CUPRA LEON 1.5 eHybrid 204 V2 5dr DSG

The improved CUPRA Leon Estate combines practicality with panache, thinks Jonathan Crouch

Ten Second Review

The CUPRA Leon Estate might be close in concept and execution to a SEAT Leon Estate but it brings to that design a different dimension of style and speed. This Spanish station wagon shopping rocket comes with a choice of conventional petrol turbo or PHEV powertrains. Here's the updated version.

Background

Want a fast but compact-sized estate? There aren't that many options but quicker versions of Ford Focus, Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia station wagons are all possibilities. Here's another option to add to that list, CUPRA's Leon Estate, first launched in 2021, then updated in Spring 2024 to create the car we're going to look at here. As you'll probably know, CUPRA is a marque created by SEAT back in 2018 for its sporting models. Recently, it's been creating its own cars (the Formentor SUV and the Born and Tavascan EVs), but this CUPRA Leon Estate isn't much different to a SEAT Leon Estate - expect that you can have it with sportier styling and more powerful engines. Let's take a closer look.

Driving Experience

Various engines are on offer. Most customers will be choosing their CUPRA Sportstourer with one of two available (but very different) 245PS powertrains. There's a conventional 2.0 TSI petrol turbo unit. Or a clever new 1.5-litre petrol/electric PHEV plug-in e-HYBRID engine with a much larger 19.7kWh battery which can now travel up to 70 miles between charges and manages 62mph in around 7s en route to 140mph. The e-HYBRID variant comes with the choice of either 204PS or 272PS powertrains. If you want your Leon Sportstourer with even more zip, you'll need to get the conventional 2.0-litre TSI turbo unit in uprated tune - similar to the sort of thing you'd find in a Golf R Estate. Here, the '4Drive' 4x4 Sportstourer model in question has 333PS and makes 62mph in 4.8s en route to 155mph. That top '4Drive' version now gets clever torque-splitting technology which can shift power independently between the rear wheels during cornering for greater agility; or it can direct all of the power to one of the rear wheels if an added 'Drift' mode is activated. There's also an exclusive 'CUPRA' drive mode meant to be optimised for race track use. Whatever CUPRA Leon Sportstourer model you choose, it should handle well. The engineers have worked hard on this model's electric power steering system and say it's the 'most progressive feeling' rack they've ever delivered. The ride has been lowered by 25mm at the front and by 20mm at the rear over a standard Leon. Plus on most models there's a standard DCC adaptive damping system to vary ride quality based on your choice from a range of drive modes. Stopping power's taken care of by a large set of Brembo 370mm disc brakes gripped by copper-coloured calipers.

Design and Build

Any Leon that wears a CUPRA badge has to dose up the attitude a degree and, like the hatch version, this CUPRA Leon Sportstourer looks really gym-toned, especially in this updated form. For this mid-term update, CUPRA has added a more aggressive 'shark-nose' front end with a wider mouth and a three-triangle headlight signature. The brand badge has been moved from the front grille to the bonnet. The rear bumper's been revised too (to look like it's lower), while the rear full-width light bar reflects the three-triangle headlight motif and is highlighted by an illuminated CUPRA logo. Redesigned 18 and 19-inch wheels also feature. As before, there are side skirts that visually lower the vehicle and the dark chrome front grille frame, front wings and exterior side mirrors contrast with the various model-specific body colour options. Inside, CUPRA has worked to improve perceived quality, also adding a bigger 12.9-inch central screen with a more intuitive infotainment system featuring customisable widgets and wireless 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'. The touch-sensitive sliders for volume and climate have been illuminated and there's now a more powerful 15-watt wireless 'phone charging mat with a cooling fiunction to prevent your 'phone from over-heating. Selected models get bucket seats with 73% recycled vegan microfibre upholstery. And there's now the option of a 12-speaker 425-watt Sennheiser audio system upgrade. As before, you get a compact DSG shifter and a CUPRA steering wheel with shift paddles houses the engine start and driver mode selection button. You also get an interactive digital driver display to replace conventional binnacle dials. Throughout the interior the copper and dark chrome detailing brings a sense of drama, with the dashboard and door mouldings finished in brushed dark aluminium and illuminated CUPRA treadplates in the front doors and colour coded door panels and seats. Otherwise, it's much as in any other Leon Estate. There's comfortable room for a couple of adults in the back. And a 617-litre boot (up from 380-litres in the hatch). That's for the conventionally-engined models; for the PHEV e-HYBRID Sportstourer derivative, the figure is 470-litres.

Market and Model

CUPRA Leon Estate pricing starts from around £33,000 - there's a £2,280 premium over the hatch body style. Six trim levels are on offer - 'V1', 'V2', 'V3', 'VZ1', 'VZ2' and 'VZ3'. All models get, amongst other things, full-LED headlights, sports suspension, a reversing camera and the SEAT Digital cockpit with an interactive driver display screen and a 12.9-inch central infotainment monitor. All that comes with 'V1' trim. 'VZ2' models add DCC dynamic chassis control, speed-sensitive steering, larger 19-inch alloy wheels and (on the Estate) roof rails too. The flagship 'VZ3' model is priced from around £46,500 and adds petrol blue Nappa leather bucket seats, a heated steering wheel and a wireless smartphone charging pad. If you want the 333PS 2.0 TSI 4Drive model, you'll need from around £45,000 and there are three trim levels - 'VZ1', 'VZ2' and 'VZ3'. Depending on the spec level chosen, there's plenty of autonomous driving tech and safety equipment too fitted across the range. Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) uses feeds from GPS data delivered from the navigation system and input from the front-mounted camera and Traffic Sign Recognition, allowing it to proactively adjust the cruise speed depending on the road layout ahead. When the road becomes more congested Traffic Jam Assist takes the stress out of driving, maintaining a safe distance to the vehicle in front. There's also an 'Emergency Assist' system that can bring the Leon to a controlled stop if you're taken ill at the wheel. And a 'Blind Spot Detection' system that alerts the driver to another vehicle in their blind spot.

Cost of Ownership

Owners of much older previous generation Leon CUPRA estates will look incredulously at the three-figure fuel efficiency stats and tax-beating CO2 readings of the e-HYBRID version of this current model, which in this improved form claims to be able to take you 70 miles between charges of its now-larger 19.7kWh battery (well over 30 miles further than the original CUPRA Leon e-HYBRID Estate could manage). The brand has also added 50kW DC rapid charging capabilities for this improved Leon e-HYBRID too - and increased the maximum speed for AC charging from 3.6kW to 11kW. Powering a PHEV CUPRA Leon up from a domestic socket would take around five hours, but most owners will want to find an extra few hundred pounds to install a wallbox charger in their garages. Use such a wallbox and you'll be able to reduce your charging time period from empty to well under three hours. Once that's been done, a PHEV CUPRA Leon can as we said now travel much further on a single charge. Which means that if the vehicle is only used for short commutes and re-charged regularly overnight, it's conceivable that this electrified Spanish hot hatch could be run almost entirely on off-peak electricity, costing pennies rather than pounds to consume. As for the more conventional 1.5 TSI CUPRA Leon Sportstourer models - here, think around 47.1mpg on the combined cycle and 134g/km of CO2; that's for the 150PS front driven manual version.

Summary

Certainly, most of what's on offer here can also be had in differently packaged form with sporty estate versions of the Volkswagen Golf or Skoda Octavia. But the CUPRA Leon Estate has a slightly more dynamic look and feel than any of those cars, especially in this updated form. Something that's particularly evident on the road in the 310PS 4Drive model, which offers everyday dynamic usability with plenty of potential for sheer enjoyment. It's way better value than a sporty Golf R Estate. And arguably shades all its rivals in terms of flamboyant cabin design, drive assistance features and standard equipment. Not everything's great of course. The infotainment system is over-complex and often fiddly to use. The interior doesn't have the sheer quality you'd find in premium brand models. And inevitably, some of the agile sparkiness is diluted if you opt for the now-improved e-HYBRID version. But none of this is really enough to significantly dull our basic approval of this car. If it's engaging twist on the usual Volkswagen Group quick estate confection appeals, we think you'll bond quickly with this uber-rapid Iberian station wagon.

Body Glass

Rain sensing wipers

Rear wash/wipe

Dark tinted rear windows

Electric front/rear windows

Brakes

Electronic parking brake

Brake control system - ESC and brake booster

Hill hold control

Cupra black brake calipers

Anti-lock brake system

Rear disc brakes

Communication

Full link smartphone integration with Mirror Link, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Google Android Auto

E-call

Driver Aids

Front and rear parking sensors

Lane assist

Front assist with forward collision warning braking reaction to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists

Rear view camera

CUPRA drive profile selection with (Comfort/Sport/Individual), throttle response and gearshift mode

Dynamic road sign display

Adaptive cruise control with follow-to-stop and speed limiter

Driver Convenience

Wireless phone charger

Virtual pedal with electric tailgate

Start/stop system with regenerative braking

Lockable tailgate

Driver Information

Digital cockpit

RPM, trip computer, outside temp gauge, instrument light brightness, low fuel warning light, lights on reminder, gearshift indicator

Four x USB Type C ports (2 in front and 2 in rear)

Service interval indicator

Driving Mirrors

Automatic dimming rear view mirror

Electrically adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors

Embellishment Trims

Chrome and copper interior detailing

Entertainment

Auxiliary input socket

Exterior Body Features

Rear side wing doors

Gloss black roof rails

Body coloured bumpers

Cupra sports bumpers

Body colour door handles

Exterior Lights

LED headlights with dynamic turn signals, tail lights, rear fog lights with rear coast to coast lighting

Separate daytime running light with automatic headlight control and coming home feature

Welcome light with logo projector in door mirrors

LED rear fog lamp

LED front fog lamps with cornering function

Third brake light

High beam assist

Heating/Cooling/Ventilation

Three zone climate control

Interior Features

Sliding boot cover

Front centre armrest

Height/reach adjust steering wheel

Cupra sports pedals

Illuminated interior front door sills

CUPRA Supersports, heated steering wheel with satellite buttons

12v power supply in centre console

Storage pockets on rear of front seats

Black headlining

Dinamica cloth upholstery

Interior Lights

Front and rear reading lights X 4

Ambient lighting (glovebox, footwell, ambient lighting multicoloured)

Interior wraparound lighting

Packs

Dynamic and comfort pack - Leon Cupra

Media system plus with 12.9" display + navigation pack - Leon Cupra

Safety

Driver and front passenger airbags with front passenger airbag de-activation, front side and curtain airbags

Seat belt reminder for front and rear seats

Tiredness recognition system

Child proof door locks

3 point seatbelts on all rear seats

Tyre pressure monitoring system

Seats

Heated front seats

ISOFIX points in outer rear seats with top tether anchorage points

Single front passenger seat

3 seat bench in 2nd row

5 headrests

Electrically adjustable driver seat and lumbar support with memory function + manually adjustable passenger seat

60/40 split rear bench seat with armrest

Security

KESSY Advanced - Keyless start, keyless entry

Locking wheel bolts

Anti theft alarm system with interior monitoring in cab, backup horn and towing protection

Vanity Mirrors

Sunvisors with illuminated mirror

Vehicle Charging

16 amp mode 3 charging cable

10 amp mode 2 charging cable

Wheels - Alloy

19" Polar machined sport black and silver alloy wheel with 91Y tyres

Wheels - Spare

Tool kit

Breakdown kit

Electric Vehicle Data

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Charge Time (Mins): 150

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Power Supply - kW: 11

Battery Charging Scenario 1 - Percentage Change: 0-100

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Charge Time (Mins): 26

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Power Supply - kW: 50

Battery Charging Scenario 2 - Percentage Change: 10-80

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 3 - Percentage Change: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Charge Time (Mins): N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Power Supply - kW: N

Battery Charging Scenario 4 - Percentage Change: N

Coupler/Connector Type: Type 2

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Years: 5

Standard manufacturers Battery warranty - Mileage: 100000

Battery Capacity in kWh: 25.8

Battery Leased: 0

Battery Type: Lithium-ion

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEL: 17

WLTP - EC (kWh/100km) - Comb - TEH: 18

WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb: 125

WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb - TEL: 131

WLTP - Equivalent AER (km) - Comb - TEH: 124

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (kWh/100km) - Comb: 16.4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEH: 4

WLTP - EC (miles/kWh) - Comb - TEL: 4

WLTP - EC AC Weighted (miles/kWh) - Comb: 3.8

WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb: 77

WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb - TEH: 77

WLTP - Equivalent AER (miles) - Comb - TEL: 81

Battery Capacity % guaranteed under warranty: 70

Charging Port Location: Left Side Front

Usable Battery Capacity: 25.8

Maximum Charging Rate - kW: 50

Emissions - ICE

Standard Euro Emissions: EURO 6

NOx: 0.006

HC+NOx: N

Particles: N

Emissions - PHEV

WLTP - CO2 Ch Sus (g/km) - Low: 143

WLTP - CO2 Ch Sus (g/km) - Medium: 112

WLTP - CO2 Ch Sus (g/km) - High: 109

WLTP - CO2 Ch Sus (g/km) - Extra High: 137

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb: 9

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb - TEL: 9

WLTP - CO2 Weighted (g/km) - Comb - TEH: 9

Engine and Drive Train

Cylinders - Bore (mm): 74.5

Cylinders - Stroke (mm): 85.9

CC: 1498

Cylinders: 4

Cylinder Layout: IN-LINE

Number of Valves: 16

Fuel Delivery: TURBO DIRECT INJECTION

Engine Layout: FRONT TRANSVERSE

Compression Ratio: 11.5:1

Transmission: SEMI-AUTO

Gears: 6 SPEED

Fuel Consumption - ICE

EC Directive 1999/100/EC Applies: 0

Fuel Consumption - PHEV

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (mpg) - Low: 44.8

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (mpg) - Medium: 57.7

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (mpg) - High: 58.9

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (mpg) - Extra High: 46.3

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (mpg) - Comb: 51.4

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (l/100km) - Low: 6.3

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (l/100km) - Medium: 4.9

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (l/100km) - High: 4.8

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (l/100km) - Extra High: 6.1

WLTP - FC Ch Sus (l/100km) - Comb: 5.5

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb: 0.4

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb - TEL: 0.4

WLTP - FC Weighted (l/100km) - Comb - TEH: 0.4

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb: 706.2

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb - TEL: 706.2

WLTP - FC Weighted (mpg) - Comb - TEH: 706.2

General

Coin Series: V2

Coin Description: eHybrid

Standard manufacturers warranty - Years: 5

Standard manufacturers warranty - Mileage: 90000

Did at least one aspect of this vehicle's safety give cause for concern?: 0

Special Edition: 0

Special Order: 0

Based On ID: N

Insurance Group 1 - 50 Effective January 07: 27E

Service Interval Mileage: 18600

Service Interval Frequency - Months: 24

Badge Power: 204

Badge Engine CC: 1.5

Vehicle Homologation Class: M1

Alternative Fuel Qualifying: No

Performance

0 to 62 mph (secs): 7.7

Top Speed: 137

Engine Power - BHP: 204

Engine Power - PS: No

0 to 60 mph (secs): 0

Engine Power - KW: 150

Engine Power - RPM: 5000

Engine Torque - LBS.FT: 258

Engine Torque - NM: 350

Engine Torque - RPM: 1500

Engine Torque - MKG: 35.7

Test Cycles

Emissions Test Cycle: WLTP

RDE Certification Level: RDE 2

Tyres

Tyre Size Front: 235/35 R19

Tyre Size Rear: 235/35 R19

Tyre Size Spare: TYRE REPAIR KIT

Wheel Type: 19" ALLOY

Wheel Style: POLAR

Alloys?: No

Space Saver?: 0

Vehicle Dimensions

Length: 4657

Width: 1799

Wheelbase: 2681

Height: 1463

Height (including roof rails): N

Weight and Capacities

Minimum Kerbweight: 1645

Gross Vehicle Weight: 2140

Fuel Tank Capacity (Litres): 40

Max. Towing Weight - Braked: 1700

Max. Towing Weight - Unbraked: 750

Max. Loading Weight: 495

Luggage Capacity (Seats Up): 470

No. of Seats: 5

Turning Circle - Kerb to Kerb: 10.8

Entertainment

Immersive by Sennheiser TM - 10 speakers, 1 central speaker, 1 subwoofer

Exterior Body Features

Metallic paint

Special metallic paint

Panoramic sunroof

Matte paint

Paint - Metallic

Metallic - Midnight black

Metallic - Magnetic tech grey

Metallic - Glacial white

Paint - Solid

Solid - Fiord blue

Paint - Special

Special metallic - Graphene grey

Matte - Magnetic tech grey

Special metallic - Taiga Grey

Towing

Tow bar pre-installation with hook

Tow bar pre-installation

Trim - Part Leather

Dinamica cloth - Soul black with copper stitching and embroidered CUPRA logo in headrest + bucket seats