SEAT Leon Cupra R 2009-2012 Photos, engines & full specs

It was the Spanish brother of the Volkswagen Golf GTI and it shared the same mechanical drivetrain and platform with it. The 2009 SEAT Leon Cupra R was an unsung hero of the hot-hatch segment.

The SEAT brand was in need of an image vector and that image was the Leon. So, the SEAT received the same platform as the Volkswagen Golf and, along with that, came the special 2.0 TFSI engine installed in the GTI.

From the outside, the Leon Cupra R had some details to tell the difference from a base model. It featured specific 19" light-alloy wheels, a roof spoiler, an "R" badge on the honeycomb grille and on the tailgate. There were some other specific Cupra R details such as the black rearview mirror case, the word CUPRA on the tailgate and a steel oval exhaust pipe.

Inside there were a lot of differences, starting with the very nice sport bucket-seats. Those were massive and it affected the rear passenger's view and took some of the legroom. But they were meant to hold their occupants in place while hard cornering.

Under the hood, there was the 2.0-TFSI engine upgraded from the Cupra 240 hp version to 265 hp. But there were more performance-oriented upgrades. The gearbox was slightly adjusted and the traction system was adjusted via an XDS system that mimicked a self-locking differential. The suspension was tuned and the car was lowered 17 mm (0.6") when compared with a standard Leon. A new, high-performance braking system with larger discs front and back helped the car stopped better.