Seat Leon Cupra in Depth

From the racetrack to the road

By Text & Photos edited by Clinton Deacon
December 13, 2006 7:39 PM
Filed Under: German, Seat

Press Release

Although it is yet to arrive in dealer showrooms, the new SEAT León CUPRA has already secured its place in the SEAT history books. The Spanish brand has excelled itself once again to create its most powerful road-going car to date. Developing 240 horsepower, the new CUPRA integrates all of SEAT's expertise in creating cars with an overtly sporty attitude.

Its engine, chassis, equipment plus active and passive safety elements all add up to make the new León CUPRA a car that is a racer at heart but is intended and designed to be used and enjoyed on a daily basis.

Prodigious

There can be little doubt as to the driving force behind a vehicle boasting such exceptional qualities. In this case, the task falls to the exceptional 240 hp 2.0 TFSI unit. This engine, which is exclusive to SEAT, unites two separate technologies to attain such high levels of power: direct injection and turbocharging. The turbocharger features an enlarged turbine and compressor, while the pistons and connecting rods have been strengthened and larger injectors incorporated along with a new cylinder head.

As a result of these modifications, the 2.0 TFSI delivers performance that is truly worthy of a WTCC car: a top speed of 247 km/h and 0 - 100 km/h in just 6.4 seconds. What's more, it covers 1000 metres from a standing start in just 26.4 seconds. The in-gear acceleration figures make impressive reading too, with the León CUPRA taking 6.4 seconds to speed up from 80 km/h to 120 km/h in fifth gear and 8.2 seconds in sixth.

Despite its thoroughbred sporting credentials, the León CUPRA demonstrates impressive restraint when it comes to fuel consumption, burning an average of just 8.3 litres for every 100 kilometres.

Not only can drivers feel the power of the new 2.0 TFSI unit in their right foot when accelerating, it makes its presence felt acoustically too. The engine sound is just one of the aspects which has undergone careful engineering in the León CUPRA. This has led to the development of new SEAT SOUND exhaust systems which succeed in amplifying the engine's sound and feeling of tremendous power at low rev speeds. The sensation can be experienced both inside and outside the car.

 The Agile Chassis evolves one step further

Power without control is useless. And this time, SEAT engineers have managed to make the exceptional even better: the Agile Chassis of the León. In order to adapt it to the requirements of the new CUPRA, the suspension has been retuned and the overall chassis weight has been reduced by using aluminium instead of sheet metal for a number of elements. Modifications have also been made to the parameters for the power-assisted steering to give it an even sportier feel. This all results in greater steering precision and allows drivers to make the very most of the model's sporting prowess.

The brakes on the León CUPRA have also been reworked to ensure they are capable of handling the immense power on tap. At the front wheels can be found ventilated discs which are larger than those fitted to other models in the range, measuring 17" and 345x30 mm. The 18-inch wheels afford a clear view of the red brake callipers behind to underline the CUPRA's sporty temperament.

CUPRA genes

Although sporty performance and feel still top the typical CUPRA customer's list of priorities, the characteristic styling which sets CUPRA models apart deserves a mention too.

The air of sportiness which accompanies the entire León range becomes all the more intense in the CUPRA, courtesy of various design elements which are now considered hallmark features of this model version. The logo on the hatch is the CUPRA's calling card, but the polished steel oval tailpipe and the door mirrors in their ébano Black finish are just as unmistakable.

Sportiness, but not a trace of garishness. This is the message given off by the exclusive front bumper with its oversized air intakes for increasing the flow of cooling air. The bumper at the rear sporting a black diffusor at the bottom is somewhat reminiscent of the SEAT León WTCC models. The 7.5J x 18" wheels fitted on the León CUPRA as standard are just as stunning.

The interior, whilst not compromising on comfort in any way, pulses with a racing cockpit atmosphere that can be felt the instant you get in. The first feature to catch the eye inside the León CUPRA are the bucket-style racing seats, featuring a wrap-around design with integral head restraints.

The second element which distinguishes the new model from any other León is the interior finish. The roof pillars and headliner are trimmed in black instead of the customary crema Grey. The result is an ambience of simple elegance which focuses the driver's attention on the road as well as highlighting the many details which can be found inside the CUPRA: its striking steering wheel wrapped in perforated leather with a red-coloured backing, the gearshift knob, the white background of the instrument cluster, and the sporty metal pedals: each and every one bearing the distinctive CUPRA insignia.

Design

Form and function. These two aspects were fused into one when devising the details that make this León a fully-fledged member of the CUPRA family. Faced with a vehicle already boasting such sporty lines as the León, there would seem to be little scope for adding the vital touches needed to produce the intense aura of a pedigree sports car that surrounds any true CUPRA. But the design team at SEAT has managed just that.

A whole array of exterior details stand out. The enormous air intakes with honeycomb grilles incorporated into the imposing front bumper are certainly not just for show. They are actually of tremendous practical value as the greater quantity of air that is able to pass through them is needed to cool down the engine and front brake discs. Meanwhile, the licence plate carrier and the lower centre section of the bumper with their black finish resemble a mouth that relishes eating up kilometre after kilometre of road, further underlining the feeling of vigour that ripples through the CUPRA.

At the rear of the car, the most striking detail is the black-coloured moulding at the base of the bumper that is somewhat reminiscent of the diffusors fitted on the SEAT León WTCC. Although it fulfils a purely aesthetic function in the CUPRA, it nevertheless serves as a reminder that this is a vehicle derived from the SEAT León World Touring Car.

Looking at the León CUPRA in profile, it is immediately obvious that it sits lower than the basic León model. The difference is as much as 14 millimetres, reinforcing both its race car looks and sense of sportiness by giving the impression of being glued to the road. The first things that leap to your attention when admiring this sleek profile are the stunning 18" Orión wheels shod with 225/40 tyres, which are included as standard. The five sets of twin spokes give a clear view of the imposing brake discs behind as well as the brake callipers which are coloured red for an extra touch of sportiness.

All of these elements are joined by other features inherent to the CUPRA range which the León variant would not be complete without: the door mirrors with their ébano Black housings and the characteristic oval tailpipe in polished steel. And instead of bearing the model name in the centre of its hatch like the rest of the variants in the León line-up, the letters at the rear of the new range-topping model spell out the word CUPRA.

A "racing cockpit" interior

Inside, the León CUPRA offers a level of comfort one would expect to find in a higher class of vehicle, yet at the same time it bristles with the air of a race car cockpit. It does more than to just make you feel like a racing driver, it envelops you in an ambience that makes it impossible to forget that this is not just another car.

The CUPRA achieves this first and foremost with impressive bucket-style seats similar to those found in a race car. The head restraints are integrated into the seat's design and the word CUPRA in red takes pride of place on the backrest. Red is also the colour used for the seat's topstitching. Not only does the seat design make a lasting visual impression, it has a practical benefit too, offering levels of lateral support that are a match for any bend.

Taking the SEAT León's sports seat as a basis, the geometry of the side bolsters on the seat cushion and backrest has been optimised for the bucket seat in the CUPRA to maximise lateral support when cornering. Plus, extra steel rods have been incorporated into the seat frame which enable it to withstand a higher centrifugal force.

Despite all their sportiness, the seats in the new CUPRA have been designed for practical day-to-day use too, offering both excellent comfort and accessibility. The foam cushioning has been contoured in such a way as to provide optimum support for the occupant's body while maintaining a posture that is free of any discomfort. Manufactured using high-density MDI technology, the cushioning comprises zones of varying density that feature ultra-elastic nodule inserts and complement the ergonomic styling perfectly.


Having feasted your eyes on the seats, the next thing that cannot fail to escape your attention is the fact that the interior is trimmed in black throughout. The headliner, sun visors, handles… everything. The customary light tones therefore give way to a finish that is designed for focusing on driving as well as emphasising other details. Highlights in this respect include the striking perforated leather steering wheel with aluminium-effect sections, a red-coloured backing that matches the topstitching on the seats, plus the CUPRA logo at the bottom of the rim. The matching gearshift knob, marked with the six gears which extract the very best from the sensational 2.0 TFSI engine, rounds off the picture.

A further detail that communicates sporting excellence is the white instrument cluster, which gives a perfect view of how fast the dials' needles are rising. Finally, the CUPRA's brand of sportiness manifests itself again in the pedals which combine the metal of high-performance sports cars with the rubber of road-going cars – a fitting reminder that this is a vehicle offering the best of both worlds.

Engine

The title of this section says it all: the new CUPRA comes with all the substance to match its looks. It spearheads the portfolio of a brand whose mission is to make cars that are both sporty and innovative.

The drive unit under the bonnet of the new León CUPRA has been meticulously fine-tuned to enable it to take over the mantle of the old 225 hp 1.8T engine that powered the CUPRA R. The 2.0 TFSI fitted in a number of other SEAT models has undergone a series of modifications to raise its power output to 240 hp (177 kW), a benchmark figure for the major manufacturers in this segment.

It is also worth noting that it is the only Volkswagen Group model in its segment to achieve such a high level of power without having to resort to four-wheel drive. The outstanding re-engineering work carried out on the chassis means that the front-wheel drive of the CUPRA offers perfectly sufficient levels of traction, which ultimately benefits performance, fuel consumption and tyre wear.

Exclusive SEAT engine

The specific development work performed on the 2.0 TFSI unit makes the CUPRA engine the only one in the Volkswagen Group to deliver 240 hp. The SEAT Technical Centre focused its attention on two aspects in its quest to boost performance to such exhilarating levels: direct injection and turbocharger. The new turbocharger uses a larger turbine to create a higher charge pressure, resulting in a boost pressure of 0.8 bar.

An intercooler is used to produce a substantial reduction in the temperature of the compressed air, therefore lowering the mass of air necessary for complete combustion of the fuel.

The new TFSI engine incorporates pistons with more durable journals and strengthened connecting rods with new bearings for transmitting the high forces to the crankshaft. The engine block has also been reinforced, while the cylinder head is now made from a new ultra heat-resistant alloy.

The exhaust camshaft timing has been modified to make allowances for the increase in power. The fuel is injected directly into the combustion chamber through high-pressure injector nozzles with a wider cross-section.

As a result of these measures, the 240 horsepower unleashed by the CUPRA translate into a top speed of 247 km/h and a 0 - 100 km/h acceleration time of just 6.4 seconds. Furthermore, it takes a mere 26.4 seconds to cover 1000 metres from a standing start. As for its in-gear acceleration, the León CUPRA engine picks up from 80 to 120 km/h in 6.4 seconds in fifth and 8.2 seconds in sixth gear.

In order to get the very best out of this powerplant, the León CUPRA is fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox whose spacing and ratios have been specially-adapted for this engine. In addition to this, the gearing pinions have been enlarged to make allowance for the increased engine torque of the CUPRA.

Contrary to what one might expect in view of the power and performance at its disposal, fuel consumption figures for the León CUPRA are far from exorbitant. Thanks to the sophisticated TFSI technology, a mere 8.3 litres of fuel are burned per 100 km on average – a remarkable figure for a 240-hp sports car.

Music to the ears

Quite apart from being a pleasure to drive, the low purr of the new CUPRA's engine or the roar it emits every time the throttle is opened are also a pleasure to listen to, thanks to all the hard work the engineers in Martorell put in to tuning the engine's acoustics. To allow the sporty essence of the CUPRA to be experienced in all its glory, new SEAT ENGINE SOUND exhaust systems were developed whose principal purpose is to amplify the engine sound and its feeling of power at low rev speeds, most notably when pulling away from a standstill, performing low-speed manoeuvres and accelerating or decelerating at full throttle and low revs.

When it comes to transferring all of the new León CUPRA's mighty 240 horsepower to the road, the SEAT Agile Chassis proves to be the perfect partner. It is not merely a question of producing a fast and sporty drive – it is a question of doing so whilst offering optimum levels of safety, precision and control.

The Agile Chassis from SEAT boasts a wealth of inherent strengths, but it has now undergone a series of measures that allow the León CUPRA to be piloted as if it was moving along invisible rails, with a feline agility that is made all the more impressive by the fact that it is a front-wheel-drive car.

The most important advance that has been made is the use of aluminium in place of cast steel for the steering knuckles and the stamped wishbone panelling. As a result, the unsprung mass has been cut by 7.5 kg at the front axle. This modification to the suspension components is furthermore particularly beneficial for the axle's kinematics as it reduces the tendency to understeer. Compared with the rest of the León range, including the FR, the front stabiliser bar has been made smaller too, measuring 22.5 x 3 mm instead of 23.6 x 3.5 mm as it does on the other models. The upshot of all this is superior vehicle traction.

As for the rear running gear, the suspension incorporates an independent, four-arm multi-link axle, which enables the longitudinal dynamics (comfort) to be handled completely separately from the lateral dynamics (agility), producing a ride that is both comfortable and agile.

The sports suspension concept found in the new SEAT León CUPRA is underpinned by firm tuning combined with a system of springs and dampers that offer the ideal progressive characteristics required for maximum precision, both when powering along winding roads and when cruising down the motorway. This set-up is complemented by firmer silent blocks which swiftly transmit the suspension's support to the body, tyres with a narrower slip angle and new steering with a firmer feel, enabling the car to respond instantaneously to the driver's commands and giving the driver complete control over the vehicle at all times.

In addition to this, the ride height has been lowered by 14 mm compared with a basic León and 7 mm compared with a Sport-up or FR model, to heighten the sensation that the León CUPRA is "glued" to the road.

Improving on the exceptional

The chassis fitted in the previous generation of the León CUPRA achieved benchmark status in its segment by virtue of its sporty handling, agility and fast response to the driver's inputs. The new León CUPRA achieves the seemingly impossible by actually surpassing the dynamic readings for the old CUPRA R, which, incidentally, was the first ever model from SEAT to offer the Agile Chassis.

When developing the chassis for a vehicle with the performance credentials of the new CUPRA, it is the readings for sportiness and agility which are of the greatest interest to the engineers.

As far as the values for vehicle sportiness are concerned, they are characterised by two parameters: lateral acceleration and roll angle. These values are measured by means of the steady-state test. This consists of driving in a curve with a constant radius. The curve used has a radius of 100 metres and the vehicle gradually accelerates from 40 up to 100 km/h whilst following the line of this curve. The object of the test is for the vehicle to maintain the line of the curve as closely as possible. As soon as the speed is reached at which the vehicle is no longer able to follow the defined trajectory, the test is stopped. The test results show that the new León CUPRA is capable of driving nearly 5% faster than the CUPRA R before it veers off course, with a reduction in roll angle of over 18%. In other words, the new León CUPRA boasts a higher cornering speed and less body roll.

Step steer is the name given to the test for measuring the parameters which define vehicle agility. With the vehicle travelling at a constant speed of 100 km/h, the driver suddenly turns the steering wheel to an angle sharp enough for the vehicle's lateral acceleration to reach 0.4g. As the aim is to produce this level of lateral acceleration, the steering wheel will have to be turned to a specific angle when travelling at a constant speed to produce the 0.4g of acceleration.

In this case, steering response was shown to be almost 10% faster in the new León CUPRA than in the previous CUPRA R.

Brakes that are a match for anything

The brakes were another of the features that underwent major reworking for the León CUPRA. In view of the tough demands that a car with 240 hp under its bonnet could place on its brakes at any time, the engineers opted for amply-proportioned discs measuring 17" and 345 x 30 mm at the front and 16" and 286 x 12 mm at the rear.

Steering assistance par excellence

Naturally, drivers of the León CUPRA will also have the peace of mind offered by the latest-generation ABS with electronic braking force distribution. In addition to this, however, the León CUPRA also comes equipped with the ESP Electronic Stabilisation Program (which can be deactivated) including EBA Emergency Brake Assistance, TCS traction control plus an array of further functions to aid the driver. These include:

The most noteworthy of these systems is Driver Steering Recommendation. When the ESP control unit detects that the vehicle has entered an unstable situation caused by oversteer, it transmits a signal instructing the steering system's electric motor to turn the steering wheel in the correct direction. The driver senses this as a recommendation, prompting him or her to turn the steering wheel in the recommended direction and stabilise the vehicle. When driving over a dry, asphalted road, the driver barely notices this steering prompt. The system proves most effective when driving along roads offering differing levels of grip on each side of the car, e.g. a surface that is dry on one side and wet on the other.

The León CUPRA allows its owner to take to the roads in a genuine sports car at the same time as enjoying a full complement of comfort features. It goes without saying that the new León CUPRA can be ordered with all of the very latest equipment innovations.

The most notable of these are the bi-xenon headlights with Advanced Front Lighting System (AFS). This system blends the superior luminous power and quality that bi-xenon headlights are renowned for, with all of the benefits of AFS intelligent control.

The AFS system uses the information gleaned from various rotational and speed sensors in the vehicle to adjust the direction of the beam of light emitted by the headlights, resulting in optimum illumination in all situations. What's more, these headlights also automatically adjust the height of the beam as the vehicle load changes, doing away with the need for fiddly and less accurate manual adjustment.

These headlights are also made special by the fact that they are able to turn asymmetrically. In a right-hand bend, for instance, the headlight on the right will turn more sharply than its counterpart on the left (15 and 8 degrees respectively), allowing drivers to see the inside of the bend or the side road far more clearly while the left-hand headlight maintains optimum illumination of the area to the front of the vehicle.

The result: the road ahead is lit up to maximum effect, improving levels of visibility and, consequently, safety. The intelligent bi-xenon headlights with AFS expand the effectively illuminated zone when cornering by up to 30% and increase the distance at which objects ahead or cars in bends can be detected by as much as 68%: at a speed of 70 km/h, this would give drivers an extra 1.8 seconds to react.

Multiple connectivity options

A connection which allows an iPod to be integrated into the León CUPRA can be ordered as an option, as can a special connection for all USB memory devices and MP3 audio players with a USB port. On León models, the connections are fitted under the front passenger seat.

These connections enable a far greater number of tracks to be listened to via the vehicle's audio system with greater flexibility of use than is possible with conventional systems. Added to this is the fact that the volume and mute controls as well as the functions for skipping tracks and folders (up to a maximum of 6) can all be operated by means of the controls on the steering wheel for supreme convenience and safety. Plus, the current track number and the total number of playable files appear in the radio unit's display.

In addition to this, the León CUPRA also includes an Aux-in audio connection as standard. This connection in the centre console will allow external audio sources to be plugged into the standard headphone socket and the sound played through the vehicle's speakers.

All-round safety

On the safety front, occupants in the new León CUPRA are protected by as many as eight airbags: two front airbags, two side airbags in the front, plus two curtain airbags offering head-level protection for both passengers in the front and rear all come as standard, and can be supplemented as an option by the addition of two side airbags in the rear. All five seats are fitted with three-point seatbelts including belt force limiters, while the front seats also benefit from pyrotechnic pre-tensioners. Isofix anchoring points for attaching child seats are furthermore incorporated into the two outer seats in the rear.

This is all complemented by additional active safety features, including ABS, TCS, ESP and the Emergency Brake Assistance system (EBA) that automatically activates the hazard warning lights when it is triggered. For added peace of mind, the León CUPRA comes with an anti-theft alarm with volumetric motion sensor as standard. What's more, there are a number of handy electronic extras to aid drivers, such as cruise control and the audible warning that sounds when the limit speed as programmed by the driver is exceeded.

The list of comfort features in the León CUPRA is an impressive one, and includes dual-zone climate control, height-adjustable driver's and front passenger seats, rear seats with a 60/40 split-folding backrest, stowage drawer in the base of the driver's seat, electric windows front and rear, remote-controlled central locking, electrically adjustable and folding door mirrors, trip computer, height and reach-adjustable steering wheel including audio controls, radio with MP3-compatible CD player, plus, for the first time, the aforementioned standard Aux-in audio connection in the centre console.

Apart from this, there is also the option of installing a connection for integrating a TomTom navigation device into the CUPRA. This connection, located on the left-hand section of the dashboard, enables the mobile navigation system to be securely attached and information to be interchanged with the vehicle, as well as providing the device with a direct power supply. The TomTom 710 navigation device, including Bluetooth technology for phones, will be available from the SEAT accessories brochure.

Other equipment features available as options include: