Peugeot 308 GTi or Seat Leon Cupra R - which will bring more driving pleasure?

The hot hatch market is booming. Subsequent manufacturers update or create new designs based on their most popular compacts. They add more power, make the suspension stiffer, redesign the bumpers, and you're done. So the recipe is theoretically simple. We recently hosted two representatives of this segment - the Peugeot 308 GTi and the Seat Leon Cupra R. We checked which one is more fun to drive.

Spanish temperament or French calm...?

In terms of design, these cars have a completely different philosophy. Peugeot is more polite. If you look closely, it can even be mistaken for a regular version ... The only difference is the red element on the underside of the bumper, the pattern of rims only for the GTi and two exhaust pipes.

Is it bad that the French have changed so little? It all depends on our preferences. Someone prefers blondes, and someone brunettes. It's the same with cars. Some prefer not to boast of great strength, while others would like to attract attention to themselves at every turn.

The latter include Leon Cupra R. It looks spectacular and immediately feels that it is directly related to the sport. I really like the copper color inserts. They go well with black lacquer, but in my opinion they would look even better with gray matte. To make the "cool in the brave" more, Seat decided to add some carbon fiber - we will meet them, for example, on the rear spoiler or diffuser.

Alcantara must have been on sale...

The interior of both cars is more similar to each other. First, a lot of Alcantara. In Peugeot, we will meet her on the seats - by the way, very comfortable. However, Cupra went even further. Alcantara can be found not only on the seats, but also on the steering wheel. It seems like a trifle, but subconsciously we immediately fall into a more sporty mood. However, in Peugeot we can find perforated leather. Which steering wheel would I choose for my dream car? I think that the one from Cupra, after all. The French brand is tempted by the small size of the wheels (which makes handling much more agile), but I like the thicker rim and the sparse trim material better.

A hot hatch, in addition to giving joy, must also be practical. There is no clear winner in this aspect. In both cars you will find roomy pockets in the doors, a shelf for storing small items or a cup holder.

And how much space can we find inside? Space in Cupra R is not too much and not too little. There will be four adults in this car. In this regard, the 308 GTi has an advantage. Offers more legroom for rear passengers. A larger trunk can also be found in French design. 420 liters versus 380 liters. Mathematics suggests that the difference is 40 liters, but if you look at these barrels realistically, then the “lion” seems to give much more space ...

And yet they have something in common!

The look or materials used for the interior are, of course, important elements of every car, but with about 300 hp.

To begin with, let's ask one more question - which of these cars would I prefer to drive on a daily basis? The answer is simple - Peugeot 308 GTI. Its suspension, although much stiffer than the regular version, is much more “civilized” than in the Cupra R. At Seat, we feel every crack on the pavement.

Steering is another matter - what is the result? Paint. Both the 308 GTi and the Cupra R are sensational! Cupra R has been further modified - its wheels are set in the so-called negative. Thanks to this change, the wheels in the turn have better grip. In the case of the Peugeot, more daring driving makes it feel like it's oversteering, which makes the slightly crazy cornering all the more enticing. Both cars stretch like a string and provoke you to overcome the next turns even faster.

There is another point to this. Seat uses an electronic front differential lock, while Peugeot uses a Torsen limited slip differential.

In sports cars, the topic of brakes is just as important as information about acceleration. Peugeot Sport offers 308mm wheels for the 380 GTi! In Seat we meet "only" 370 mm in front and 340 mm in the rear. Most importantly, both systems perform exceptionally well.

It's time for the "icing on the cake" - engines. Peugeot offers a smaller unit, but that doesn't mean the 308 GTi is much slower. This is largely due to the low weight - 1200 kg is a value that Cupra can dream of. But back to the engines. Peugeot 308 GTi has 270 hp. from just 1.6 liters. The maximum torque is 330 Nm. Seat provides more power - 310 hp. and 380 Nm from 2 liters of displacement. Accelerations to hundreds are similar, although the additional 40 km at Seat brought him to the lead - 5,7 seconds against 6 seconds. Both units must die. They are willing to spin, and at the same time deliver a lot of driving pleasure.

The topic of burning in a hot hatch should not surprise anyone. Interestingly, the Seat, despite its large capacity and power, consumes noticeably less fuel. The route between Krakow and Warsaw resulted in consumption in Leon of 6,9 liters, and in the 308th - 8,3 liters per 100 km.

The acoustic experience is definitely better in the Seat. Peugeot doesn't sound racial at all. The Spaniards, in turn, have done a fantastic job in this aspect. Already at the very start, the sound emanating from the exhalation is terrifying. Then it only gets better. From 3 turns it starts to play beautifully. When you let off the gas or change gear, it also explodes like popcorn.

If the article ended there, we wouldn't have a specific winner. Unfortunately for Peugeot, it's time to discuss the gearbox. Both machines send power to the front wheels, so the 6-speed transmissions aren't easy to work with. Working with them is completely different. The Spaniards did their best, but the French did not do their homework. The Cupra R makes you want to change gears, which is not the case with the 308 GTi. It lacks precision, the jack jumps are too long, and we won't find the characteristic "click" after shifting into gear. The chest in Leon is quite the opposite. In addition, its mechanical action is felt - this gives more confidence during a sharper ride. However, these boxes have one thing in common - short gear ratios. In both the Cupra and the 308 GTi, driving at high speeds means high engine speeds.

I think copper has gone up a lot lately...

We will get a Peugeot 308 GTi from PLN 139. In the case of Seat, things are a bit more complicated, because the Leon Cupra R is a limited edition - its price starts at a whopping PLN 900. However, if 182 km is enough for us, we will get a 100-door Leon Cupra for PLN 300, but without the letter R in the name.

The summary of these cars is not the easiest. Although they have similar tenses, they are intended for completely different audiences. The Cupra R is a brute who is very well behaved on the track. It's uncompromising in every way, but its price can be a pain in the ass... The 308 GTi is a typical hot-hat - you can take the kids to school in relative comfort and then have some fun on the track.