Power comes from essentially the same 1984cc turbocharged, direct injection four-cylinder engine as used in the GTi and Leon FR, the extra poke coming from a long list of engine tweaks. Far from simply an ECU remap, the Cupra gets a reinforced engine block, pistons and conrods, a larger turbocharger, bigger injectors and a new heat-resistant alloy for the cylinder head.
Torque increases to 221lb ft from 206lb ft in the FR. The engine modifications are broadly similar to those in Audi’s new S3, although the Audi goes further still to achieve its 261bhp.
Given that Audi asks almost £27k for the S3, Seat’s sub-£20k price looks a steal for such an impressive engine. And the modifications are extremely well judged, bringing noticeable extra pace without materially affecting the TFSI’s everyday flexibility. Even below 2000rpm the Cupra pulls smoothly, and from 2500rpm the response is quick and the effect dramatic. Although peak power is produced at 5700rpm, the Cupra’s appetite for revs is not diminished until it hits the 7100rpm rev limiter, and this ability to breathe at higher revs is a real improvement over the standard FR, which can feel a touch asthmatic at faster revolutions.
On the road the Cupra is effortlessly fast, both in terms of red line-chasing acceleration and mid-range torque; left in sixth the Cupra has the instant flex to cut it with the turbodiesels in the fast lane.
At the track the Cupra took 6.6sec to hit 60mph from rest, blisteringly quick given the extremely damp and near-freezing track conditions. This is testament not just to the Cupra’s ability to find straight-line traction, but also to the linearity of the engine’s response. Despite the larger turbocharger, it’s still possible to measure out power accurately in a way that would be totally foreign to Astra VXR owners.
