When compared with Honda’s old engines, it’s more efficient than the 1.0-litre petrol, more powerful and faster than the 1.5-litre petrol and has more torque (pulling power) than the diesel, making it as close to a Goldilocks solution as possible. That claim really does hold up on the road. With 184 hp and 315 Nm of torque, it’s good for
Skip to ContentSkip to FooterHot new Honda Civic Type R goes head-to-head with Ford Focus RS and SEAT Leon SC Cupra 300It’s decision time. So which of these three very hot hatches is our clear winner?We could tease out the winner of the test, but there’d be no point because in he final reckoning the Honda walks it. No matter which way you cut it, the Civic comes out on top thanks to its staggering breadth of abilities. It’s no exaggeration to say that the Type R redefines what’s possible for a hot hatch – either front or four-wheel drive. ‘It bristles with capability, seriousness, competency, aggression’, enthuses Towler. ‘It successfully melds the outrageous performance people expected with old fashioned, but extremely relevant, qualities of interaction. It feels like a special car, honed for the task by a team on top of their game.’The fact it was fastest around the track, is the most spacious and practical day-to-day and won’t cost the earth to run is the icing on top of the Honda’s hard earned victory cake. We even got used to the between the Ford and SEAT was trickier, because despite having very different takes on the hot hatch formula, they’re both desirable propositions. Yet when the shouting subsided, it was the Focus that emerged just ahead. Its hardcore ride, compromised driving position and wide boy image are demerits, but when you start to push on, the RS’s ability to engage and entertain is unquestioned, plus the novelty of a hot hatch that handles with a rear-drive swagger never really wears off. Towler again, ‘The Ford seems weighed down by expectation and marketing involvement, but get it on a challenging road and its qualities really shine through. It's one of those cars where you can throw any surface, camber or bump at it at very high speed and know that the chassis will respond.’So that leaves the SEAT holding the wooden spoon. The Spanish flyer used to be one of our favourites, but the pace of change in this class has left the Leon languishing. That’s not to say the Cupra doesn’t have its charms. We’re huge fans of its lightweight construction and ferocious performance, plus when you’re in the mood it’s a genuinely exciting machine, but push it as hard as the other two and it quickly that’s not all. ‘I can’t understand why it looks so ordinary,’ muses Ingram. ‘A more adventurous bodykit would help it stand out, while inside it needs a set of decent seats at the very least.’ Perhaps more pressingly, SEAT needs to launch a Sub8 pack for this latest 300 version, because we’re convinced that this would address some of the Leon’s weaknesses. Even so, it’s unlikely even an upgraded Cupra could topple the remarkable Honda. In fact, it’s going to take something spectacular to knock the Type R of its top spot. Over to you, this reviewMost Popular992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS set for August 17 revealSpy shots992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS set for August 17 revealAfter months of test mule sightings and teasers, Porsche has finally announced a reveal date for its most focused GT3 RS yet 26 Jul 2022New versus old: 930 Porsche 911 Turbo vs 992 Porsche 911 Turbo SFeaturesNew versus old: 930 Porsche 911 Turbo vs 992 Porsche 911 Turbo SNearly 50 years split these two sports cars, but the lineage of a Porsche 911 Turbo is undeniable – and there's good reason for it22 Jul 2022Range Rover 2022 review – new generation icon sits in a class of its ownReviewsRange Rover 2022 review – new generation icon sits in a class of its ownDoubling down on a Range Rover’s best bits, while polishing some of its worst – the all-new model is everything you expected, and hoped, it would be22 Jul 2022Skip to HeaderSkip to ContentΑπό την πρώτη ημέρα του ΤΕΤΡΑΚΟΣΑΡΙ ΙΙΙ.Το ΤΕΤΡΑΚΟΣΑΡΙ ΙΙΙ στέφθηκε με απόλυτη επιτυχία! Το περιοδικό
You'll haveread a lot about Cuprarecently. SEAT's just-launched sub brand is the culmination of a journey it commenced years ago; one probably dreamt up in Lower Saxony, where the marketing concept of 'Latin flair' is almost as convenient as 'English pomp' or 'Germanic superiority'. Under the new plan, all the latent sportiness that Martorell failed to introduce into the Alhambra or the Toledo or the Exeo or the Altea will now be injected into a new badge; one that still flummoxes Google image search, let alone the man on the course, that's by-the-by, because (for now) the Leon Cupra - despite being the model most associated with the name - has, for reasons best known to SEAT, nothing to do with brand Cupra. Probably that's a good thing: the long-running hot hatch already possesses heritage and credibility, and doesn't need a superfluous layer of identity plastered on top. So while the deliberately expensive R version serves as a bellwetherfor what's coming round the corner, it isn't necessarily beholden to it (no matter what subliminal messages are being imparted by its copper colour scheme).Its maker would probably prefer its sold-out headliner to be regarded simply as a Leon, in the hope that it enjoys the generosity of spirit that greeted theGolf GTI Clubsport S, a limited-edition run-out model with the same enhanced output and the same single axle to drive it through. Needless to say the five-door R has not had its rear seats deleted nor its weight reduced - but it does get the same modified camber angles at the front, bigger brakes, revamped steering and a retuned exhaust system, as well as a smattering of carbon fibre on a very mildly augmented Cupra body that the 24 cars coming to the UK are already sold, it's hardly worth passing comment on the desirability of the styling revisions. If there were a 25th customer in two minds about the car, we might point out that the copper highlights are likely to be divisive - then again, we've brought along a Honda Civic Type R to test it against, which is rather like bringing a Jackson Pollock canvas to a gun fight. The GT version starts at £32,995 (£2k cheaper than the Cupra R) and it delivers 10hp more from its VTEC Turbo unit. It also looks like it looks, which you're either going to put up with or internally veto with a inside though, and the objective distance between the pair narrows significantly. Not so very long ago, anything heralding from the VW Group could expect to romp away from a Honda on the pleasantness and usability alone, but the FK8 generation of Civic is a different kettle of fish. Where the car was once overly keen to be appear nonconformist, the latest dashboard is as buttoned-down as a Marks and Spencer shirt collar - and while that means you're unlikely to spend long marvelling at it, it does rather beat Martorell at its own game by being neat and tidy and very well clincher though is the fact that in the Type R, you sit what feels like about a foot lower on far superior (and characteristically red) sport seats. As nice as the Cupra's Alcantara steering wheel is - and no matter how preferable it's infotainment system might be - they're no match for the allure of decent driving position. It's also worth mentioning that the Civic feels about a foot wider (it's actually about 60mm broader than the Leon) which, proportionally speaking, is to the car's advantage. Drive them back to back, and the Leon seems like an overgrown supermini compared to its lower, larger no question the Type R makes a dynamic virtue of its greater size, either. The car's footprint - and the corresponding sense of stability - seems oversized for a hatchback. It's sublimely well marshalled, too. Even in Comfort mode the Civic is unapologetically firm at low speeds, yet the stiffness is that lovely sort which seems to live mostly in the structure, freeing up the adaptive dampers to get on with the business of endlessly kneading the 20-inch wheels into the road surface. The resulting suppleness is too shallow to be called infallible in the UK, but for as long as it works, it makes the car's tacked-down poise seem wonderfully the Leon? Well, it does nothing quite so well. It is a measure of the Type R's quality that the Cupra's own Comfort setting - typically thought a decent compromise in the standard model - feels almost blancmange-like compared to the super-stern Honda. Of course you might be willing to sacrifice some vertical stiffness if there was a pay off in ride quality, but the SEAT never quite manages to convince you that its lubberly softness is actually delivering a greater level of bump absorption. For the most part, its own adaptive damping just feels a notch less performance though, well lives up to the Cupra R billing. Despite being the best part of 100kg heavier than the Clubsport S, the end result is much the same: with minimal fuss or squirm in the steering wheel, the all-singing iteration of the endlessly re-used EA888 motor has the Leon charging likeably from the blocks. SEAT claims seconds to 62mph - easily believable, and an exact match for the Type R's time - nevertheless, it is the in-gear acceleration which really shows off the unit's flexibility. Low crank speeds hold no fear for the Cupra driver no matter which drive mode you're in; its 280lb ft of peak torque is produced virtually without lag and seems endlessly accessible, and - in the dry at least, with judicious use - seldom threatens to overwhelm the standard-fit electronic locking diff Civic meanwhile has 295lb ft at its disposal and is virtually the same weight as the Leon, but despite having a turbocharger twinned with the VTEC system for a generation now, its own engine is just not quite as prolific when asked to pull from so close to idle. The Cupra's comparative enthusiasm only serves to highlight the softness of its throttle response, and while it isn't hesitant in the old school Type R mould (there's certainly no 'wait, wait - go!' here), it just doesn't surge forward quite as nimbly as the SEAT, and nor does it attempt a variation on its rival's baritone warble, it does instead is go and sound exactly like you might expect a high-revving forced-induction Honda engine to; one that builds progressively from any initial delay to gallop through its mid range and end in a sprint somewhere near 7,000rpm. Credit where it's due, the EA888 is hardly any less compelling at between 5,800-6,500rpm - where the R's advantage over other Cupra-badged cars makes its presence felt - but thanks to a familiar weightlessness in the clutch and gear shift, it doesn't share the precision and tactility of Honda's six-speed manual transmission nor the gratifyingly mechanical sensation of interacting with this latter respect - specifically the business of nailing the physical connection between driver, car and road surface - there's clear daylight between the two. The Type R's predecessor, the FK2, was self-limited not by a lack of ability, but because it could be driven everywhere at Mach 2 without ruffling so much as an eyebrow. In its follow-up, almost to a fault, you now relish every second; not because you go noticeably quicker, but because Honda has successfully cleaved away at the feeling of detachment with meticulously honed controls and the exacting, talkative chassis to say the FK8 turns all-of-a-piece is something of an understatement; it slays corners with its flatness and tenacity and slippy-diff willingness to put its power down. The R+ mode is a little too hyperactive for most B-roads, but in Sport you get just the right simmering mix of tautness, compliance, steering response and back-axle mobility. The R is better in Sport, too (the Cupra setting being too brittle) and easily proficient enough to carry foolhardy amounts of speed through most bends. Its obvious strengths feel familiar and well chosen: directness and directional stability being at a premium, and present in sufficient quantities to make the car a generally satisfying foil for the biggest output it's ever been while the Leon is good enough to let you drive fast, the Type R makes you want to drive fast precisely because it is so good. SEAT hasn't zeroed-in its R model with nearly the same stringency. The Honda gets better across the board as you try harder; the Cupra gamely ups its roll resistance, but doesn't ultimately possess the rigorous steering feel needed to make the advantage meaningful nor the adjustability to make it thrilling. It tends to feel exactly as it is: the most powerful version of an upstanding, affable and unremarkable hot hatch. The Civic feels different. It could hardly be anymore rounded if it were a BB pellet. It feels like it's in the league above. Now if only it looked that way, too...SPECIFICATION - HONDA CIVIC TYPE REngine: 1,996cc, turbocharged 4-cylTransmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drivePower (hp): 320@6,500rpmTorque (lb ft): 295@2,500-4,500rpm0-62mph: speed: 169mphWeight: 1,451kg (with fluids and driver)MPG: (NEDC combined)CO2: 176g/kmPrice: £30,995 (£32,995 for GT version)SPECIFICATION - SEAT LEON CUPRA REngine: 1,984cc, 4-cylinder turbochargedTransmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drivePower (hp): 310@5,800-6,500rpmTorque (lb ft): 280@1,800-5,700rpm0-62mph: speed: 155mphWeight: 1,453kgMPG: (NEDC combined)CO2: 170g/kmPrice: £34,995 Definitely the hatch. We compare four 2017 compact hatchbacks to find out who does it best—Chevy Cruze, Honda Civic Sport, Mazda 3, and Volkswagen Golf. From the April 2017 issue of Car andThe Seat Leon Cupra R is 306bhp of fiery, finely honed fun - but can it match the latest Honda Civic Type R for driving thrills? Cupra’s infotainment is far superior to that of the Civic Honda is equally quick but packs its punch at higher revs Both cars corner sensationally flat Sporty intent of the Type R is as clear inside as outside Honda’s gives 316bhp and 295lb ft Cupra R grips well but it lacks adjustability Copper colouring tells you it’s a Cupra Well of torque in the Seat is deep and wide for easy, rapid pace Seat puts out 306bhp and 280lb ft Alcantara and leather lift the Leon’s ambience Type R’s chassis engages its driver more in the handling Civic Type R is a series-production car Cupra R: UK gets 24 of a 799-unit run Close 7 mins read10 August 2020 Regardless of the outcome of this showdown, if you’re talking about hot hatches in the conventional sense, the current Civic Type R is the best money can buy. No other front-driven car for which you can lay down a deposit at your nearest dealership marries such crushing pace with such a deep-seated sense of mechanical involvement. In fact, the only reason this magazine’s road testers elected to bestow upon it four and a half stars is because those so inclined were a little more vociferous in their sentiments than the ones who would give it five. Although it no longer rages, the debate lingers. As you’ve probably surmised, we haven’t committed editorial hara-kiri and given up the verdict in the first line. Rather, the Honda is the only car in this duo that you can actually buy. Why a nation famous for loosening the purse strings in the pursuit of agile, affordable, peppy shopping carts should be allocated a paltry 24 cars from a run of 799 is anybody’s guess, but each right-hand-drive example of the lava-hot Seat Leon Cupra R is now spoken for, which renders this twin test both academic and fascinating. This article was originally published on 5 May 2018. We're revisiting some of Autocar's most popular features to provide engaging content in these challenging times. Academic, because even should this £34,995 newcomer bury its esteemed rival in a win that would come as a considerable but welcome surprise, you still can’t have one. Fascinating because this is the last Cupra model before ‘Cupra’ becomes an independent, performance-oriented institution in the manner of Mercedes-AMG. What this car portends–its relative strengths, drawbacks, focus and, most important for us, the ability to entertain is therefore the concern of anybody who might at some point seriously consider buying a hot hatch. This battle is for the moral victory. Perhaps for you, it’s a conflict that the Japanese car has already surrendered. You will by now have formed your own opinion of the FK8-generation Civic Type R’s aesthetics, and it may not be entirely favourable. However, with the distinctive-looking Honda sitting longer and wider but no taller than the Seat Leon Cupra R, for sheer presence we’re talking cold-blooded murder here. Autocar's top 10 hot hatches Moreover, in classic Championship White, many of the intricacies swallowed up by darker hues emerge: Mitsubishi Evolution-style vortex generators on the trailing edge of the roof; side-skirt fins; a vast ventdraining the front wheel arches of lift-inducing pressure; the way the end-plates of that colossal wing flair at their base. Look closely and you’ll notice that even the headlight lenses feature aero mouldings. It’s a curious, formidable thing that could only ever have been born in Japan and, to these eyes, it’s handsome in the same way haggis is tasty. But enough about this 316bhp Honda, which starts up with an unexpectedly demure burble lost among the harder frequencies and altogether less sociable amplitude of its rip-snorting rival. Previous Cupra variants based on this third-generation Leon have been phenomenally quick point to point but have tempered that with a demeanour that cruises under the radar. That’s not the case here. The front and rear valances, skirts and wing are wrought of genuine carbonfibre (the Honda gets a derisible artificial wrap) and there’s copper-coloured detailing everywhere, not least on the intake blades and two-tone 19in alloy wheels, which works far better than it should. Those wheels fail to obscure Brembo brakes that are larger than the ones on the Leon Cupra 300 and book-end a front axle that has had its geometry tweaked to offer a degree more negative camber. With new suspension uprights as well, Seat’s aim has been to make the chassis feel a little more ‘pointy’, although the contact patch is 10mm narrower at each corner than the Honda’s. Even so, aided by smooth Tarmac and warm tyres, the Cupra R’s shockingly direct changes in trajectory threatened to rip rubber from rim on its international launch in Spain last year. Flow the car through a few British bends and you’re greeted by what is arguably its métier. The steering rack has been quickened a touch just off centre and has a crisp levity to it, weighting up naturally and with a steely core that transmits, yes, some genuine feel. The narrow gauge of the rim (manufacturers of even far more expensive, potent machinery, please take note) and indulgently soft Alcantara upholstery that, I suspect, is the same as that used in the new Porsche 911 GT3 certainly help. Overall, it’s a fantastic, flickable helm. Then there’s the engine. Rarely is the lump under the bonnet the most memorable aspect of a hot hatch, and that’s the case with the Cupra R, although for a four-cylinder workhorse, this one is absurdly talented. Its peak torque of 280lb ft arrives at only 1800rpm and yet, somehow, that same level of twist is still flooding through the six-speed manual gearbox at 5700rpm. Too much of its character is dependent on exhaust tuning, but a more tractable, cultured four-pot you’ll not find in anything with five seats and boot. It is a shame, then, that some of the basics – and the more nuanced complexities – are lacking. The seats are too high-set and, strangely, given the magnitude of the bolsters, flat across their backs. The throw of this manual ’box is decently short but giddily light. The brake pedal – quite beautifully positioned in relation to the others – feels too generously servo-assisted and, on its retuned adaptive dampers, the chassislacks the final pinch of pliancy that allows its exertions to fade from your thoughts. Most telling, even in wet weather – as on the day of our photo shoot – the adjustability that bubbles up from within the best hot hatch exponents is lamentably absent, although the pace on offer is nothing short of spectacular. On British roads, the overall result is a peculiar device, and one that strongly hints at an uncompromised mission statement but ultimately delivers something of a movie punch. The Civic, meanwhile, dispenses a roundhouse, the discombobulating effects of which quickly rearrange your notion of what really constitutes ‘feeling’. The scarlet seats not only look fabulous but also cup the torso more securely. Crucially, they set your posterior more purposely low down and the consequent impression – unique among this car’s rivals – is of being securely enveloped within the chassis. Get going and you’ll find the right sort of heft in the steering and clutch and pleasing resistance in the throttle pedal’s action. Response isn’t as gloriously sharp as it is in the Seat and, lacking that car’s twin-scroll turbo, this 316bhp four isn’t as willing at lower crank speeds. However, the scales shift at the top of the rev range, where this over-square VTEC engine feasts on the final stretch of the 7000rpm redline with a zeal that’s just a little alarming if you’re not ready for it. The Honda also weighs an adult passenger less than the Seat, and you notice it. The one-two that makes the Seat drop a knee comes from the Type R’s gearshift and damping. The shift quality – honed assiduously by Honda for two decades – is short, tight, notchy perfection. The suspension, with its new rear multi- links, is something we’ve criticised in the past for being overly stiff but, in this instance, it simply feels the more adroit. The Civic’s nose duly dives for apices with the composure of an ice-breaker cruising through a frozen pond. It must be said, however, that in these conditions the Civic’s mechanical limited-slip differential has to be exploited more deftly and with greater care than its more forgiving electronic equivalent in the Leon. On low-friction surfaces, it is less predictable, locking up earlier and pushing the nose wide to sometimes startling effect. The risk- to-reward ratio is that much more engaging in the Honda, which raises the stakes further still with its oft-cited penchant for oversteer. You could flay these charges for miles and never find the gap between them to be more than a handful of car lengths. Were the Leon wearing the track-day-spec Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres that a fifth of owners are expected to specify, I dare say it would be the quicker car. Whatever the rubber, it’s also the easier of two to live with so would be the preference of the non-enthusiast members of your household. And it’s for precisely that reason it loses this contest with its head held high but ultimately by some margin. The Civic Type R bottles the sensations common to bona fide sports cars and it’s a bottle you get to screw the top off on any road and at almost any speed. In the end, it’s simple: this limited- run Seat promises great things for an incipient Cupra brand, but the Honda is comfortably there already. 1st - Honda Civic Type R: A magnificent achievement from Honda. Tangibly the more involving proposition here, despite the unquestionable quality of its opposition 2nd - Seat Leon Cupra R: Phenomenally quick Leon bodes well for the Cupra sub-brand but never feels more than the sum of its admittedly impressive parts Used cars for sale NewsletterGet all the best car news, reviews and opinions direct to your inbox three times a week. You can unsubscribe via any email we send See our full privacy notice for more details Subscribe Never miss an issue of the world's oldest car magazine – subscribe to Autocar magazine today. Subscribe
The entry-level Leon is known as the V, and starts at $43,990 before on-road costs, and standard equipment includes adjustable suspension, a variable-ratio steering rack, 18-inch wheels, power-folding mirrors, rear privacy glass, cloth interior, keyless entry/push-button start, tri-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel, front sports seats, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster.
SE Dynamic and above get a more impressive 10-inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 10.25-inch customisable SEAT Digital Cockpit. FR and FR Sport models feature lowered and stiffer suspension
. 117 411 73 139 37 367 279 340
honda civic vs seat leon
