Cupra Leon review

Whether you go for the hatchback or estate car version, the Cupra Leon we're reviewing here is a fast car with a twist.

You see, as well as being available with a turbo-boosted petrol engine that thumps out masses of power, there's also a super-quick plug-in hybrid Cupra Leon that emits nothing from its exhaust pipes when it’s running on battery power alone.

It is, as you've probably guessed, very similar to the Seat Leon but gets more powerful engine options, some Cupra badges and other tweaks.

As a hot hatch that's also available as a hot estate, the Cupra Leon's main rival is the Ford Focus ST while the more powerful versions in hatchback form will be up against the BMW M135i and VW Golf GTI. 

So, is the Cupra Leon up there with the best hot hatches and should you buy one? Read on to find out...

The driving experience in the Cupra Leon varies quite a lot depending on the version, but we'll start with the entry-level 1.5 150 TSI.

If you treat it as a mildly sporting family car, performance is fine, but a mere 148bhp and a 0-62mph time of 8.9 seconds isn’t exactly scintillating in the world of hot hatches. For less money, you can get a near identical Seat Leon FR with the same engine if you’re not concerned about the racier looks.

The Cupra Leon is best sampled with an engine you can’t get in the Seat model, especially the 2.0-litre turbocharged engine in the 300 hatchback. It produces 296bhp, and all that power is sent to the front wheels. The lack of traction in wet conditions limits how quickly the car can accelerate, and while its 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds is hardly shabby, a Ford Focus ST is more usable.

You don’t have to work the engine at all hard to unlock its potential. It feels muscular when you're just trundling along, and is always ready to leapfrog slow traffic if you spot an overtaking opportunity. Only a momentary hesitation from the automatic gearbox breaks the pace. Make no mistake, this is a fast car.

Faster still is the 306bhp 2.0 TSI 310 estate car version, which has the same engine as the Cupra Formentor coupé SUV. Like the Formentor, the 310 has 4Drive four-wheel drive as standard, and its extra traction helps make it one of the quickest-accelerating load-luggers for the money (0-62mph in 4.9 seconds). 

The 1.4 TSI e-Hybrid 300 plug-in hybrid (PHEV) is an entirely different proposition. For a start, it can officially take you 36 miles using battery power alone, and that’s something its rivals can’t emulate.

Having an electric motor to add low-end thrust to the petrol engine is also good news for flexibility, although it’s nowhere near as punchy as the 300 and 310.

The 0-62mph time of 6.7 seconds is still miles off the pace of the key hot hatches at this price and you only have access to all the performance available if there’s enough charge in the battery. The battery itself adds weight, and that rather dampens any thrills in the bends. Plus, once the battery is out of charge, you’re left with just the petrol engine lugging all that weight.

The issue of weight also taints the driving experience offered by the 310 estate. It weighs 160kg more than the 300 hatch, so never feels as eager to make quick changes of direction. The margins here are smaller though, and the extra traction the estate has courtesy of four-wheel drive does help it feel more composed and planted on greasy roads.

Ultimately, the 310 estate gets our vote as the best to drive relative to its closest peer, the estate version of the Focus ST. The 4Drive system helps neutralise the power delivery, so there's less torque steer (when the steering wheel pulls left then right in your hands as you accelerate hard).

All the Leon Cupras we’ve driven have had adaptive suspension, which comes as standard on mid-spec VZ2 Design Edition and above. It offers three main settings (Comfort, Sport and Cupra) plus a number of settings beyond and between those three, so you can really fine-tune things.

The trouble is that, while you can make these Leons very compliant over softer folds in the road, anything sharp creates more of a thwack than it would in a VW Golf GTI with a similar adaptive suspension set-up. Entry level VZ1 trims come with a simpler suspension set-up we’ve yet to try.

Road and wind noise aren’t frightful for a fast car with big tyres, and the PHEV's petrol engine stays silent when running in electric mode – although that's not necessarily what hot hatch buyers want.

We’re not sure about the noise the petrol engine makes when it's running either. It’s a bit bland in the standard driving mode, but instantly erupts into imitating something more like a bigger V8 engine if you select Cupra mode. That sounds exciting, but because it’s so obviously fake, it ultimately comes across as silly.

The e-Hybrid version's brakes aren’t hugely confidence inspiring because the regenerative braking system means the brake pedal’s feel changes depending on whether it's recouping energy. They’re good for an ordinary PHEV, but not by the standards of hot hatches.

Happily, the brakes fitted to the 300 and 310 estate are much more confidence-inspiring, and with optional larger alloy wheels and Brembo brakes, you’ll get an appreciable improvement in bite in the pedal’s initial travel.

Driving overview

Strengths Strong performance in most powerful versions; PHEV option

Weaknesses Less powerful versions are not particularly quick; unexciting engine noise; VW Golf GTI has better ride

The Cupra Leon’s driving position is excellent, with pedals that line up neatly with the steering wheel and driver’s seat, which is comfy on long journeys and supportive through corners.

The digital instruments behind the steering wheel are great and can be set up in a number of styles. However, the Leon doesn’t have proper buttons and switches on its dashboard – instead it has touch-sensitive pads, like the VW Golf GTI. You can’t find these by feel, so you have to look away from the road, and that’s distracting at 30mph, let alone 70mph.

The Cupra Leon has reasonably narrow windscreen pillars, so forward visibility is fine, but its chunky rear pillars can make reversing trickier than in some rivals. Front and rear parking sensors are standard, though, as is a rear-view camera. LED headlights are standard too, with an automatic main beam facility to avoid dazzling other road users.

The infotainment system includes a 12.0in touchscreen, a DAB radio, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone mirroring. The screen is bright and clear, and the operating system it runs is responsive, although it takes a good 20 minutes of playing with the menus to grasp their slightly odd arrangement.

You also get a natural voice control function. You wake it up by saying “Hola, Hola”, and then a phrase like “I’m cold” (to ask it to turn up the heater). It doesn’t always work perfectly though.

The Leon has a plusher-looking interior than the Ford Focus ST. You’ll find squidgy, dense-feeling plastic on the top of the dashboard and lots of Cupra flourishes dotted about inside the Leon. It doesn’t look or feel as posh inside as a BMW M135i but it’s pretty much as good as the Golf GTI.

Interior overview

Strengths Responsive infotainment touchscreen; plush interior

Weaknesses Fiddly controls on steering wheel

There’s absolutely loads of head room in the front of the Cupra Leon and its seats slide back a long way too. In fact, we can confidently say that no matter how tall you are (within reason), you’ll fit just fine. And you’ll find an array of storage spots for all your accessories, too.

If you’re thinking the Leon is bound to be a less practical choice than a VW Golf GTI you’re in for a surprise. It’s actually longer than the Golf and has quite a lot more rear leg room as a result – as much as the Ford Focus ST, in fact. That means two tall adults fit in the back with no problem, or three with a degree of shoulder-rubbing.

With the hatchback's rear seats in place, the boot takes up to six carry-on suitcases (below the parcel shelf), which is more than you’ll fit in a Focus ST hatchback or Golf GTI. The boot volume is 380 litres in most Cupra Leon hatchbacks, but the PHEV version gets 270 litres (the hybrid kit steals some space).

There’s a ski hatch for poking long, thin loads through, and 60/40 split rear seats for when you’ve got something larger to transport.

The Cupra Leon Estate brings even greater practicality. In fact, it's almost as capacious as the estate version of the Skoda Octavia vRS and has a useful variable height boot floor – although, again, the PHEV version loses some space and has a shallower boot. In numbers terms, you get 620 litres of space if you go for the estate with a regular engine or 470 litres in the PHEV.

Practicality overview

Strengths Plenty of space for front and rear passengers; competitive boot size

Weaknesses PHEV loses boot space

There aren’t that many hot hatches left to choose from these days, and while an entry-level Cupra Leon 1.5 V1 isn’t the most entertaining option, it does at least appear sportier than most hatchbacks while remaining affordable to buy and fuel.

The hotter 300 hatchback costs more than the Ford Focus ST and about the same as the Focus ST Edition. Similarly, the 310 estate (the most recommendable version) is more expensive than a Focus ST Estate, although it is a much faster car with four-wheel drive so that's hardly surprising. For the latest prices see our New Car Deals pages.

Aside from the 1.5-litre petrol, none of the regular petrol-engined models will be particularly cheap to run, but they should still be competitive against models with similar performance.

If you’re a company car user, the plug-in hybrid (called the e-Hybrid) makes a good hot hatch choice when it comes to BIK tax thanks to its ability to drive on electric power alone and its lower official CO2 emissions figures.

Even the base Leon VZ1 has 18in alloy wheels, three-zone climate control, rear privacy glass and a heated steering wheel.

V1 Design Edition adds black and copper alloys, side skirts and a panoramic roof.

Our pick would be mid-range VZ2 Design Edition trim, because that’s the least expensive way to get the 2.0 TSI 300 or 310 engine, and it gets you adaptive suspension. It also includes larger 19in alloy wheels, sportier front seats and additional ambient lighting.

Top-spec VZ3 Design Edition adds matrix LED headlights, leather upholstery and heated front seats. It's too expensive too recommend (the Honda Civic Type R costs more but is much sweeter to drive).

As for safety, all versions offer automatic emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance, with adaptive cruise control and traffic-sign recognition offered as reasonably priced extras. Euro NCAP awarded the Cupra Leon a five-star rating back in 2020, based on the results for the Seat Leon.

Cupra as a brand finished bottom of the 2023 What Car? Reliability Survey – below all 31 other manufacturers included. The Seat Leon equivalent was one of the least dependable family cars due to a high number of non-engine electrical glitches and problems with the infotainment system.

To give you some peace of mind, a three-year/60,000 mile warranty is included as standard. That matches what you get with the Ford Focus ST.

Costs overview

Strengths Good level of equipment on all version; PHEV keeps BIK tax down 

Weaknesses Cupra's poor reliability record

For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here