Power by stage
Stock is Cupra's figure. Stage 1 to 3 are the tuners' own claims, in PS or hp as each states them, on 95–98 octane; APR and RacingLine quote engine power, most others don't say. The lower end of each range is the 245 PS car and the upper end the 300 or 310. The top of Stage 2 needs the particulate filter removed, which isn't road-legal; with it kept the top is about 439 PS.
Names with an arrow go straight to that part's product page for this car. Names in a dashed outline are other brands that make the part; exact links for them are being added.
Software only
290–410 PSOn 2020–2024 cars the Continental Simos 19 engine computer is flashed through the diagnostic port; APR's lists name the Leon with all three engines (245, 300 and 310). A remap claims about 340–345 PS for the 245 and 380–410 PS for the 300 and 310, with the filter kept. For the 2024 facelift, RacingLine says the engine computer "cannot yet be tuned via the traditional methods" and BR-Performance lists it as in development, so the options are plug-in boxes and ABT's control unit.
Typical cost: remaps $526.95 (APR), €499 (TVS) or €650–€690 (BR-Performance); ABT's control unit €2,990.01; DSG software $649.95 (APR) or €400 (BR); plug-in boxes €549–€609 (RaceChip) or €799–€899 (DTE).List prices, Sept 2026, before shipping, import tax and fitting.
Stage 1 tunes compared
| Tune | Fuel | Claimed power | Claimed torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APR Stage 1 (245) | 95 / 98 RON | 337 / 345 hp | 540 / 548 Nm | $526.95 |
| APR Stage 1 (300 / 310) | 95 / 98 RON | 398 / 405 hp | 522 / 540 Nm | $526.95; full torque without a gearbox tune |
| RacingLine Stage 1 (245) | 98 RON | 345 PS | 500 Nm | 480 Nm without a gearbox tune |
| RacingLine Stage 1 (300 / 310) | 98 RON | 405 PS | 520 Nm | 480 Nm without a gearbox tune |
| REVO Stage 1 (300 / 310) | — | 374–410 PS | 504–555 Nm | 310 ST page; no 245 file listed |
| BR-Performance Stage 1 | — | 320 hp (245) / 380 hp (300 / 310) | 450 / 500 Nm | €650 / €690; 400 hp / 520 Nm with a DSG tune |
| TVS Engineering Stage 1 | — | 300 hp (245) / 390 hp (300) | 450 / 500 Nm | €499 |
| MTM | — | 300 / 360 / 360 hp | — | For the 245 / 300 / 310 ST; from €1,590 / €1,999 / €1,999 |
| ABT Power | — | 290 / 360 / 370 PS; facelift 360 / 400 PS | 410–470 Nm | €2,990.01 with a 5-year warranty; the only option listed for the 333 |
| RacingLine PCM box (facelift) | — | 361 PS (300) / 393 PS (333) | 484 / 491 Nm | Plug-in box for the cars that can't be flashed |
| DTE PowerControl | — | +54 hp (300) / +63 hp (310) | +65 / +87 Nm | Plug-in box; €799–€899 |
| RaceChip GTS 5 | — | +53 hp (300) | +33 Nm | Plug-in box; €549; 333 facelift version +60 hp for €609 |
The DSG: check whether it's locked
On many cars built from 2022 the DQ381 gearbox computer is locked. APR's gearbox software ($649.95) says "most vehicles with a build date of 01/2022+ are not currently compatible". RacingLine's dealers can unlock it by cable or replace the circuit board (3–4 hours; RacingLine names the Leon), and its gearbox tune raises clutch pressure from 12 to 19 bar, up to 650 Nm. BR-Performance charges €400 for its DSG tune; REVO says its gearbox software is "planned for a future release".
Intercooler, intake and downpipe
350–454 PSWith the particulate filter kept, RacingLine's Stage 1+ (intake, turbo inlet and intercooler) claims 367 PS for the 245 and 439 PS for the 300 and 310 on 98 octane, and REVO's Stage 2 with an intake claims 398–433 PS. Forge measured the stock intercooler at 58 °C against 34 °C for its own, which matters in an Israeli summer. RacingLine's full Stage 2 (up to 454 PS) and BR's (430 hp) remove the filter, which isn't road-legal.
Typical cost: intercooler £861.23 (Forge), $999 on sale (Wagner, 310 ST) or $1,177.98 (do88); intake £324.35 (Forge); HJS ECE downpipe with filter £2,695.20; filter-back exhaust £968.04–£1,674.46.List prices, Sept 2026, before shipping, import tax and fitting.
Stage 2 packages compared
| Package | Fuel | Claimed power | Claimed torque | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RacingLine Stage 1+ (245 / 300 / 310) | 98 RON | 367 / 439 PS | up to 550 Nm | Intake, turbo inlet, intercooler; filter kept |
| REVO Stage 2 (300 / 310) | — | 398–433 PS | 540–584 Nm | Intake; filter kept |
| TVS Stage 2 / 2+ | 98 RON | 350 / 365 hp (245); 415 / 430 hp (300) | up to 600 Nm | Stage 2 is software only; 2+ adds an intake and downpipe |
| RacingLine Stage 2 | 98 RON | 379–389 PS (245) / 454 PS (300 / 310) | up to 588 Nm | Adds a downpipe with a sports cat; filter removed |
| BR-Performance Stage 2 | — | 340–350 hp (245) / 430 hp (300 / 310) | 550 Nm | Filter removed |
Parts list
- Intercooler required
Forge FMINT24 intercoolerdo88 intercoolerWagner intercooler (310 ST)RacingLine intercooler
Forge's lists the Leon 245 and 300 at £861.23. do88's is $1,177.98, and Wagner's, listed only for the 310 ST, is $999 on sale with a German parts certificate.
- Intake recommended
Forge intakeRacingLine R600 intake bundle
Forge's intake lists the Leon 245 and 300 at £324.35; RacingLine's R600 bundle with turbo inlet is £773.35–£812.22 fitted at QT Performance.
- Downpipe only for the higher files
HJS ECE downpipe (300 hatch)HJS ECE downpipe (310 ST 4Drive)Milltek downpipe with HJS catScorpion downpipe
HJS's pipes keep a catalyst and particulate filter and are ECE-approved: one for the 300 hatch (£2,695.20 at Milltek, which also lists the 245) and one for the 310 ST 4Drive. Milltek's own pipe bypasses the filter, and Scorpion's are "for motorsport use only".
- Filter-back exhaust optional
Scorpion exhaust (245)Scorpion exhaust (300)Scorpion exhaust (ST 4Drive)Milltek exhaust (245)Milltek exhaust (300)Milltek exhaust (310 ST)
These are for sound. Scorpion's are £968.04 (245), £1,056.50 (300) and £1,323.48 (ST 4Drive); Milltek's are £1,405–£1,674. Neither page says whether they're ECE-approved.
Bigger turbo
410–526 PSOn the 245, APR has a file for the bigger Continental turbo from the Golf R and S3, claiming 410–419 hp, and RacingLine uses Garrett's GT2260S for 439 PS with the filter kept. On the 300 and 310, APR's PowerMax GT2563S kit claims 478–482 hp on 95–98 octane, and HGP sells TÜV-tested turbo packages up to 526 PS.
Typical cost: APR PowerMax GT2563S turbo system $2,499.95; HGP's TÜV-tested packages €9,600–€14,900 plus fitting.List prices, Sept 2026, before shipping, import tax and fitting.
Turbo upgrades compared
| Kit | Fuel | Claimed power | Claimed torque | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APR Stage 3 (245, Golf R / S3 turbo) | 95 / 98 RON | 410 / 419 hp | 542 / 545 Nm | Turbo price not shown |
| RacingLine Garrett GT2260S (245) | 98 RON | 439 PS (458 without filter) | 529 / 556 Nm | Garrett rates the turbo at 447 bhp |
| APR PowerMax GT2563S (300 / 310) | 95 / 98 RON | 478 / 482 hp | 555 / 564 Nm | $2,499.95; needs APR's intake and intercooler |
| RacingLine GT2563 (300 / 310) | 98 RON | 512 PS | 648 Nm | Filter removed |
| HGP Stage 1 / 2 / 3 | — | 444 / 480 / 526 PS | 564 / 580 / 629 Nm | TÜV-tested; €9,600 / €11,200 / €14,900 plus fitting; Stage 3 has HGP's turbo |
Parts list
- Bigger turbo required
APR PowerMax GT2563SGarrett PowerMaxHGPGolf R / S3 factory turbo
Garrett lists its PowerMax turbos for the Leon 2.0 TSI, ST and ST 4Drive from 2021. Each needs its matching file, the Stage 2 intake and intercooler, and a gearbox tune, which on 2022-on cars means an unlock first.
Built engine
no verified partsWe found no built short block or forged internals sold for the EA888 Gen 4 in the Leon, so we don't give a Stage 4 figure. TVS's Leon pages have Stage 3 and 4 tabs, but without figures (its page). If you want to go further, find a shop that has built one of these engines and can show its results.
Watch: real builds
From tuners', shops' and motoring journalists' own YouTube channels. Nothing loads from YouTube until you press play.
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17:48Questions to ask the shop
- Is my car a 2020–2024 car you can flash, or a 2024-on facelift where only a plug-in box works? Can I get my stock file back?
- What is my gearbox's build date, and is its computer locked? Will you unlock it, or use a lower-torque map?
- Is the file made for 95 or 98 octane, and will you log knock and timing on our 98?
- Does the plan keep the particulate filter and catalyst? The only ECE-approved downpipes we found are HJS's.
- Will I get dyno runs and logs before and after, and what warranty do you give?
- How will you handle summer heat (intercooler, intake temperature), and what oil interval do you recommend?
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