Photo: SEAT
Of the four car brands that are using the MQB platform, SEAT is the most determined to offer driving thrills. They recently set a new record for estate models around the Nurburgring and are also looking to offer frugality in the famous Cupra range.
Company chairman Jurgen Stackmann, who has taken a personal interest in the MQB platform since its conception, told Autocar magazine that a TDI Cupra is being considered. The likely target is the Leon since the Ibiza is too small and can't take the grunt.
The power gap between the Golf GTI and GTD is only 36 PS. If the Cupra TDI wants to have around the same difference from the TSI versions, it would need somewhere around 230 to 245 PS.
There's only one engine that could do that job, and it's got two turbochargers. That's right, the 240 PS BiTDI that debuted on the 2015 Passat. So far, it hasn't been used by any other car and the fact that it packs a whopping 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque means that AWD is necessary.
A far more interesting discussion regards the potential Cupra version of SEAT's first SUV. It was presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show and will be ready for production in 2016. There is a market for sporty off-roaders, but the company official believes the FR badge is a better match.
“Cupra on an SUV is not impossible. It’s much more logical to have FR, with its mix of performance and comfort, but there is a niche in Europe that is more than FR and we have to explore that. It’s not unthinkable. I can see it being probably more relevant than small high-performance cars in the future," Stackmann said.
We think offering both is the best way to go. But what's your say in this? Is a 280 hp sports SUV from SEAT something you would want?
What engine will they use?
It's pretty clear that we're talking about a performance-oriented 2-liter TDI, as even the small MINI Cooper SD has this displacement. However, the regular Leon hatchbacks already offer the most powerful single-turbo mill in combination with the FR package/trim level. Both the Golf GTD and the Octavia RS use the same 184 PS engine to power themselves, but that's not enough for the Cupra.The power gap between the Golf GTI and GTD is only 36 PS. If the Cupra TDI wants to have around the same difference from the TSI versions, it would need somewhere around 230 to 245 PS.
There's only one engine that could do that job, and it's got two turbochargers. That's right, the 240 PS BiTDI that debuted on the 2015 Passat. So far, it hasn't been used by any other car and the fact that it packs a whopping 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque means that AWD is necessary.
Cupra SUV, Manual Ibiza Cupra considered
The same article claims that the Ibiza Cupra may get a manual transmission option as part of its facelift. There's a small problem with that theory, as the little Cupra has been withdrawn from some markets and uses a different engine from the Polo GTI. We think the manual will happen in 2016, the year the next-gen Ibiza is supposed to arrive.A far more interesting discussion regards the potential Cupra version of SEAT's first SUV. It was presented at this year's Geneva Motor Show and will be ready for production in 2016. There is a market for sporty off-roaders, but the company official believes the FR badge is a better match.
“Cupra on an SUV is not impossible. It’s much more logical to have FR, with its mix of performance and comfort, but there is a niche in Europe that is more than FR and we have to explore that. It’s not unthinkable. I can see it being probably more relevant than small high-performance cars in the future," Stackmann said.
We think offering both is the best way to go. But what's your say in this? Is a 280 hp sports SUV from SEAT something you would want?
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