Test Car Specifications
Model: 2025 Cupra Leon VZ2 2.0 TSI 300 DSG
Price: Cupra Leon from £32,140; 2.0 VZ2 from £46,280 (£47,575 as tested)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, front-wheel drive
Power: 300hp
Torque: 400Nm
Emissions: 172g/km
Fuel economy: 35.8-37.2mpg
0-62mph: 5.7 seconds
Top speed: 155mph
Boot space: 380 litres
Styling
The key changes to the Leon can be found at the front, where the conventional grille is gone, replaced with a shark-nose design and a lower 'mouth'. It's designed to make the car look less like its Seat-badged brethren, and it works, but we aren't convinced it's any more handsome. Admittedly, the new headlights look great, with the triangular design that mirrors the Cupra logo, while the full-width light bar at the back also looks the business. Combine that with the big wheels, bronze accents and the quad exhausts, and the Leon looks pretty good, but we just aren't completely sure it looks better than before.
Interior
Inside, the Leon has arguably changed more dramatically, with new centre console, door and dashboard panels, as well as bucket seats that are now wrapped in either 73 per cent recycled microfibre or "environmentally conscious" leather. The tech has been upgraded, too, with a new 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system and an improved digital instrument display, giving more configuration options and more features.
In recent years, the VW Group infotainment systems have taken a bit of a kicking, but they seem to be getting back on track, and the Cupra's display is yet more evidence of that. It's sharp, clear and stylish, which is great, but better still is the ability to configure it to your taste and preferences, as well as the improved menu system. And Cupra has made it easier to turn off the annoying driver 'assistance' systems, too, which is nice.
The Leon’s also just as well-built as ever, which is great to see, and all the materials are really tactile. It feels just as robust as the Golf on which it’s based, and we’d even go as far as to say the quality is approaching the levels seen in smaller Audis.
The only real problem, then, is that the climate control is still housed in the touchscreen, although that's mitigated slightly by the fact the key controls are now always visible, and the continued use of silly slider controls beneath the screen. They don't work very well, and we suspect the VW Group will finally give up on them in the not-too-distant future.
Practicality
As before, the Cupra Leon is every bit as practical as its Seat-badged sibling, with the same 380-litre boot putting it somewhere in the middle of its class, while the interior space is also unchanged. Sure, the bucket seats are visually more bulky, but they don't really impact rear legroom, which is still adequate without being amazing. Similarly, rear headroom is decent, but not especially generous. While all this might sound fairly unremarkable, it does at least mean the Leon loses none of its family car credentials with a 300hp engine under the bonnet and a Cupra badge at either end. It's still just as useful every day. And if you really want more space, you can always have the estate...
Performance
Like its predecessor, the Cupra Leon is offered in a range of different guises, but the VZ models are the performance-orientated options. That means they're only offered in plug-in hybrid form, with 272hp, or in 2.0-litre, 300hp petrol form, as tested here. In truth, the hybrid looks good on paper, but petrol is the one to go for if you want the true hot hatchback experience. It's essentially the engine from an Audi S3, but it lives in a front-wheel-drive hot hatchback.
Mated to a seven-speed, double-clutch automatic gearbox, it's pretty perky, and it'll take you from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds, which is fairly competitive. It sounds good, too, although the Cupra sound system that pipes fake engine notes into the cabin adds an edge that isn't really there. Still, the four pipes sound raucous enough by themselves, and you can always turn the augmented engine note off.
Surprisingly, the engine is also more efficient than you might imagine. Although Cupra claims up to 37.2mpg on the official standardised economy test, we managed more than 40mpg on a long run, and we weren't driving with efficiency in mind. It isn't bad for something with a 155mph top speed and 300hp.
Ride & Handling
Front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks have seemingly been usurped by all-wheel-drive alternatives – see the Golf R and Audi RS 3 for details – but the Cupra still handles sweetly, despite being relatively low-tech by the standards of the day. Yes, the wheel squirms a bit when you put your foot down, and it will occasionally scrabble for traction, but it’s still predictable, linear and accurate in the corners, with the nose darting in whichever direction you ask it to go. Eventually, it will wash out from the apex, but you’ll have to try some pretty ambitious corner entry speeds if you want to achieve that.
As long as you’re borderline sensible, the Cupra handles quite majestically, with decent body control, particularly with the Dynamic Chassis Control in its tautest setting. That makes the car feel tensed-up and ready for action, and keeps the body in check even when you’re throwing it around. The steering always feels a bit numb, but at least the wheels follow your hands in a predictable kind of way. It’s still an easy car to position.
But in the sharpest settings, it’s quite uncomfortable. At its worst, potholes will batter and thump you, jarring you about in the seat, but if you relax the car off by choosing the more comfort-orientated suspension modes, it’ll become a bit more forgiving. Forgiving enough to be fine on a long motorway journey, at least, but there’s still a bit of edge to the ride around town.
Value
Perhaps the biggest sticking point with the Cupra Leon – and particularly with this VZ version – is the price. Where basic Cupra Leons, with the 1.5-litre petrol engine, start at £32,140, the VZ models start at £42,400. Our test car had a list price of more than £47,000, and range-topping VZ3 versions will cost more than £50,000 once you’ve chosen a colour scheme and the 2.0-litre engine.
In short, then, the Leon isn’t cheap, but then what is? The Audi S3 starts at a smidgen under £49,000, and the VW Golf R costs £45,800. So by that measure, the Leon is actually quite competitively priced. Especially as all VZ models get 19-inch alloys, wireless phone charging and heated sports seats at the front. The 12.9-inch touchscreen and digital instrument cluster are also standard, along with climate control, automatic lights and wipers, and full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Verdict
The 2.0-litre, VZ versions of the Cupra Leon aren't exactly cheap, but they're still great hot hatchbacks. The copper-trimmed style may be divisive and the price may not be all that appealing, but the performance, handling and quality are all up there with the very best in the class. And it has the added bonus of feeling different from the norm, which gives it a bit of exclusivity to boot.
