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MK3 Leon Cupra, what we know

J400uk

Active Member
Jan 7, 2010
1,978
3
London, UK
No fogs seems to be a new design trend. It's same with quite a few cars like the polo bluegt, mercedes a-class, bmw m135i etc
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
The Golf R is another one - it never had fogs though. The RS3 was the next VAG mid sized hot hatch to remove the fogs from its top model.

The difference with the Golf R and RS3 though is that it looks nothing like other Golfs, or the GTi.

The plus side to no fogs is that they wont come on when turning or reversing though :)


Golf 4 R32
vw-golf-4-r32-13.jpg


Golf 5 R32
1048_2.jpg


Golf 6 R20T
06-2012-volkswagen-golf-r.jpg


Golf 7 R
2015-Volkswagen-Golf-R-640x426.jpg


Golf 7 GTi
2014-golf-gti.png



The MK3 Leon Cupra on the other hand..........

MK3 Leon Cupra
Cupra03.png


MK3 Leon FR
8468258788_1272c131da_z.jpg


The FR looks better than the Cupra in my opinion, especially if the Cupra has on the 19's.
 
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jc_boc

Missing the CUPRA R!
Jul 18, 2008
9,304
7
Desborough
Just specced up a golf to "roughly" the same spec as the cupra........33K!!!!!! Sorry but you really do get more bang for your buck with the Leon as far as I am concerned. Wondering however if I should just hold off till much later when they confirm details about the LCR.
 

GrahamFR

Now AMG Powered
Dec 10, 2008
4,239
6
Barnsley or Burton
Just specced up a golf to "roughly" the same spec as the cupra........33K!!!!!! Sorry but you really do get more bang for your buck with the Leon as far as I am concerned. Wondering however if I should just hold off till much later when they confirm details about the LCR.

did you add the things on the cupra that the R has over it on standard kit? isnt the ACC an extra on the leon? not forgetting youve gotta consider the power difference however small and easily changable but then what about the haldex system.

There is not that much difference really.
 

Jarre

Active Member
Dec 9, 2011
5,365
11
Stockton-On-Tees
So it's around £4k more, I wonder how much more the leon will depreciate over the golf though?

Looking at those pictures above I'd say the golf is a better looking car, the mk3 Cupra looks very bland in that front on shot.
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
Just specced up a golf to "roughly" the same spec as the cupra........33K!!!!!! Sorry but you really do get more bang for your buck with the Leon as far as I am concerned. Wondering however if I should just hold off till much later when they confirm details about the LCR.

Yeah the Golf is definitely "pricey" when specified to the same level. I had to pay extra for the Nav, DCC and DSG was a more expensive option on the Golf.

However, the Golf 6 R was pricey when compared with the MK2 LCR with the same engine and power too. The difference was though that 2 years down the road the Leon was worth £10k less than new price while the Golf was only £5k less than new price over the same period. In addition, the Golf was the quicker car day to day, especially when it was wet.

For what its worth, the Golf 7 R is actually cheaper than the Golf 6 R was when it was new, and the 7 R has more standard kit than the 6 R did. The Leon on the other hand, while having more kit than the MK2 LC did, has seen its asking price steeply increase over what the MK2 LC cost in 2010/2011 at approx. £21k. The MK3 Leon Cupra is therefore almost 30% more expensive than its predecessor and approx. 10% more than the MK2 LCR -so even though it is more of a bargain in terms of equipment vs the Golf R, its not the bargain it once was.

[/£0.02]
 

Bobanegra

Active Member
Oct 15, 2010
310
0
Stirling
Just to put pricing into perspective
I bought my current mk 2 Cupra fully loaded 5 years ago as an ex demo 4 month old car for £17.5 k
On today's list prices of £28 k with discounts to be applied I can't see a 4 month old car being under £22 -23k

Have car prices really gone up that much in 5 years ?
After all it is a Seat

In a word, yes. What you pay for an Ibiza/Polo today, is what you would've paid for the equivalent Leon/Golf 5-7 years ago.
 

Bobanegra

Active Member
Oct 15, 2010
310
0
Stirling
No fogs seems to be a new design trend. It's same with quite a few cars like the polo bluegt, mercedes a-class, bmw m135i etc

It's not so much a trend but a cost cutting exercise for cars that come with LEDs as standard.

If the LEDs were an optional upgrade on the Cupra the same way they are on the FR, then it would have front fogs
 

jc_boc

Missing the CUPRA R!
Jul 18, 2008
9,304
7
Desborough
did you add the things on the cupra that the R has over it on standard kit? isnt the ACC an extra on the leon? not forgetting youve gotta consider the power difference however small and easily changable but then what about the haldex system.

There is not that much difference really.

DCC is standard on the leon iirc from what I have read, along with the diff whereas the golf has an electronic diff or something like that. Depreciation values aside the leon does have more kit as standard versus the golf. At the end of the day it will boil down to personal preference for folk regarding these cars. I suck because I am a loyalist and SEAT for me has always had more of an appeal than the golf. :D
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
DCC is standard on the leon iirc from what I have read, along with the diff whereas the golf has an electronic diff or something like that.

On which Golf? The Golf GTi has a mechanical diff on the Performance pack model. The Golf R has the next gen haldex which has the ability to transfer power better to any wheel that can best utilise it, front or back.
 

jc_boc

Missing the CUPRA R!
Jul 18, 2008
9,304
7
Desborough
On which Golf? The Golf GTi has a mechanical diff on the Performance pack model. The Golf R has the next gen haldex which has the ability to transfer power better to any wheel that can best utilise it, front or back.

Like i said, not too sure. Just sure i read something like that some where.
 

scrich7

Active Member
Oct 6, 2013
311
0
Bedford
I think we will definitely have to wait to see this in the flesh. All of the press photos so far have been 'adjusted' shall we say for the press materials. And as for the 'photos' on the website, they're just renderings and I'm fairly certain that the front view will look considerably better in real life.

Might sound a little strange, but just my thoughts.
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
15
Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
I think we will definitely have to wait to see this in the flesh. All of the press photos so far have been 'adjusted' shall we say for the press materials. And as for the 'photos' on the website, they're just renderings and I'm fairly certain that the front view will look considerably better in real life.

Might sound a little strange, but just my thoughts.

Nope your right, the digitally enhanced images are often no comparison to actually seeing the car with your own eyes.

I quite liked the images I'd seen of the Leon SC FR that I now have, but its a whole different thing seeing the car in the metal. The SC especially is a tidy looking motor. [B)]
 

RacerBice

Active Member
Nov 25, 2013
87
17
Stockholm, Sweden
Ok, the Cupra is not much different from a "regular" FR, but that certainly does not render it "bland". To me, that's a really strange comment from a surprisingly significant number of forum members. The Cupra is still a pretty fecking much better and sportier looking car than any MQB car from the other VAG brands (like the Golf R, which is the real prize-winner amongst all present Golf dogs).

In my not so humble opinion. Ehrrmm.....
 

ZBOYD

Looking up at the stars!
May 19, 2001
9,468
15
Cheshire
www.seatcupra.net
Ok, the Cupra is not much different from a "regular" FR, but that certainly does not render it "bland". To me, that's a really strange comment from a surprisingly significant number of forum members. The Cupra is still a pretty fecking much better and sportier looking car than any MQB car from the other VAG brands (like the Golf R, which is the real prize-winner amongst all present Golf dogs).

In my not so humble opinion. Ehrrmm.....

Happens every time a new product comes out, so I wouldn't read too much into it.

Everyone has their own opinion on the cars, and that's why the forum is here at the end of the day.

Haters will hate, Lovers will love and everyone in between will go with their own opinions. :)

What I find important is that the brand as a whole appears to be understanding that what ever your in the market for has to be of a decent quality, look good and offer plenty of features for a fair market price.

SEAT were guilty of pushing out some pretty plain mediocre cars in the lower ranges, and it turns the 'non enthusiast' buyers off.

Now it seems to be they are putting out generally a good product across the board with the new Leon. The more the Leon attracts your regular punters, who just want a good family car or stylish eco run about with some nice features the more chance that the parent group will give them a longer leash to play with in the future to get that hyper car signed off.
 
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Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
Each to their own. Not sure you will have many agreeing with that but hey ho.

For what its worth, even though I couldn't wait for SEAT and like stealth cars, I prefer the look on the likes of the Golf GTi to the more sedate Golf R because it looks grown up and gives little hints about its heritage and looks sporty at the same time - and it isn't too much in your face like a Focus RS.

Also, if you look at the Golf GTi, there are quite a few obvious differences vs the Golf R externally including, specifically, the bumper design - just as it was on the 8P Audi S3 and RS3.

You can distinguish the Golf GTi and R from its lesser brothers and sisters from up close and a distance. To the eagle eyed, the Cupra will be too with the twin exhausts, FR bumper with slats and no fog lights, different wheels and brakes - but to the untrained eye, it will be a regular Leon with bigger wheels.

And this is coming from someone who would have bought a Cupra if details of it were available sooner and who has a lot of time for stealth cars.
 

robdf2

Yellow is the best
Feb 21, 2006
3,605
2
location , location
i am sure i have seen a SEAT facebook photo of a bigger spoiler , side skirts ect for the SC model?

The Cupra as some have said looks bland is actually a cracking car to personalise , add a lip spoiler to the front bumper , different alloy wheels , splash of wrapping here or paint there and i think you will have a lovely car.

But one plus for the front of the car is when the day time running lights are on , it does bring the front alive.

One thing i wish they had done is either put the 4 exhaust tail pipes from the Golf R or actually kept twin middle exhausts , maybe this will be a feature of the Cupra R.

one other thing some press releases have the car at cheaper than quoted here , but they are quoted from SEATs brochure , so did someone at SEAT make a mistake? or have they had a lot of interest and are now bumping up the numbers ?
 

J400uk

Active Member
Jan 7, 2010
1,978
3
London, UK
It's not so much a trend but a cost cutting exercise for cars that come with LEDs as standard.

If the LEDs were an optional upgrade on the Cupra the same way they are on the FR, then it would have front fogs

I disagree, it's clearly an intentional design statement, you wouldn't get that sort of cost cutting on cars of this calibre. In fact I'd be surprised if fogs are an option at all!
 

Al

Active Member
Aug 29, 2005
7,331
9
The Cupra as some have said looks bland is actually a cracking car to personalise , add a lip spoiler to the front bumper , different alloy wheels , splash of wrapping here or paint there and i think you will have a lovely car.

Agreed. However once you have spent the best part of £30 grand of wedge on a car, the last thing you really want to be doing/saying is right - lets see if the MK1 LCR splitter fits on it - or wait for that chap who did the splitter for the MK2 LC's to put one on here - or spend a grand on nicer wheels.

But one plus for the front of the car is when the day time running lights are on , it does bring the front alive.

Agreed also. The LED's and headlights on the front of the Leon are lovely

One thing i wish they had done is either put the 4 exhaust tail pipes from the Golf R or actually kept twin middle exhausts , maybe this will be a feature of the Cupra R.

Even the A1 is getting quads. Its something quite a few people aren't keen on - probably the LCR will get them. Most people reckon they belong on a bigger car with bigger cc. The middle exhausts thing was last gen Golf 6 R and MK2 LCR.
 
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