Cupra Leon Review & Prices

Cupra has moved from being SEAT’s high performance badge to being a brand in its own right, but this Cupra Leon is the sporty version of the SEAT Leon. Confused? You won’t be the only one.

However, the Cupra Leon now looks distinctly different to the SEAT version thanks to a restyle that gives it a snake-head look at the front, and a more muscular bodykit. If the regular Leon looks like a handsome person who works out regularly, the Cupra version has been hitting the cross trainer hard, and by golly it wants you to know all about it.

There’s lots of copper-coloured detailing, and the option of matte-finish ‘frozen’ style paints in dramatic colours, all of which is set off by dark-finished alloy wheels and the slightly odd pronged Cupra badge. It’s way more OTT than the VW Golf GTI, but still a little more subtle than some other hot hatches, such as the Honda Civic Type R.

Inside, there’s a pretty cool interior with a big touchscreen, though it’s a bit too fiddly to easily use when you’re actually driving. It doesn’t help that the Cupra Leon gets awkward slider controls for the heating and stereo volume, which are really awkward and much less satisfying than traditional dials and buttons.

The big digital instrument screen is pretty good though, and there’s a Cupra-specific screen layout which is rather like Audi’s RS-spec digital instruments. The copper touches for the engine start button and the driving modes switch — both of which hang off the steering wheel, Porsche-style — are nice too.

There’s plenty of space, and four big adults can easily get comfy in the Cupra Leon’s cabin, not least in the front where there are big, high-backed bucket seats which can be optionally finished in very nice leather. True, the mechanically similar Skoda Octavia vRS offers much more space inside, and has a vastly bigger boot, but the Skoda lacks the Cupra’s hybrid engine options.

Speaking of the boot, and speaking of the hybrid, the Cupra Leon does suffer a bit from battery incursions, with the boot reducing to a mere 270 litres in the plug-in hybrid models.

There is a basic 1.5-litre petrol turbo engine with only 150hp and front-wheel drive, but don’t discount this version entirely. Sure, it’s not as quick as the other versions, but a simple Cupra Leon is really nice to drive. The headline-grabber is the top-spec VZ model with a 300hp turbo 2.0-litre engine, which drives the front wheels. A recipe for unruliness? A bit, but the fastest Leon is definitely the most fun Leon.

The two plug-in hybrid models sit somewhere in the middle and have an excellent all-electric range, meaning fuel economy is impressive if you have access to regular charging. One neat trick is that you can charge both hybrids from public charging points when you’re out and about at a faster rate than typical for hybrids, which maximises your electric range.

The Cupra Leon is a bit soft and ordinary to drive in basic 150hp form (which is also the only version that comes with a manual gearbox) but it’s much better in 300hp form, although without the four-wheel drive that you get in the 333hp version of the Cupra Leon Estate, you’ll have to watch for wheelspin. Still, it’s a fast and fun hot hatch.

What lets the hybrids down is that they need a slightly higher ride height because of their big batteries, so they lack the incisiveness of the petrol-only Leons. They’re a good choice if you want to mix lots of electric driving with a bit of performance and style, but it’s the 300hp petrol Leon that’s the choice for the real enthusiasts.

If you’d like to see how much money you could save through Carwow, check out our Cupra Leon deals or Cupra Leon leasing deals. If you're looking to save even more cash, why not browse our used Cupra Leon deals, as well as listings of other used Cupra models. And when it's time to sell your car, you can do that through Carwow, too.

The Cupra Leon was a bargain, in that its top-spec 300hp version used to be priced at the same level as a basic VW Golf GTI with 265hp. However, it’s a case of ‘was’… The Cupra Leon is now slightly pricier, which pushes the cost of that 300hp version up to the same level as the 300hp VW Golf GTI Clubsport, and while the Cupra name is gathering kudos, it’s still not at the same level of appeal as a Golf GTI.

However, you can get a basic Cupra Leon for a little more than £32,000 which isn’t bad if you consider that it comes with a good level of standard equipment and most of the sporty styling of the more powerful version. It certainly looks more appealing than a basic Golf or Skoda Octavia.

The Cupra Leon is easy to drive, but also devastatingly quick on a country road, it’s just a shame it’s not as rewarding as the Honda Civic Type R

In town

The Cupra Leon is a comfortable hot hatch in town. With its optional adaptive dampers in their comfiest setting, the Cupra absorbs lumps and bumps well and its automatic gearbox shifts through the gears quickly and smoothly. Plug-in hybrid models are particularly relaxing because they can run around on silent electric power.

A tight turning circle makes the Leon Cupra more manoeuvrable than a Golf GTI, but it does suffer from a large blind spot around the rear pillars. Standard rear parking sensors make up for this, but a reversing camera, front sensors and auto park are all on the options list.

On the motorway

The Leon Cupra is slightly noisier on the motorway than a Volkswagen Golf GTI, suffering from more tyre roar at high speeds thanks to having less sound deadening than the VW. Having said that, the Leon is noticeably quieter than the sadly-departed Hyundai i30 N – worth noting if you’re comparing used models – and all versions of the Cupra come with cruise control fitted as standard.

On a twisty road

Stick the Leon in its most hardcore Cupra mode and the car’s optional adaptive dampers – they have 15 different settings – firm up to near-race car levels, and it corners almost completely flat, giving you the confidence to make full use of the car’s quick and direct steering.

Power out of corners and you can feel the Cupra’s clever electronic differential helping the front tyres to bite into the ground to give you lots of traction.

Cupra’s even thought about the brakes. Up front, you get big four-pot callipers that grab the front discs like a giant’s handshake.

Overall, it feels like a quicker more focused hot hatch than the Volkswagen Golf GTI but is an easier car to live with than the likes of the Ford Focus ST or Honda Civic Type R.

The Cupra Leon is surprisingly spacious inside for its size, although some alternatives offer more space outright

The Cupra Leon’s front seats have plenty of adjustment – you can jack them up high if you’re small or lower them into the carpet if you’re tall – and the steering wheel also offers plenty of movement. Head, leg and elbow room are all great and the Cupra Leon’s sports seats keep you clamped in position even when cornering hard.

Keeping the interior tidy shouldn’t be a problem. The Leon has a cubby under the front centre armrest complete with a 12V power socket, two cup holders behind the gear lever and a tray for your phone in the centre console with a pair of USB-C plugs for charging. A wireless charging pad is optional.

On top of all that, the glovebox is a decent size, as are the door pockets, and you get another pair of cup holders recessed into the rear centre armrest – although they do get in the way of your elbow when you rest it.

Space in the back seats

The Cupra Leon has a roomier back seat than the Volkswagen Golf GTI; you get loads of headroom for a car this size and plenty of knee room.

With three people in the back, the wide middle seat is also reasonably comfortable, there’s plenty of room for three people’s feet and the Cupra’s wide body means your passengers won’t feel too crushed.

Unfortunately, those one-piece front seats block your passengers' forward view but, on the bright side, people in the back seat get an air vent and heater controls.

Fitting a child seat is also relatively easy thanks to the Cupra’s boxy shape, wide-opening rear doors and clearly marked ISOFIX points.

Boot space

Press the Cupra Leon’s badge (which doubles as a boot release) and you’ll reveal a 380-litre capacity that is above average for this size of car, but still some way off the 590-litre boot offered by the cavernous Skoda Octavia vRS. Equally, if you get a hybrid model that falls to just 270 litres, which is pretty underfed for a family-friendly hot hatch.

Unfortunately, the Cupra misses out on the handy adjustable boot floor that is fitted as standard on the Volkswagen Golf GTI, so there’s a bit of a load lip to lift luggage over and the floor is uneven if you fold down the car’s back seats.

The Cupra Leon’s interior gets several features that mark it out from the rest of the Leon range, although the infotainment system still isn’t very good

Inside, plenty of things mark the Cupra Leon out from the SEAT Leon it is based upon. You get a sports steering wheel with a flat bottom, a starter button and shortcut switches for the car’s driving modes.

Copper highlights lift the otherwise dark cabin and you also get one-piece seats with lots of side support, ‘Cupra’-scrawled kick plates, ‘Cupra’-emblazoned carpets and aluminium kick plates.

The upgrades aren’t limited to the Cupra’s hardware, its software has also been updated with unique graphics on the car’s digital instrument binnacle and centre touchscreen infotainment.

Speaking of infotainment, the Leon’s is a bit of a fiddle to use on the move, suffers from plenty of glitches and has annoying touch-sensitive heater controls, although at least those light up at night now; they don’t on older models, which is more annoying than it sounds, so worth noting if buying used.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are fitted as standard so you can mirror your phone’s display on the car's big screen, which helps you to avoid the awkward Cupra software.

The Cupra Leon is available with a choice of three petrol engines and a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid.

The 150hp 1.5-litre petrol is a balanced performer. It gets from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds and returns fuel economy of more than 48mpg if you’re light with your right foot, but it lacks the edge to provide the sort of genuine hot hatch thrills that the styling suggests.

The 300hp range-topper gets from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds, has a top speed of 155mph and feels like it could keep up with almost any car on a tight twisting B-road. Even its fuel economy – around 35mpg in a mixture of driving and 37mpg officially – doesn’t seem too bad given the performance.

Naturally, the hybrid models are the thriftiest of all. The ability to travel up to 78 miles on electricity alone could save you a fortune if you have a medium-length commute and somewhere to charge the car, preferably at home.

It allows the Leon e-Hybrids to return official economy of more than 700mpg, although that’s pure fiction really, unless you’re charging up every day and almost exclusively driving short distances.

Longer drives should see you get around 40mpg in the 204hp e-Hybrid, but a bit less in the 272hp version. Unfortunately, the PHEV's dithering responses mean it doesn’t drive like a hot hatch should, even if it can get from 0-62mph in 7.1 seconds.

The e-Hybrids win when it comes to company car Benefit in Kind (BIK) tax though, with ultra-low payments, which also helps reduce first-year Vehicle Excise Duty for private buyers.

The Cupra Leon scored five stars for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2020. Standard safety kit includes automatic emergency brakes – which can detect vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians – and lane assist that can gently steer the car in lane. Specify the optional Safety and Driving pack and you can add kit like auto-dipping headlights, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and Emergency Assist that can steer you around imminent accidents there’s no space to stop for. All models also come as standard with an alarm with an interior and tow-away sensor.

Cupra performed poorly in the latest Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, and the Leon has been subject to various recalls that cover things like the rear suspension, seat belts, hybrid power systems and wiring harness, so it’s worth checking these have been sorted free of charge on any second-hand car you’re looking at. Cupra Leons come as standard with a three-year/60,000-mile warranty.