Cupra Leon review – a sporty hatchback that’s also a great all-rounder

Verdict – is the Cupra Leon a good car?

The Cupra Leon is a sporty hatchback that offers an interesting alternative to the equivalent hot Volkswagen Golf. The facelifted Cupra Leon now boasts extrovert styling to set it apart from its SEAT Leon sibling, but it can be just as easy to live with day to day. There’s a wide range of trims and engines that range in spiciness and efficiency, making it a versatile sporty hatchback that should appeal to a broad audience.

Cupra Leon models, specs and alternatives

Cupra was previously a performance trim level of SEAT’s line-up, but it’s now a brand in its own right and part of the Volkswagen, Skoda, SEAT and Audi family. That said, the Cupra Leon is still closely linked to and based on the SEAT Leon hatchback.

The UK's top 10 fastest hot hatchbacks 2024

Previously the Cupra Leon’s styling was very similar to that of the SEAT Leon, albeit with some sportier touches such as larger air intakes and copper-coloured trim, but a facelift in 2024 brought a redesign that differentiates it even further. The latest Cupra Leon gets new headlights made up of small triangles and a smoothed-over grille that gives it a look closer to the Cupra Born EV. At the rear, the tail-lights also now feature these triangular elements, and the full-width lightbar incorporates an illuminated Cupra logo.

The facelift brought revisions to the interior, which now gets a larger 12.9-inch infotainment screen compared to the 12-inch system from before, and updated software that makes it better to use. Most of the engine lineup is the same, although automatic versions of the entry-level 1.5-litre car now get mild-hybrid assistance, while the top-spec 2.0-litre engine (derived from the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport) sends 296bhp to the front wheels – the Sports Tourer Estate gets up to 329bhp and four-wheel drive. Between these, there's the eHybrid PHEV model which now uses a 1.5-litre combustion engine – compared with the 1.4-litre unit from before – paired with an electric motor for 268bhp.

15

Company car drivers are catered for with these aforementioned eHybrid models, which have the ability to drive for up to 62 miles without using any petrol, cutting its official CO2 emissions to just 10g/km, for a very low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) band.

There are a whopping seven trim levels: V1, V2, V3, VZ1, VZ2, VZ3 and finally VZ First Edition – the VZ models are reserved for the higher-spec engines. In general, standard equipment across the lineup is incredibly strong; even entry-level cars get LED headlights,18-inch alloy wheels, wireless phone charging and a reversing camera.

15

Official fuel economy figures are yet to be released for the entire facelifted Cupra Leon range, but with most of the engine lineup carried over from before, we aren’t expecting drastic changes.

Getting 296bhp out of a 2.0-litre engine actually requires it to be highly efficient, so if you can resist the temptation to floor the throttle, the Cupra Leon 300 can actually be pretty affordable to run. Its official combined fuel economy figure is 37.2mpg, which stacks up well against the 34.4mpg of the less powerful Ford Focus ST, and isn't far off the 38.2mpg of the Volkswagen Golf GTI.

While similar to rivals, its CO2 emissions from 172g/km are a bit on the high side, putting the Cupra Leon 300 firmly in the highest BiK band for company-car drivers. They'll be better served by the plug-in Cupra Leon eHybrid with emissions of just 10g/km, which is far greener, but sadly not as fun to drive. During the same official tests, the eHybrid can return up to 706.3mpg, thanks to its electric range of up to 62 miles. 

In the real world, you’ll struggled to achieve that unless you keep your Leon eHybrid regularly charged up, but when putting it into ‘charge-sustaining mode’, which preserves electric charge by relying more heavily on the combustion engine, we got figures of around 51.4mpg, which should be more representative of everyday driving and just occasional charge-ups. Overall during our testing, we managed an impressive 74.3mpg on a mixed route.

Sitting in the middle ground, the Leon 245 and Leon 190 can return up to 39.2mpg and 41.7mpg and emit from 162g/km and 154g/km, so apart from a lower price, there aren't any major cost savings over the 300 version.

The entry-level Leon 150 is not only the cheapest model to buy, it’s pretty economical, too; Cupra claims it’ll return 47.8mpg from its smaller 1.5-litre engine, although with an emissions figure of 135g/km, it won’t make much sense as a company car. Following the facelift, the automatic versions should actually be a little more efficient, thanks to the addition of mild-hybrid tech (badged eTSI).

Other costs for the Leon are also competitive with the rest of the hot hatch crowd; most models bar the 296bhp 2.0-litre version of the VZ2 Design Edition, and top-of-the-range VZ3 Design Edition examples incur the standard rate for VED (road tax) – those cars are instead liable for the extra luxury vehicle surcharge.

Insurance groups range from 20-33, depending on the car’s exact specification. Happily, every new Cupra model comes with a competitive five-year/90,000-mile warranty in case anything goes wrong or defective parts need replacing.

15

While Cupra is a performance brand, the Leon’s wide engine range means it’s not only a hot hatchback. Most of the engines were carried over as part of the facelift, although full specs are yet to be confirmed across the range, so the following figures are subject to potential change.

The Cupra Leon 300 shares its engine with the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport, and its 2.0-litre is also closely related to the Golf R engine. Its 296bhp can get it from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph, despite it being front-wheel drive only. It might be augmented by the speakers, but the engine sound inside the Leon 300 isn’t the most tuneful to listen to.

Its chassis has been tuned expertly to provide an even better balance between handling precision and road comfort than the GTI Clubsport. It's better value too, with adaptive suspension dampers fitted as standard, instead of being an expensive optional extra. Overall, it feels like its engineers have spent even more time honing its responses to deliver the best experience, and even the gear shifts from the seven-speed DSG automatic gearbox feel sharper.

The 2.0-litre petrol engine from the Leon also comes in two different power variants: the Leon 245 is the middle of the three and is a great compromise between price, performance, and specification, costing around £3,000 less. This uses the same 242bhp petrol engine as the regular Golf GTI, and comes with a DSG gearbox getting it from 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds.

15

For roughly £2,000 less than the Leon 245 there is the Leon 190. This again used the 2.0-litre engine, and isn’t much slower with a 0-62mph time of 7.2 seconds. It is also a little more fuel efficient than the more powerful options, however, if fuel economy and a low purchase price are important then you may be better off with the Leon 150.

The Leon 150 is the starting point in the Leon price range, and if you don’t mind a manual transmission, it starts from below £30,000. The 1.5-litre petrol engine lacks the power and urgency of the 2.0-litre options, managing the 0-62mph run in 9.2 seconds (8.9 seconds with the DSG automatic transmission). It’s worth noting that without the adaptive suspension setup and rorty engine note of the top models, the Leon 150 doesn’t feel quite as sporty, nor does it provide as engaging of a drive as similarly-priced competitors such as the Mazda3 and BMW 1 Series.

Meanwhile, the Leon eHybrid plug-in hybrid might be the best option for most drivers who want all the sporty styling Cupra offers but require a balance of performance and impressive fuel economy, plus the ability to run on electric power at times. Now it’s powered by a 1.5-litre petrol combustion engine paired with an electric motor bumping power up to 268bhp, compared with the pre-facelift car’s 1.4-litre unit and electric motor that made 242bhp. It propels the eHybrid from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds and onto a top speed of 142mph.

We’ve driven the latest Cupra Leon eHybrid and were impressed with how – despite its 212kg of extra weight – it handles just as well as the standard petrol model. Even the ride felt better than that of the top-spec 296bhp model, so it could prove easier to live with day to day. 

Of course, there are downsides to plug-in hybrid models, and that’s no different for the Cupra Leon. The engine note can be a little gruff at higher revs when it kicks in, but keep it under 5,000rpm and it’s quieter and more refined than that of the 296bhp TSI. All in all, we think that the eHybrid may be the pick of the range as it suits the Cupra Leon’s character well – it’s also a reflection of the fact that the flagship model is far from being a class-leading hot hatch.

15

Cupra is the most youthful brand in the Volkswagen Group stable, and that's reflected inside, where the dashboard's angular surfaces and vents make us wonder if this is what a Lamborghini hatchback would look like. The steering wheel even features two buttons for starting the engine and changing driver modes, like you'll find in many supercars. In every version equipped with shift paddles, a heated steering wheel is also standard.

Bronze highlights may be a bit much for some tastes, but they certainly make the Leon more flamboyant than the Golf. Surprisingly, it's also more intuitive, with a physical button to switch off driver aids instead of a multitude of on-screen menus. The only real negative is the presence of some cheap trim if you look for it. Facelifted cars get a larger 12.9-inch infotainment screen compared to the 12-inch system from before.

The facelift brings a revised trim structure comprising a whopping seven trims, dubbed V1, V2, V3, VZ1, VZ2, VZ3 and VZ Launch Edition. Full details are yet to be confirmed by the manufacturer, but VZ versions will only be available on cars with higher power outputs. 

For some context, the pre-facelift V1 grade got 18-inch alloy wheels, plus LED lights front and rear. Step inside and you’ll be greeted by a set of illuminated kickplates, alongside a set of digital dials and a 10-inch infotainment display with navigation, along with ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, wireless phone charging, a rear-view camera and four driving modes.

We’d expect trims above this to get extra touches such as upgraded power-adjustable sports seats, a heated steering wheel, part-faux leather and Nappa leather upholstery, larger alloy wheels, adaptive dampers and driver assistance and safety kit such as blind-spot monitoring. 

15

The Cupra Leon has no size differences from the SEAT Leon it's based on, so four adults can travel in comfort, while its boot is competitive without being class-leading. The Leon grew for the latest generation, with a 50mm increase in wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear wheels) that provided an improvement in rear knee room. There's plenty of headroom too, although a central transmission tunnel means the middle rear seat isn't as comfortable.

The Cupra Leon 245 and 300 both have a 380-litre boot, that's on a par with the Golf and slightly bigger than the Ford Focus ST's luggage compartment. If you need more space, there's the Honda Civic Type R with its 420-litre boot, or the Skoda Octavia vRS which boasts 600 litres of storage. Choose the eHybrid and the boot shrinks to 270 litres because of the extra hardware necessary for its hybrid powertrain. The Cupra Leon is also available as an estate, increasing its boot capacity to 620 litres.

15

Despite being a new generation of car, the latest Cupra Leon is a thorough evolution of the previous SEAT Leon Cupra model, so it would be a surprise if its reliability is much different. Owners scored the closely related SEAT Leon 29th out of the top 75 models in our 2022 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, although it did not make an appearance in 2023. Cupra also did not make an appearance in our brand survey, though closely related sister brand SEAT did, coming 23rd out of 32 manufacturers in 2023. Reliability was middling, with around 21% of owners reporting an issue in the first year with their SEAT – it’s worth noting that this was better than sister brands Volkswagen, Skoda and Audi, however.

The Leon is also fitted with an abundance of safety kit, helping it land a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. Following crash tests, it scored an impressive 92% and 88% respectively for adult and child occupant protection. It also has blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist and traffic jam assist as standard, along with adaptive cruise control to take the strain out of driving long distances.