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Podvozek Leonu je vyvĂĄĹženĂ˝, hravĂ˝ a ÄitelnĂ˝. Tak jako v mnoha jinĂ˝ch ohledech se i po tĂŠto strĂĄnce podaĹilo Seatu najĂt vĂ˝bornĂ˝ kompromis mezi Hondou Civic Type R a Peugeotem 308 GTi. Leon Cupra znovu, jako v tomto testu uĹž ponÄkolikĂĄtĂŠ, hraje roli ânÄco meziâ. Podvozek je z tĂŠto trojice nejzĂĄbavnÄjĹĄĂ, je krĂĄsnÄ
Specifications: Seat Leon 1.5 eTSI Evo 150 FR Sport DSG. Engine 4cyl, 1498cc, turbo, petrol. Peak power 148bhp at 5000-6000rpm. Peak torque 184Ib ft at 1500-3500rpm. Gearbox 7-spd dual-clutch
Seat Leon Sportstourer 2.0 TSI Cupra 300 vs Honda Civic Type R 1/4 mile drag race, top speed and acceleration on the drag strip, enjoy the drag racing! If y
Mehzent | Honda Civic FK2 Type-R (SUS) = Intercooler, remap Down-Pipe exhaust system, methSinanS | Leon Cupra 1P (2nd gen) = Stage 2 plus and Hybrid turbo
honda - civic_type_r (fd2) Protocols available for each Manufacturer/Car model (September 24th 2019) Proprietary CAN protocols ALSO accessible through the OBDII plug
Site De Rencontre Dans La Loire. The SEAT Leon Cupra is arguably the bargain performance hatchback of the moment. It shares many components with the brilliant Volkswagen Golf R, only omitting the four-wheel-drive system, an extra 20hp and around ÂŁ3,000 extra cost. If itâs sharpness and aggression youâre after, however, the new Honda Civic Type R surely deserves your attention. This wild-looking hatchback has performance to match its outlandish style, and is a worthy contender for the hot hatch crown. On paper though, the SEAT and the Honda are surprisingly closely matched. So which is the car for you? If youâve already fallen for either, pop either the Honda Civic Type R or the SEAT Leon Cupra into our car configurator to see how much carwow could help you save. Styling SEAT and Honda couldnât have taken more different approaches to styling. The Leon relies on simple details, making the most of the sharp, attractive lines of the regular car. If anything, itâs even more subtle than its Volkswagen Golf R cousin. Only when you move towards the more extreme 280 Sub8 version do things start to look more wild. In contrast, the Type R is all about big grilles, outrageous side skirts and downforce-inducing wings and diffusers. Itâll certainly get you noticed, but it might be a level of attention not everyone will be comfortable with⌠Interior The Civicâs interior upgrades arenât quite as over the top, but they still clearly hint at the performance on offer. The sports seats (which one or two testers suggested were mounted a touch too high) are trimmed in red fabric, while the sporty aluminium gear knob is close to the steering wheel for quicker gear changes. The wheel itself gains flashes of red leather, and is flat-bottomed, like many sporty cars these days. Like the outside, the Leonâs cabin is a little more grown-up than the Civic (or dull, depending on your point of view). The cabin is well-screwed together but itâs all a little too full of black plastic to look special enough. The one saving grace is the steering wheel, which is lovely to hold. When it comes to the sensible stuff, the Leon has a little more space for rear seat passengers (particularly headroom) but the Civic has a huge boot. However, the Leon is offered in ST estate for those needing more room. Driving Despite their vastly different looks, out on the road, both of these cars are exciting and entertaining in equal measure. The Cupra is praised for its tight body control and responsive chassis while the ride â although firm â is never deemed to be uncomfortable. The Leonâs more advanced suspension setup at the rear suggests it will be the more entertaining drive, but the Civic takes all of these traits and moves each of them up another notch. The grip is described as âenormousâ by testers and body control is âexemplaryâ. The steering is sharp and direct and, even if it is lacking in some feel, itâs still an improvement over the variable-ratio setup the Leon uses. The Hondaâs gearchange action is brilliant and adds to the sporty driving experience. The SEATâs manual is not quite on the same level, but the optional dual-clutch automatic gearbox allows for rapid shifts or automatic operation if needed. Engines Both the Civic and the Leon use turbocharged petrol engines to send their power to the front wheels only. The SEAT is the slower of the two, yet still hits 62mph from rest in seconds (when equipped with the DSG gearbox) before reaching a top speed of 155mph, says it all really. The Civic? Knock another tenth off the 0-62mph time and add 12mph to the top speed⌠Four-cylinder turbocharged engines arenât normally the sweetest-sounding of units, but the SEAT and the Honda both provide a suitably naughty soundtrack to match the performance. Value for money Of the two, the SEAT is the cheaper car to buy. Even before the generous discounts SEAT dealers are willing to offer (particularly through our deal checker) the Leon is just under ÂŁ2,500 cheaper than the Civic. Itâs also worth bearing in mind that the top-spec GT version of the Honda â which adds a better stereo, dual-zone climate control and automatic lights â costs a further ÂŁ2,300. The Leon is claimed to return which is noticeably better than the Civicâs official figure of However, testers have confirmed that, in real world conditions, buyers should expect much closer to low-thirties from both. When it comes to depreciation, both the Honda and the SEAT should hold their value quite well, and you never know â if you decide to hold onto one for a really long time and if their cult status lives on, they may start to creep up in value again⌠Verdict Both the SEAT Leon Cupra and the Honda Civic Type R are class-leading hot hatches. On balance though, the Civic is faster, more exciting to look at and a little more thrilling to drive. However, you could easily argue a case for the SEAT. Given that itâs a few grand cheaper to buy â and likely to be cheaper to run, too â any deficiencies it gives away to the Honda are due to the lower price. Overall, the Civic wins out for the ultimate hot hatch driving experience. However, if the purchase price is just a little high or you prefer the automatic gearbox and better ride, you wonât be disappointed with the Leon at all. What next? Pop either the Honda Civic Type R or the SEAT Leon Cupra into our car configurator to see how much carwow could help you save. Check out our deals page for more options or, if youâre still struggling to choose what car youâd like, head over to our car chooser.
The Seat Leon Cupra R is 306bhp of fiery, finely honed fun - but can it match the latest Honda Civic Type R for driving thrills? Cupraâs infotainment is far superior to that of the Civic Honda is equally quick but packs its punch at higher revs Both cars corner sensationally flat Sporty intent of the Type R is as clear inside as outside Hondaâs gives 316bhp and 295lb ft Cupra R grips well but it lacks adjustability Copper colouring tells you itâs a Cupra Well of torque in the Seat is deep and wide for easy, rapid pace Seat puts out 306bhp and 280lb ft Alcantara and leather lift the Leonâs ambience Type Râs chassis engages its driver more in the handling Civic Type R is a series-production car Cupra R: UK gets 24 of a 799-unit run Close 7 mins read10 August 2020 Regardless of the outcome of this showdown, if youâre talking about hot hatches in the conventional sense, the current Civic Type R is the best money can buy. No other front-driven car for which you can lay down a deposit at your nearest dealership marries such crushing pace with such a deep-seated sense of mechanical involvement. In fact, the only reason this magazineâs road testers elected to bestow upon it four and a half stars is because those so inclined were a little more vociferous in their sentiments than the ones who would give it five. Although it no longer rages, the debate lingers. As youâve probably surmised, we havenât committed editorial hara-kiri and given up the verdict in the first line. Rather, the Honda is the only car in this duo that you can actually buy. Why a nation famous for loosening the purse strings in the pursuit of agile, affordable, peppy shopping carts should be allocated a paltry 24 cars from a run of 799 is anybodyâs guess, but each right-hand-drive example of the lava-hot Seat Leon Cupra R is now spoken for, which renders this twin test both academic and fascinating. This article was originally published on 5 May 2018. We're revisiting some of Autocar's most popular features to provide engaging content in these challenging times. Academic, because even should this ÂŁ34,995 newcomer bury its esteemed rival in a win that would come as a considerable but welcome surprise, you still canât have one. Fascinating because this is the last Cupra model before âCupraâ becomes an independent, performance-oriented institution in the manner of Mercedes-AMG. What this car portendsâits relative strengths, drawbacks, focus and, most important for us, the ability to entertain is therefore the concern of anybody who might at some point seriously consider buying a hot hatch. This battle is for the moral victory. Perhaps for you, itâs a conflict that the Japanese car has already surrendered. You will by now have formed your own opinion of the FK8-generation Civic Type Râs aesthetics, and it may not be entirely favourable. However, with the distinctive-looking Honda sitting longer and wider but no taller than the Seat Leon Cupra R, for sheer presence weâre talking cold-blooded murder here. Autocar's top 10 hot hatches Moreover, in classic Championship White, many of the intricacies swallowed up by darker hues emerge: Mitsubishi Evolution-style vortex generators on the trailing edge of the roof; side-skirt fins; a vast ventdraining the front wheel arches of lift-inducing pressure; the way the end-plates of that colossal wing flair at their base. Look closely and youâll notice that even the headlight lenses feature aero mouldings. Itâs a curious, formidable thing that could only ever have been born in Japan and, to these eyes, itâs handsome in the same way haggis is tasty. But enough about this 316bhp Honda, which starts up with an unexpectedly demure burble lost among the harder frequencies and altogether less sociable amplitude of its rip-snorting rival. Previous Cupra variants based on this third-generation Leon have been phenomenally quick point to point but have tempered that with a demeanour that cruises under the radar. Thatâs not the case here. The front and rear valances, skirts and wing are wrought of genuine carbonfibre (the Honda gets a derisible artificial wrap) and thereâs copper-coloured detailing everywhere, not least on the intake blades and two-tone 19in alloy wheels, which works far better than it should. Those wheels fail to obscure Brembo brakes that are larger than the ones on the Leon Cupra 300 and book-end a front axle that has had its geometry tweaked to offer a degree more negative camber. With new suspension uprights as well, Seatâs aim has been to make the chassis feel a little more âpointyâ, although the contact patch is 10mm narrower at each corner than the Hondaâs. Even so, aided by smooth Tarmac and warm tyres, the Cupra Râs shockingly direct changes in trajectory threatened to rip rubber from rim on its international launch in Spain last year. Flow the car through a few British bends and youâre greeted by what is arguably its meĚtier. The steering rack has been quickened a touch just off centre and has a crisp levity to it, weighting up naturally and with a steely core that transmits, yes, some genuine feel. The narrow gauge of the rim (manufacturers of even far more expensive, potent machinery, please take note) and indulgently soft Alcantara upholstery that, I suspect, is the same as that used in the new Porsche 911 GT3 certainly help. Overall, itâs a fantastic, flickable helm. Then thereâs the engine. Rarely is the lump under the bonnet the most memorable aspect of a hot hatch, and thatâs the case with the Cupra R, although for a four-cylinder workhorse, this one is absurdly talented. Its peak torque of 280lb ft arrives at only 1800rpm and yet, somehow, that same level of twist is still flooding through the six-speed manual gearbox at 5700rpm. Too much of its character is dependent on exhaust tuning, but a more tractable, cultured four-pot youâll not find in anything with five seats and boot. It is a shame, then, that some of the basics â and the more nuanced complexities â are lacking. The seats are too high-set and, strangely, given the magnitude of the bolsters, flat across their backs. The throw of this manual âbox is decently short but giddily light. The brake pedal â quite beautifully positioned in relation to the others â feels too generously servo-assisted and, on its retuned adaptive dampers, the chassislacks the final pinch of pliancy that allows its exertions to fade from your thoughts. Most telling, even in wet weather â as on the day of our photo shoot â the adjustability that bubbles up from within the best hot hatch exponents is lamentably absent, although the pace on offer is nothing short of spectacular. On British roads, the overall result is a peculiar device, and one that strongly hints at an uncompromised mission statement but ultimately delivers something of a movie punch. The Civic, meanwhile, dispenses a roundhouse, the discombobulating effects of which quickly rearrange your notion of what really constitutes âfeelingâ. The scarlet seats not only look fabulous but also cup the torso more securely. Crucially, they set your posterior more purposely low down and the consequent impression â unique among this carâs rivals â is of being securely enveloped within the chassis. Get going and youâll find the right sort of heft in the steering and clutch and pleasing resistance in the throttle pedalâs action. Response isnât as gloriously sharp as it is in the Seat and, lacking that carâs twin-scroll turbo, this 316bhp four isnât as willing at lower crank speeds. However, the scales shift at the top of the rev range, where this over-square VTEC engine feasts on the final stretch of the 7000rpm redline with a zeal thatâs just a little alarming if youâre not ready for it. The Honda also weighs an adult passenger less than the Seat, and you notice it. The one-two that makes the Seat drop a knee comes from the Type Râs gearshift and damping. The shift quality â honed assiduously by Honda for two decades â is short, tight, notchy perfection. The suspension, with its new rear multi- links, is something weâve criticised in the past for being overly stiff but, in this instance, it simply feels the more adroit. The Civicâs nose duly dives for apices with the composure of an ice-breaker cruising through a frozen pond. It must be said, however, that in these conditions the Civicâs mechanical limited-slip differential has to be exploited more deftly and with greater care than its more forgiving electronic equivalent in the Leon. On low-friction surfaces, it is less predictable, locking up earlier and pushing the nose wide to sometimes startling effect. The risk- to-reward ratio is that much more engaging in the Honda, which raises the stakes further still with its oft-cited penchant for oversteer. You could flay these charges for miles and never find the gap between them to be more than a handful of car lengths. Were the Leon wearing the track-day-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that a fifth of owners are expected to specify, I dare say it would be the quicker car. Whatever the rubber, itâs also the easier of two to live with so would be the preference of the non-enthusiast members of your household. And itâs for precisely that reason it loses this contest with its head held high but ultimately by some margin. The Civic Type R bottles the sensations common to bona fide sports cars and itâs a bottle you get to screw the top off on any road and at almost any speed. In the end, itâs simple: this limited- run Seat promises great things for an incipient Cupra brand, but the Honda is comfortably there already. 1st - Honda Civic Type R: A magnificent achievement from Honda. Tangibly the more involving proposition here, despite the unquestionable quality of its opposition 2nd - Seat Leon Cupra R: Phenomenally quick Leon bodes well for the Cupra sub-brand but never feels more than the sum of its admittedly impressive parts Used cars for sale NewsletterGet all the best car news, reviews and opinions direct to your inbox three times a week. 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Reality sometimes gets skewed at Speed Week. I mean, it's enough of a head-scrambler that we have both the P1 and 918 at our beck and call for a week, but down at the far end of the pitlane an entire touring car team is hanging out. There are laptops and air jacks, tyres by the score, neatly pressed team uniforms and talk of scrubbing in and diff settings. This is Honda Yuasa Racing. They've won 22 BTCC titles. Matt Neal is here, and so is his car. Whichis an estate. that weren't eye-rubbing enough, next to it sits another chunk of hardcore hatchery, the Seat Leon Cup Racer. You can buy one of these for ÂŁ75,000 if you so wish, and if you spent a chunk more on it, I suspect you could make it road-legal. Or head in the other direction and compete in world touring cars. Or leave it as a bonkers track-day weapon. Seat says it's 30 per cent roadcar, but the only bit I recognise inside is the DSG gearlever. It looks worryingly seems odd that just about every car in the pitlane produces more power and will later get a chance to prove it by hammering these two in a straight line. Corners, though, are another matter altogether. And not an entirely straightforward one. You see, one of these behaves as you'd imagine a touring car to behave. The other doesn't. The only thing predictable about it is its Rowan HorncastleAdvertisement - Page continues belowI clamber into the Leon. There's a brake bias dial, some toggles for the ignition and many buttons on the steering wheel. The only one I actually need switches the cabin fan on and off. It gets hot in racing cars. It has 330bhp, which ought to be a lot for the front wheels to cope with, but is tamed by a hooky differential, punchy track widths and a broad expanse of slick rubber. Keen and smooth and grippy, it gives you a genuine flavour of racing without any intimidation. Well, a little intimidation - even when the rear tyres are warmed through, they'll give you a gentle nudge into oversteer if you chicken out mid-corner, and the DSG gearbox is a bit... it all holds together, the familiar turbo gets its point across effectively, the brakes are mighty and there's a cheeky scuff from the front splitter through a couple of the more twisted corners. And just like the best racers, the Leon then breaks down when we drive it slowly for tracking pictures. The next day, a man with a laptop comes. It makes no odds - the engine has had a strop. No laptime. This is a shame, as I'm 100 per cent sure it would've been faster than Matt Neal's racecar. With me driving, at this is Matt's actual racing car, not a demo or development car, and the process here is more complex. Matt has to warm it up and scrub in a new set of tyres. I have a lesson, during which I learn the Civic has a very active front diff and that I mustn't fiddle with the buttons, plus notice that the engineers and mechanics appear to be even more apprehensive than I am. They demand I wear race overalls, but, short of stripping Stig, the only set available belongs to Matt himself. So I'm not only driving his car but wearing his clothes. Matt is 6ft 6in. I look like an Oompa Loompa. I couldn't care less. I'm about to drive a front-running BTCC car, and if it drives as simply as the Leon, this will be a walk in the Corner one: massive rear-end skid - no heat in the rear tyres. Corner two: I do one thing with the steering, but, when I get back on the power, the car chooses a different direction entirely. Corner three: I turn the steering wheel, and nothing much happens. I panic and throw more lock on, at which point the front end bites abruptly and the rear slides again. Corner four, the hairpin: a repeat of corner one. Corner five is a heart-in-mouth fast left-hander onto the back straight. I'm so cowed, I'd have been faster in the - Page continues belowClearly, there's a lot going on here: the chief culprits being tyre temperature, a hilariously mobile rear end and a front diff that's too clever for its own good. I'm amazed how quickly - and noticeably - heat builds in the tyres, and lap two is a bit calmer. But the harder I go, the more aggressive the rear steering gets and the busier the diff. I have many methods of steering the car, only one of which is the wheel in front of me. That, the diff, the rear end and brakes can be used in any combination you see fit, all at the same time - and I've never been much of a multitasker. Everything affects the car's trajectory; it never seems to take the same corner the same way on any two laps. My brain struggles with the data starts to gel eventually, but if this Civic has taught me anything, it's just how ridiculously tricky it is to set up a touring car to go fast. You could spend days tweaking diff lock-up, damper rebound, rear camber and all the rest. After a few more laps, I decide that this would be a very good way to spend a few days. It's absorbingly tricky to drive fast. Bit like the P1. My reality has been skewed ContentGet all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your clicking subscribe, you agree to receive news, promotions and offers by email from Top Gear and BBC Studios. Your information will be used in accordance with our privacy policy.
You'll haveread a lot about Cuprarecently. SEAT's just-launched sub brand is the culmination of a journey it commenced years ago; one probably dreamt up in Lower Saxony, where the marketing concept of 'Latin flair' is almost as convenient as 'English pomp' or 'Germanic superiority'. Under the new plan, all the latent sportiness that Martorell failed to introduce into the Alhambra or the Toledo or the Exeo or the Altea will now be injected into a new badge; one that still flummoxes Google image search, let alone the man on the course, that's by-the-by, because (for now) the Leon Cupra - despite being the model most associated with the name - has, for reasons best known to SEAT, nothing to do with brand Cupra. Probably that's a good thing: the long-running hot hatch already possesses heritage and credibility, and doesn't need a superfluous layer of identity plastered on top. So while the deliberately expensive R version serves as a bellwetherfor what's coming round the corner, it isn't necessarily beholden to it (no matter what subliminal messages are being imparted by its copper colour scheme).Its maker would probably prefer its sold-out headliner to be regarded simply as a Leon, in the hope that it enjoys the generosity of spirit that greeted theGolf GTI Clubsport S, a limited-edition run-out model with the same enhanced output and the same single axle to drive it through. Needless to say the five-door R has not had its rear seats deleted nor its weight reduced - but it does get the same modified camber angles at the front, bigger brakes, revamped steering and a retuned exhaust system, as well as a smattering of carbon fibre on a very mildly augmented Cupra body that the 24 cars coming to the UK are already sold, it's hardly worth passing comment on the desirability of the styling revisions. If there were a 25th customer in two minds about the car, we might point out that the copper highlights are likely to be divisive - then again, we've brought along a Honda Civic Type R to test it against, which is rather like bringing a Jackson Pollock canvas to a gun fight. The GT version starts at ÂŁ32,995 (ÂŁ2k cheaper than the Cupra R) and it delivers 10hp more from its VTEC Turbo unit. It also looks like it looks, which you're either going to put up with or internally veto with a inside though, and the objective distance between the pair narrows significantly. Not so very long ago, anything heralding from the VW Group could expect to romp away from a Honda on the pleasantness and usability alone, but the FK8 generation of Civic is a different kettle of fish. Where the car was once overly keen to be appear nonconformist, the latest dashboard is as buttoned-down as a Marks and Spencer shirt collar - and while that means you're unlikely to spend long marvelling at it, it does rather beat Martorell at its own game by being neat and tidy and very well clincher though is the fact that in the Type R, you sit what feels like about a foot lower on far superior (and characteristically red) sport seats. As nice as the Cupra's Alcantara steering wheel is - and no matter how preferable it's infotainment system might be - they're no match for the allure of decent driving position. It's also worth mentioning that the Civic feels about a foot wider (it's actually about 60mm broader than the Leon) which, proportionally speaking, is to the car's advantage. Drive them back to back, and the Leon seems like an overgrown supermini compared to its lower, larger no question the Type R makes a dynamic virtue of its greater size, either. The car's footprint - and the corresponding sense of stability - seems oversized for a hatchback. It's sublimely well marshalled, too. Even in Comfort mode the Civic is unapologetically firm at low speeds, yet the stiffness is that lovely sort which seems to live mostly in the structure, freeing up the adaptive dampers to get on with the business of endlessly kneading the 20-inch wheels into the road surface. The resulting suppleness is too shallow to be called infallible in the UK, but for as long as it works, it makes the car's tacked-down poise seem wonderfully the Leon? Well, it does nothing quite so well. It is a measure of the Type R's quality that the Cupra's own Comfort setting - typically thought a decent compromise in the standard model - feels almost blancmange-like compared to the super-stern Honda. Of course you might be willing to sacrifice some vertical stiffness if there was a pay off in ride quality, but the SEAT never quite manages to convince you that its lubberly softness is actually delivering a greater level of bump absorption. For the most part, its own adaptive damping just feels a notch less performance though, well lives up to the Cupra R billing. Despite being the best part of 100kg heavier than the Clubsport S, the end result is much the same: with minimal fuss or squirm in the steering wheel, the all-singing iteration of the endlessly re-used EA888 motor has the Leon charging likeably from the blocks. SEAT claims seconds to 62mph - easily believable, and an exact match for the Type R's time - nevertheless, it is the in-gear acceleration which really shows off the unit's flexibility. Low crank speeds hold no fear for the Cupra driver no matter which drive mode you're in; its 280lb ft of peak torque is produced virtually without lag and seems endlessly accessible, and - in the dry at least, with judicious use - seldom threatens to overwhelm the standard-fit electronic locking diff Civic meanwhile has 295lb ft at its disposal and is virtually the same weight as the Leon, but despite having a turbocharger twinned with the VTEC system for a generation now, its own engine is just not quite as prolific when asked to pull from so close to idle. The Cupra's comparative enthusiasm only serves to highlight the softness of its throttle response, and while it isn't hesitant in the old school Type R mould (there's certainly no 'wait, wait - go!' here), it just doesn't surge forward quite as nimbly as the SEAT, and nor does it attempt a variation on its rival's baritone warble, it does instead is go and sound exactly like you might expect a high-revving forced-induction Honda engine to; one that builds progressively from any initial delay to gallop through its mid range and end in a sprint somewhere near 7,000rpm. Credit where it's due, the EA888 is hardly any less compelling at between 5,800-6,500rpm - where the R's advantage over other Cupra-badged cars makes its presence felt - but thanks to a familiar weightlessness in the clutch and gear shift, it doesn't share the precision and tactility of Honda's six-speed manual transmission nor the gratifyingly mechanical sensation of interacting with this latter respect - specifically the business of nailing the physical connection between driver, car and road surface - there's clear daylight between the two. The Type R's predecessor, the FK2, was self-limited not by a lack of ability, but because it could be driven everywhere at Mach 2 without ruffling so much as an eyebrow. In its follow-up, almost to a fault, you now relish every second; not because you go noticeably quicker, but because Honda has successfully cleaved away at the feeling of detachment with meticulously honed controls and the exacting, talkative chassis to say the FK8 turns all-of-a-piece is something of an understatement; it slays corners with its flatness and tenacity and slippy-diff willingness to put its power down. The R+ mode is a little too hyperactive for most B-roads, but in Sport you get just the right simmering mix of tautness, compliance, steering response and back-axle mobility. The R is better in Sport, too (the Cupra setting being too brittle) and easily proficient enough to carry foolhardy amounts of speed through most bends. Its obvious strengths feel familiar and well chosen: directness and directional stability being at a premium, and present in sufficient quantities to make the car a generally satisfying foil for the biggest output it's ever been while the Leon is good enough to let you drive fast, the Type R makes you want to drive fast precisely because it is so good. SEAT hasn't zeroed-in its R model with nearly the same stringency. The Honda gets better across the board as you try harder; the Cupra gamely ups its roll resistance, but doesn't ultimately possess the rigorous steering feel needed to make the advantage meaningful nor the adjustability to make it thrilling. It tends to feel exactly as it is: the most powerful version of an upstanding, affable and unremarkable hot hatch. The Civic feels different. It could hardly be anymore rounded if it were a BB pellet. It feels like it's in the league above. Now if only it looked that way, too...SPECIFICATION - HONDA CIVIC TYPE REngine: 1,996cc, turbocharged 4-cylTransmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drivePower (hp): 320@6,500rpmTorque (lb ft): 295@2,500-4,500rpm0-62mph: speed: 169mphWeight: 1,451kg (with fluids and driver)MPG: (NEDC combined)CO2: 176g/kmPrice: ÂŁ30,995 (ÂŁ32,995 for GT version)SPECIFICATION - SEAT LEON CUPRA REngine: 1,984cc, 4-cylinder turbochargedTransmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drivePower (hp): 310@5,800-6,500rpmTorque (lb ft): 280@1,800-5,700rpm0-62mph: speed: 155mphWeight: 1,453kgMPG: (NEDC combined)CO2: 170g/kmPrice: ÂŁ34,995
The Seat Leon Cupra R is 306bhp of fiery, finely honed fun - but can it match the latest Honda Civic Type R for driving thrills?Regardless of the outcome of this showdown, if you're talking about hot hatches in the conventional sense, the current Civic Type R is the best money can other front-driven car for which you can lay down a deposit at your nearest dealership marries such crushing pace with such a deep-seated sense of mechanical involvement. In fact, the only reason this magazine's road testers elected to bestow upon it four and a half stars is because those so inclined were a little more vociferous in their sentiments than the ones who would give it five. Although it no longer rages, the debate you've probably surmised, we haven't committed editorial hara-kiri and given up the verdict in the first line. Rather, the Honda is the only car in this duo that you can actually buy. Why a nation famous for loosening the purse strings in the pursuit of agile, affordable, peppy shopping carts should be allocated a paltry 24 cars from a run of 799 is anybody's guess, but each right-hand-drive example of the lava-hot Seat Leon Cupra R is now spoken for, which renders this twin test both academic and because even should this ÂŁ34,995 newcomer bury its esteemed rival in a win that would come as a considerable but welcome surprise, you still can't have one. Fascinating because this is the last Cupra model before 'Cupra' becomes an independent, performance-oriented institution in the manner of Mercedes-AMG. What this car portendsâits relative strengths, drawbacks, focus and, most important for us, the ability to entertain is therefore the concern of anybody who might at some point seriously consider buying a hot battle is for the moral victory. Perhaps for you, it's a conflict that the Japanese car has already surrendered. You will by now have formed your own opinion of the FK8-generation Civic Type R's aesthetics, and it may not be entirely favourable. However, with the distinctive-looking Honda sitting longer and wider but no taller than the Seat Leon Cupra R, for sheer presence we're talking cold-blooded murder in classic Championship White, many of the intricacies swallowed up by darker hues emerge: Mitsubishi Evolution-style vortex generators on the trailing edge of the roof; side-skirt fins; a vast ventdraining the front wheel arches of lift-inducing pressure; the way the end-plates of that colossal wing flair at their base. Look closely and you'll notice that even the headlight lenses feature aero mouldings. It's a curious, formidable thing that could only ever have been born in Japan and, to these eyes, it's handsome in the same way haggis is enough about this 316bhp Honda, which starts up with an unexpectedly demure burble lost among the harder frequencies and altogether less sociable amplitude of its rip-snorting rival. Previous Cupra variants based on this third-generation Leon have been phenomenally quick point to point but have tempered that with a demeanour that cruises under the radar. That's not the case here. The front and rear valances, skirts and wing are wrought of genuine carbonfibre (the Honda gets a derisible artificial wrap) and there's copper-coloured detailing everywhere, not least on the intake blades and two-tone 19in alloy wheels, which works far better than it wheels fail to obscure Brembo brakes that are larger than the ones on the Leon Cupra 300 and book-end a front axle that has had its geometry tweaked to offer a degree more negative camber. With new suspension uprights as well, Seat's aim has been to make the chassis feel a little more 'pointy', although the contact patch is 10mm narrower at each corner than the Honda's. Even so, aided by smooth Tarmac and warm tyres, the Cupra R's shockingly direct changes in trajectory threatened to rip rubber from rim on its international launch in Spain last the car through a few British bends and you're greeted by what is arguably its meĚtier. The steering rack has been quickened a touch just off centre and has a crisp levity to it, weighting up naturally and with a steely core that transmits, yes, some genuine feel. The narrow gauge of the rim (manufacturers of even far more expensive, potent machinery, please take note) and indulgently soft Alcantara upholstery that, I suspect, is the same as that used in the new Porsche 911 GT3 certainly help. Overall, it's a fantastic, flickable there's the engine. Rarely is the lump under the bonnet the most memorable aspect of a hot hatch, and that's the case with the Cupra R, although for a four-cylinder workhorse, this one is absurdly peak torque of 280lb ft arrives at only 1800rpm and yet, somehow, that same level of twist is still flooding through the six-speed manual gearbox at 5700rpm. Too much of its character is dependent on exhaust tuning, but a more tractable, cultured four-pot you'll not find in anything with five seats and is a shame, then, that some of the basics â and the more nuanced complexities â are lacking. The seats are too high-set and, strangely, given the magnitude of the bolsters, flat across their backs. The throw of this manual 'box is decently short but giddily light. The brake pedal â quite beautifully positioned in relation to the others â feels too generously servo-assisted and, on its retuned adaptive dampers, the chassislacks the final pinch of pliancy that allows its exertions to fade from your telling, even in wet weather â as on the day of our photo shoot â the adjustability that bubbles up from within the best hot hatch exponents is lamentably absent, although the pace on offer is nothing short of spectacular. On British roads, the overall result is a peculiar device, and one that strongly hints at an uncompromised mission statement but ultimately delivers something of a movie Civic, meanwhile, dispenses a roundhouse, the discombobulating effects of which quickly rearrange your notion of what really constitutes 'feeling'. The scarlet seats not only look fabulous but also cup the torso more securely. Crucially, they set your posterior more purposely low down and the consequent impression â unique among this car's rivals â is of being securely enveloped within the going and you'll find the right sort of heft in the steering and clutch and pleasing resistance in the throttle pedal's action. Response isn't as gloriously sharp as it is in the Seat and, lacking that car's twin-scroll turbo, this 316bhp four isn't as willing at lower crank speeds. However, the scales shift at the top of the rev range, where this over-square VTEC engine feasts on the final stretch of the 7000rpm redline with a zeal that's just a little alarming if you're not ready for it. The Honda also weighs an adult passenger less than the Seat, and you notice one-two that makes the Seat drop a knee comes from the Type R's gearshift and damping. The shift quality â honed assiduously by Honda for two decades â is short, tight, notchy perfection. The suspension, with its new rear multi- links, is something we've criticised in the past for being overly stiff but, in this instance, it simply feels the more adroit. The Civic's nose duly dives for apices with the composure of an ice-breaker cruising through a frozen must be said, however, that in these conditions the Civic's mechanical limited-slip differential has to be exploited more deftly and with greater care than its more forgiving electronic equivalent in the Leon. On low-friction surfaces, it is less predictable, locking up earlier and pushing the nose wide to sometimes startling effect. The risk- to-reward ratio is that much more engaging in the Honda, which raises the stakes further still with its oft-cited penchant for could flay these charges for miles and never find the gap between them to be more than a handful of car lengths. Were the Leon wearing the track-day-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that a fifth of owners are expected to specify, I dare say it would be the quicker car. Whatever the rubber, it's also the easier of two to live with so would be the preference of the non-enthusiast members of your household. And it's for precisely that reason it loses this contest with its head held high but ultimately by some Civic Type R bottles the sensations common to bona fide sports cars and it's a bottle you get to screw the top off on any road and at almost any speed. In the end, it's simple: this limited- run Seat promises great things for an incipient Cupra brand, but the Honda is comfortably there - Honda Civic Type R: A magnificent achievement from Honda. Tangibly the more involving proposition here, despite the unquestionable quality of its opposition2nd - Seat Leon Cupra R: Phenomenally quick Leon bodes well for the Cupra sub-brand but never feels more than the sum of its admittedly impressive parts
honda civic vs seat leon
