Seat.

The usual array of trim levels will be made available, so the SC can be ordered in S, SE and FR spec, with the latter having a different set of bumpers that does the Leon's overall look better justice.

Set to be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, the order books are expected to open shortly afterwards.