Golf R Facelift vs. SEAT Leon Cupra 300: Exhaust Sound and Acceleration

Both these cars have been available for a few years and are based on the MQB platform. Even though the output has always differed, the internals of the 2-liter turbo are the same. Right now, the Golf is rated 10 HP and 20 Nm higher than its Spanish counterpart.

But the main difference is actually the fact that the Leon Cupra isn't available with AWD, which the Golf R has as standard. That's why the Volkswagen is clocked at 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds while the SEAT needs 5.7 seconds.

There are two upsides to not having AWD. One is weight, as a 3-door with a manual gearbox can tip the scales at just 1,300 kilograms. The Cupra starts at €33,340 in Germany while the Golf is significantly more expensive at €41,175.

It's often been said that the Golf R is the better all-rounder and the Cupra is the superior track car. But it's not like a Leon with identical trunk and interior space is an inferior daily just because it spins its wheels a bit. You can, however, tell that there's a difference in the way the exhaust is tuned, and there's more sound insulation in the Golf R too. If you take it out of sports mode, the engine is almost muted.

It's interesting to see YouTube channels interested in a couple of minor facelifts. After all, the Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R both came out this year. But this just goes to show the kind of reputation built by the 2.0 TSI engine and the multitude of hot hatchbacks it powers.