Cupra Leon Review 2024

If you're after a hot hatch that looks reasonably sensible but is extremely quick and has an approachable fun side that's only too happy be unlocked, the Cupra Leon is the car for you. It combines this with an interior that's reasonably spacious and well designed, even if it lacks the go-faster goodies you get in some rivals. If you're also after a stylish, practical and very fast estate car, then the Cupra Leon Estate should be near the top of your shortlist.

Let's just say you have plenty of options. Even before we look out-with the VW Group stable, there's the slower-but-more-practical Skoda Octavia vRS, near-identical-but-posher Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport and even-posher-still Audi S3. 

Stray further afield and you'll find cars like the crazed banshee that is the Honda Civic Type R and flawed but likeable machine that is the Renault Megane R.S. 300. We also like Ford's Focus ST, another great everyday hot hatch, while you can also pick from posh German metal like the front-wheel drive BMW 128ti and four-wheel drive Mercedes-AMG A35. 

Interior quality on many new cars seems to have taken a jab in the ribs as manufacturing spend is channelled towards ever bigger infotainment screens and it's a phenomenon the Cupra Leon is not immune to – as the chocolate-tray plastic used for the centre console so ably demonstrates. 

Everywhere else, though, it's pretty decent with soft, squidgy plastics for the places your fingers are most likely to stray, including the tops of the front door cards and the dashboard. It's got both the Honda Civic Type R and the Renault Megane R.S.300 convincingly beaten in this department. 

Cupra hasn't just unscrewed the infotainment screen from a SEAT Leon and stuck it in their... Oh, actually, that's exactly what it's done. Ah well, in fairness it's updated the graphics to show a Cupra Leon when you fiddle with the many setup options. Early Leons had a 10.0-inch screen in the centre of the dash, but the 2024 facelift saw that increased to a 12.9-inch unit.

There's not much original to say from there. As has been noted more than once, the screen is colourful and responsive, but also distractingly fiddly when you're trying to use it on the move. Thankfully, it comes fitted with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless, post-facelift) and we'd revert to using these smartphone-screen-mirroring apps wherever possible. 

That said, sat-nav with a 10-year subscription comes as standard so it can route around congestion and be reached using an app on your phone to check things like remaining fuel. One of the bonuses of using SEAT's sat-nav is that you can punch up its maps on the standard digital instrument binnacle behind the steering wheel.

The Cupra Leon is a Volkswagen Golf at heart, which means it is very practical for its size. It measures 4398mm long, 1992mm wide (including mirrors) and 1444mm tall. 

There's more than enough room for tall adults in the front and if you scan around the cabin you'll find there's a specific storage space for almost everything – be it your smartphone, wallet, bottle of water or sunglasses, the Leon can store it. Even in the back seats, there's enough storage to keep a football team hydrated and you get your own air vent and temperature control. 

Passenger space is decent even for tall adults sitting behind someone else who is tall and the middle seat is more accommodating than most. You also get three ISOFIX points, one on the front passenger seat and two in the back.

While the Cupra is based on a Volkswagen Golf – but like-for-like is cheaper – sometimes it's easy to see where the money has been saved and one of those places is in the boot. Sure, it's a nice square shape and a decent size (at 380 litres) but it misses out on the handy features you get in a VW. If the idea of an adjustable boot floor and shopping hooks gets you reaching for a car brochure, you'd best make sure it is for a Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport. 

Pre-facelift Cupra Leons were available with a choice of three engines – a 245PS 1.4-litre four-cylinder plug-in hybrid, or two 2.0-litre four-cylinders with 245 or 300PS.

The 2024 facelift saw an overhaul to the engine line-up, with a few tweaks – a new 1.5-litre entry-level petrol engine with 150PS, another 1.5, 150PS petrol option with the same power but an added mild-hybrid system, an upgraded 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid system with 204PS or 272PS and, in the Leon Estate, a more powerful 2.0-litre petrol engine option with 333PS.

Let's get the boring bit out the way first. The hybrid's ability to travel for up to 34 miles (pre-facelift) or  ore than 70 miles (post-facelift) on battery power means it could save you a fortune if you have a short commute and somewhere to charge it. We've yet to try the post-facelift 1.5-litre version, but the earlier 1.4 is  much more usable than PHEVs of old, happily accelerating up to motorway speeds without sipping an ounce of petrol.

But it's not a true hot hatch. Its delayed response when you demand instant acceleration is a clear sign there's still work to be done making the petrol engine and electric motor work in harmony. The encouraging figures – 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds and a top speed of 140mph – are a contrast to how it actually feels on the road.

The revised PHEVs should help that. With two versions, one with 204PS and one with 272PS, they offer extra power and double the electric range of the initial PHEV.

The pre-facelift 245PS petrol posts 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds and hits 155mph flat out, while post-facelift cars give you the choice of a more sedate 150PS petrol engine, with or without a mild-hybrid system – the non-mild-hybrid has a manual gearbox, while adding the system gives you an automatic.

For the full Cupra experience, we'd seek out the 300PS model which has enough power on tap to get this hot hatch really motoring. What's most impressive is how well behaved the Leon is at laying down its speed, all its 400Nm of torque is available from just 2000rpm and you can ride that wave almost to the rev limiter.

It helps that power is sent to the front wheels by one of the best twin-clutch gearboxes available in the VW Group. Its changes are smooth, slick and quick, although it would be nice if it held onto gears in manual mode rather than kicking down when it thinks you want maximum acceleration. How quick? It'll do 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and tops out at 155mph, however its mid-range is explosive, allowing the Cupra to make short work of A and B road overtakes. 

Bad stuff? Well, we could play devil's advocate and say the Leon's powertrain is too good. It's linear power lacks the thumping punch you get from a Honda Civic Type R, you don't get the same guttural coughs and splutters as in the Renault Megane R.S. 300 and the Cupra doesn't it bang through its gears with quite the same venom. 

For even more power, you'll have to go for the Cupra Leon Estate, which ditches the front-wheel-drive 300PS setup for a four-wheel-drive version with 333PS. Extra speed and more space to carry stuff? We've yet to try this post-facelift model, but we love the sound of it.

The Cupra Leon is one of the most comfortable hot hatches on sale. It doesn't produce the tyre noise you get in rivals like the Honda Civic Type R and Renault Megane R.S. 300, there's little wind noise to speak of and the exhaust is relatively muted. 

The Cupra Leon was awarded five stars for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2020. All models come with automatic emergency brakes that detect pedestrians, cyclists and other vehicles, as well as lane assist which keeps the car arrow straight in its lane. VZ2 to models and above have a full suite of autonomous driving aids. 

As the Cupra Leon is still a relatively new car, there's little data to establish long term reliability yet. However, the Volkswagen Group scored well in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index with SEAT coming 22nd out of 30 manufacturers. 

For reliability the SEAT Leon scored an impressive average of 9.45 out of 10. As the Cupra Leon is based on the SEAT Leon, the Cupra model should follow suit with good reliability. 

Cupra Leon insurance starts at group 28 for the PHEV model and steadily rises to group 34 for the 300PS version. As a result, insurance premiums will be high for new drivers but should be fairly affordable if you passed your test years ago and have a healthy no-claims bonus. 

Year one, road tax for the Cupra Leon ranges from being entirely free (for the plug-in hybrid model) to costing £1095 for the most powerful petrol cars. After the first year, hybrid models pay £180 per annum to the petrol models' £190. Some of the higher end models, which cost more than £40,000 when new, have an added premium car surcharge, taking the total cost per year to £590 for hybrids or £600 for petrol models.

The pre-facelift Cupra Leon is available in three trim levels – VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3. Whichever model you choose, you'll not get a hot hatch that's dripping with sporting intent – subtle styling is the order of the day.

Cupra Leon VZ1 models get 18-inch wheels, black callipers, LED exterior lights with dynamic indicators and a slightly more aggressive body kit than a regular SEAT Leon. Kit includes a 10-inch centre infotainment screen and digital dashboard, ambient lighting, sports seats, front and rear parking sensors, sports steering wheel, metal pedals and a reversing camera. 

Larger 19-inch wheels are the extent of the Cupra Leon VZ2 models' exterior upgrades, while mechanical changes include adjustable dampers that let you stiffen the car up via its infotainment screen and speed sensitive power steering that gets quicker the faster you go. You also get autonomous driving features – that mean the car can brake, accelerate and steer itself in normal driving and emergencies – and auto-dipping headlights.

Cupra Leon VZ3 models also have 19-inch alloy wheels but with serrated plastic trims that, we're ashamed to say, we quite like. Inside, you get leather seats that are electrically adjustable and wireless phone charging. 

Post-2024-facelift cars have more choice – there are the (relatively) sensible V1, V2 and V3 models, and then there are more performance-focused VZ1, VZ2 and VZ3 trims. Only the VZ models get the more potent powertrain options.

Cupra Leon V1s get 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, front and rear parking sensors and the full infotainment package with a wireless phone charger. The V2 trim adds 19-inch wheels, uprated sports suspension,and, in the estate, an electric boot lid that you can open by waggling your foot under the the car. Inside there are heated front seats and electric adjustment for the driver, as well as a rear-view camera and keyless engine and start.

In the Cupra Leon V3 you get black and copper 19-inch wheels, both front seats get electric adjustment and the upholstery is upgraded to leather, with the Cupra embroidered on the headrest.

The VZ1 upgrades over the V1 with 19-inch wheels and sports suspension, heated front seats and matrix LED headlights, as well as Dinamica (synthetic suede) upholstery and a rear-view camera. VZ2 adds leather upholstery and different 19-inch wheels, while VZ3 has black and cooper wheels, a beefier bodykit with a roof spoiler and side skirts, bucket seats and an upgraded Sennheiser sound system, as well as upgraded brakes.