Hi, so I’ve got a 2024 1.5L Cupra Leon manual. Just got to the end of the 1000 mile running in and did a long motorway drive at the weekend. I noticed that if driving at 70ish in 6th gear if I come to even the slightest incline the car can’t hold 70mph and will lose speed unless I change down to 5th gear. Is this normal? My last car of similar size had almost exactly the same power and would comfortably cruise in 6th gear up gentle inclines.
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Leon 1.5L struggles in 6th gear?
- Thread starter BraveDave23
- Start date
With the 150 version in the Cupra then no, that isn't my experience. I had the 130 one in my last seat Leon - it had no torque and a tiny power band at 1500 rpm, won't go up hills or overtake.
The engine resistance is highest at the moment, gets much better after 10k miles, but it shouldn't be that noticeable.
The engine resistance is highest at the moment, gets much better after 10k miles, but it shouldn't be that noticeable.
So there might be something wrong then? You’re saying if you’re in 6th gear doing 70mph you can cruise up gentle inclines and still keep speed at 70 easily?
My 150 Cupra Leon scampers up hills, compared to the 130, accelerating up them easily if I need to. At 70 it spends most of its time in 2 cylinder mode, it goes back to 4 cylinder mode up hills but it doesn't need to change down.
Is yours a manual or automatic? And how can you tell if it’s running on 2 or 4 cylinders? Is that when the eco symbol shows on the display?
Probably just that 6th gear is extra long for fuel economy figures, and 70mph isn't giving you enough revs for the turbo to build the boost that's needed to maintain that speed up a incline. I would try the same hill at 80mph and see if it can manage that.
Edit What RPM is it doing at 70mph in 6th? Here is the torque curve, if it's 1500rpm or above then it should be able to maintain speed, less than 1500rpm and it won't have enough boost.
Edit What RPM is it doing at 70mph in 6th? Here is the torque curve, if it's 1500rpm or above then it should be able to maintain speed, less than 1500rpm and it won't have enough boost.
My 1.4TSi (150) DSG will run up almost any motorway hill at 70mph in 7th gear & at 2200rpm. Often drops into 2-cyl mode on the flat.
It's a different lump to the 1.5 of course, but likewise, our 1.4TSi manual doesn't have any problem with motorway hills in 6th at 70mph - and will pull happily in 6th from around 30mph too.
I can't really see any difference between my old 1.4 150 and this new 1.5, other than the electric bits to improve the fuel consumption, they look just the same and it goes just as well.
It's also a DSG and it doesn't change down on hills unless it's really steep or I floor it.
It's also a DSG and it doesn't change down on hills unless it's really steep or I floor it.
Thanks for that @mty12345 I’ll check tomorrow what revs it’s doing at 70mph in 6th. Is that torque curve for the manual? I’d assume the automatic has a different torque curve with a narrower peak torque band than a manual.
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I’m not sure we can compare automatics with manuals, as they have different gear ratios and different torque bands even if it had the same engine. An automatic would have a narrower torque band and more gears, and it selects the next gear only when in the peak torque band so would always be in peak torque band in every gear.
I'm pretty sure that graph is at the flywheel and is probably the manufacturers data rather than a 'dyno run', but i'm not 100% sure.
Another possibility is that there is some kind of boost limit at low RPM until a certain mileage? I know a lot of motorbikes and cars now come with a rpm limit which they remove at the first service.
I hope not, wouldn’t want to live with a limited car for 12 months! Now it’s past the first 1000 miles I’ve tried putting the engine in sport mode and it seems as I would expect it in anything other than 6th gear
The engines are identical, exactly the same torque and rev band, only the DSG is 40kg heavier. I think you have a turbo or boost issue.
Nope. I had a waste gate issue in a previous VW that never showed an error because it was mechanical. It eventually lost all boost pressure but the computer didn't care.
Just checking - you definitely have a UK spec 1.5 150PS CUPRA Leon, not the Seat version?
Just checking - you definitely have a UK spec 1.5 150PS CUPRA Leon, not the Seat version?
My 1.4TSi (150) DSG will change into 5th (of 7) at 33mph on a light steady throttle. The speed can drop to 28 & it will stay in 5th but even slight acceleration will cause a change down to 4th or 3rd.
Some-one with a manual said their car would pickup from 30 in 6th. Absolutely no chance with a DSG. Even if put in manual mode it would still change down to 4th or 3rd.
Yeah it should be fully in the torque band there, so there must be some sort of issue with it.
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