Damo has a definitive explanation of the modes plus the impact on the DSG box:
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)...
www.seatcupra.net
Did I hear my ears burning
Hi Guys/Girls
question about the sports mode in my
290.
There are 4 driving modes comfort/sport/Cupra/individual.
when in comfort mode and I pull the gear selector down (changing gears from D to S) as I now in sport mode? Without going into the button setting?
So here is the run down.
Firstly, no option gives you more engine power. Every mode is still the full fat
290/300hp. It's just things like throttle mapping and gearbox.
When in Comfort mode all the comfort settings apply to things like steering, throttle response, suspension/DCC. But when you switch the gearbox between D and S it will change the engine and gearbox into sport mode (note this is not the same as the throttle.
Same applies to Sport mode. The whole car setup is in sport, so suspension, steering etc. When you switch between D and S it will swap the engine and gearbox between Sport and Comfort.
Then you have Cupra mode. Again, similar to sport mode, everything is in Cupra (or sport mode if there is no Cupra level). And Cupra mode has which has a more aggressive throttle response. Swapping between D and S swaps between Comfort and Cupra, although the gearbox will still only show S.
Then you have individual mode which can make things more confusing. But basically, all the above applies to your settings, and then depending on what engine mode you select in individual depends on what it swaps between:
Default first:
Engine Mode Cupra - Cupra (S) and Comfort (D).
Engine Mode Sport - Sport (S) and Comfort (D).
Engine Mode Comfort - Comfort (D) and Sport (S)
Engine Mode Economy - Economy (D on selector but shows E on dash) and Sport (S).
Now where it gets a bit iffy, is when you turn the engine off...
...after you have turned the engine off, when you turn it back on, all the settings except the engine and gearbox will stay as they were before you turned the engine off.
But the engine and gearbox will revert back to Comfort (D) by default and Sport (S). It does not matter if you have Cupra, or economy set up, it will always be Comfort and Sport. If you don't believe me (as others haven't). Set the car to Economy where it shows E and S on the gearbox options when you change. Then turn your engine off, when you turn it back on it will start swapping between D and S instead.
So, if you want your car pack in Economy or Cupra again, then you need to swap modes on the driver profile again
Final though, Economy is a waste of time, the coasting function uses more fuel idling whilst coasting, than the no fuel it uses engine braking. I always found comfort in manual mode being the best economy option.