Driving modes

[sdm]

Hi all, a long time (albeit quiet) seatcupra.net user here.
I just got a 2019 Leon Cupra 290, upgrading from a 2016 Leon FR, from a 2011 Ibiza FR.
I love the car, but I am a little confused about the driving modes.

It looks like you have Comfort, Sport and Cupra (via the centre console button), but you can also switch to Sport via the (DSG) gearstick which leaves it in Comfort (my usual choice).
Then when switching to Sport via the centre console it switches the DSG to Sport automatically.

Hopefully I'm making some sense
Just trying to work out what the differences are?

Thank you!

 

[Damo H]

So the different driving modes also alter other parts of the car. There is a button on the screen to show you what the different settings are for each mode. When you choose individual you can choose individual settings.

Depending on what options your car is spec'd with you get a choice of:

Engine mode - Eco, Comfort, Sport and Cupra. There is no difference in power for the settings, just the throttle map, so Cupra is more responsive compared to sport and you will probably here more pops from the exhaust.
Suspension (DCC) - Comfort, Sport and Cupra
Electronic Diff - Normal and Cupra
Automatic Cruise Control (If fitted) - Eco, Comfort and Sport

There maybe others but I forget, I think air conditioning may even be in there.

As for the gearbox, well that all depends on what driving mode you are in. the DSG and engine mode are effectively one and the same, but what it displays is a little misleading.

So:

Comfort mode:
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode.This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be comfort.

Sport Mode:
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be sport.

Cupra Mode:
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Cupra mode (but display will still only show S for gearbox). This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be sport.

Individual Mode:
This will depend on what you set the engine mode too, so will act as the above. The only extra setting is if you set it to Economy.
If set to Economy:
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Economy mode, and gearbox mode display will show E. This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be whatever is set in Individual.


Hope that helps.

 

[sdm]

So the different driving modes also alter other parts of the car. There is a button on the screen to show you what the different settings are for each mode. When you choose individual you can choose individual settings.

Depending on what options your car is spec'd with you get a choice of:

Engine mode - Eco, Comfort, Sport and Cupra. There is no difference in power for the settings, just the throttle map, so Cupra is more responsive compared to sport and you will probably here more pops from the exhaust.
Suspension (DCC) - Comfort, Sport and Cupra
Electronic Diff - Normal and Cupra
Automatic Cruise Control (If fitted) - Eco, Comfort and Sport

There maybe others but I forget, I think air conditioning may even be in there.

As for the gearbox, well that all depends on what driving mode you are in. the DSG and engine mode are effectively one and the same, but what it displays is a little misleading.

So:

Comfort mode:
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode.This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be comfort.

Sport Mode:
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be sport.

Cupra Mode:
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Cupra mode (but display will still only show S for gearbox). This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Comfort mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be sport.

Individual Mode:
This will depend on what you set the engine mode too, so will act as the above. The only extra setting is if you set it to Economy.
If set to Economy:
When Gearbox is in D, engine is in Economy mode, and gearbox mode display will show E. This is the default setting.
When Gearbox is in S, engine is in Sport mode. No other settings change, suspension etc will still be whatever is set in Individual.


Hope that helps.

Thanks a lot Damo, that makes sense

 

[Tonezz]

The gearbox sport mode is separate from the car settings, some of the settings incorporate it though.

Putting the engine in Sport or Cupra will put the gearbox in Sport but you can just knock it back to normal Drive. (Which you need to do really, Sport is good for an overtake or if you are driving fast but not for normal driving.)

When you start the car up, the gearbox will always be in Drive though no matter what engine setting the car is.

 

[Damo H]

The gearbox sport mode is separate from the car settings, some of the settings incorporate it though.

Putting the engine in Sport or Cupra will put the gearbox in Sport but you can just knock it back to normal Drive. (Which you need to do really, Sport is good for an overtake or if you are driving fast but not for normal driving.)

When you start the car up, the gearbox will always be in Drive though no matter what engine setting the car is.

It goes further than that.

If your car is in Cupra mode. If you turn the engine off. When you turn it back on, although the driver profile will show your still in Cupra, and the suspension diff etc will all be in Cupra, the engine will revert to Comfort. Even when you then knock the gearbox into sport, it will only go as far as sport mode.

You need to tap the Cupra option again to get the Cupra engine mode and throttle response.

In my old 280 it would remember Economy mode though, but weirdly it doesn’t even remember that in the 300. And swapping between D and S in the gearbox again doesn’t sort it out. You have to tap the individual mode again to put the engine in Economy.

 

[Tonezz]

It goes further than that.

If your car is in Cupra mode. If you turn the engine off. When you turn it back on, although the driver profile will show your still in Cupra, and the suspension diff etc will all be in Cupra, the engine will revert to Comfort. Even when you then knock the gearbox into sport, it will only go as far as sport mode.

You need to tap the Cupra option again to get the Cupra engine mode and throttle response.

In my old 280 it would remember Economy mode though, but weirdly it doesn’t even remember that in the 300. And swapping between D and S in the gearbox again doesn’t sort it out. You have to tap the individual mode again to put the engine in Economy.

Mine is 100% only the gearbox, I have custom settings with engine in Cupra and the car never comes out of Cupra engine with the stupid fake noise and fast throttle reponse.

If I re-choose the mode or change any setting with the engine still in Cupra it makes my gearbox go back into Sport, but other than that its all the same.

 

[Damo H]

Mine is 100% only the gearbox, I have custom settings with engine in Cupra and the car never comes out of Cupra engine with the stupid fake noise and fast throttle reponse.

If I re-choose the mode or change any setting with the engine still in Cupra it makes my gearbox go back into Sport, but other than that its all the same.

There is no difference in engine power between the modes. Only the throttle response and gearbox. But the DSG and engine are closely linked and work together.

But when the engine is turned off and on again, irrespective of the engine mode it was left in it restarts in Comfort mode. Knocking the box into sport puts the engine and gearbox only into sport, not the engine into Cupra. If I couldn’t tell just by the pedal response, I can tell by the difference when lifting off throttle and the noises coming out the exhaust. Goes from a few pops, to much louder, longer and sometimes cracks.

This isn’t just me saying it, it’s elsewhere on here as well.

Not that it matters, power is the same even in economy.

 

[sdm]

Thanks both for all the info, I’ve definitely got a much better grasp of it all now.
Love driving the car though, loads of fun!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Tonezz]

There is no difference in engine power between the modes. Only the throttle response and gearbox. But the DSG and engine are closely linked and work together.

But when the engine is turned off and on again, irrespective of the engine mode it was left in it restarts in Comfort mode. Knocking the box into sport puts the engine and gearbox only into sport, not the engine into Cupra. If I couldn’t tell just by the pedal response, I can tell by the difference when lifting off throttle and the noises coming out the exhaust. Goes from a few pops, to much louder, longer and sometimes cracks.

This isn’t just me saying it, it’s elsewhere on here as well.

Not that it matters, power is the same even in economy.

I know what you are saying and it says it in the manual also.

But the engine setting on my car does not change to comfort mode when I restart the car.

Its obvious when its in different modes, comfort is sluggish as hell and makes no stupid fake noise, I can turn the key and drive off without changing anything and my engine is in Cupra with the fast throttle and fake noise.

Knocking the gearbox into sport doesn't put the engine in sport though, you can be in comfort and put the gearbox in sport and engine is still comfort.

All the Sport mode on the gearbox does is hold the gears longer and makes it feel like its kicking into gear harder, the same as it did on the older cars without drive profiles.

 

[motty225]

You're correct that the fake noise remains as that's not liked to the engine, just to the mode you select which is why it stays that loud when you restart the car, but the throttle response does change back to comfort, been dozens of data logs done over the years on all the modes and its well documented that everything engine wise returns to comfort and everything else stays in Cupra

 

[Mr_G]

All the Sport mode on the gearbox does is hold the gears longer and makes it feel like its kicking into gear harder, the same as it did on the older cars without drive profiles.

Sorry for slight thread hijack but does this apply to those cars without any driving modes? Only asking as we have a 2.0TSI (190) Xcellence Lux and that doesnt have any drive modes / padle shifters but selecting sport on the DSG make the throttle noticeably more sensitive and the car feels "keener" despite me not applying more throttle or the box changing down as soon as S in engaged.

 

[Tonezz]

Sorry for slight thread hijack but does this apply to those cars without any driving modes? Only asking as we have a 2.0TSI (190) Xcellence Lux and that doesnt have any drive modes / padle shifters but selecting sport on the DSG make the throttle noticeably more sensitive and the car feels "keener" despite me not applying more throttle or the box changing down as soon as S in engaged.

Yes its just the gearbox, sport mode holds the gears basically to the red line, D mode just chases the gears and gears up fast as possible. It makes it feel keener because you're sat in like 3rd gear mid revs instead of it banging it right up to 5/6th gear.

It idles at a higher RPM so I guess that what makes it feel quicker off the line as well.