2023 Cupra Leon

The Leon is essentially a Spanish cousin to the Golf, and it feels it behind the wheel. That’s not to say it’s a carbon copy, though.

With unique bronze highlights and stunning petrol blue leather trim, not to mention the wheel and its supercar-style start button, the Leon VZx looks and feels a bit more special than its demure German relative.

Even the base Leon V on show at the Cupra launch event looked and felt special inside, albeit without some of the posher materials you get in the VZx.

he fundamentals are excellent. Driver and passenger sit in sporty seats with plenty of bolstering, and tall drivers won’t have trouble getting comfortable.

It’d be nice if the seats dropped lower to really deliver a sporty feel, but otherwise there isn’t much to complain about.

As you’d expect of a modern Volkswagen Group cabin, screens are the showpiece here.

Rear seat space is about par for the class. The chunky seats with their one-piece backrests block forward visibility, but kids will be able to get comfortable back there without too much stress.

Average-sized adults will be able to slot back there as well, although the bigger Formentor or Ateca are better options if you’re lugging people around regularly.

Dual ISOFIX points and three top-tether points for child seats feature back there, along with a fold-down central armrest, air vents, and dual USB-C points.

Under the skin, the Cupra Leon is a hotted-up version of the Seat Leon – itself a Spanish take on the Volkswagen Golf.

It shares its powertrains with parts of the Skoda Octavia and Volkswagen Golf ranges, and the cabin features the latest technology the Volkswagen Group has to offer.

It’s far from a carbon copy, though. Outside, the Leon is clothed in a sharp Spanish suit that’s eye-catching in person, especially in the hero matte blue with copper accents, and the car is being sold online or through retail-style Cupra Garage locations instead of conventional dealers.

There’s no proper entry-level model, either. Even the least powerful Leon packs 30kW more than a base Golf, and the plug-in hybrid VZe packs a powertrain not offered elsewhere in the Volkswagen, Skoda, or Audi stables locally.

Cupra is pitching itself as a “tribe” to Australians, and the Leon is aimed squarely at people who want the performance and polish of a Volkswagen hot hatch, but don’t to be a part of the Golf club.

Each of the four Cupra Leon variants has a different powertrain.

The base V is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 140kW of power and 320Nm of torque. This is mated with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.

The VZ also uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but its engine produces 180kW and 370Nm.

The VZe mates a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, for total system outputs of 180kW and 400Nm. It uses a six-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.

Lastly, the VZx is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque.

All models are front-wheel drive.

The 100km/h sprint takes a claimed 5.7 seconds, but the quickest Leon feels faster than that in-gear.

The touchscreen is a 12-inch unit running Cupra’s take on the software rolled out across the Golf and Octavia ranges, along with the same touch sliders below for volume and temperature control.

Points to Cupra for allowing owners to drop a widget on the home screen to control fan speed for the air-con, and for making shortcut buttons prominent – it’s easier to jump around the system than in the Golf – but it’s fiddly at times.

The digital cockpit is handsome, and features unique graphics in keeping with Cupra’s sportier remit. The steering wheel itself feels great in your hands, and has proper buttons instead of the touch controls rolling out elsewhere.

Opting for the VZx gets you a start/stop button and drive mode controller on the wheel; other models bury their drive modes in the touchscreen. The fact you need to dive through a screen for Sport mode in most versions is hard to understand.

Boot space varies based on which model you choose. The VZe has just 270 litres because of the PHEV battery hardware, while the VZ and VZx up that to 380L.