The new Cupra Leon caused a sensation. The only downside: The factory pictures from Cupra or Seat are not very exhilarating. It’s a good thing that one of our colleagues was present at the unveiling. Yann Lethuillier from Motor1.com France took the chance to take a closer look at the Spanish brother of the new VW Golf GTI. Here are his impressions.
The Cupra Leon is the first Leon that no longer has a Seat logo. A small event in itself for this young brand, barely two years old and still under the influence of Seat, but with its own identity. If Seat is the dynamic and somewhat “funky” brand of the Volkswagen Group, then it has the desire to focus more on mobility in the broadest sense of the word, not just on cars. Conversely, Cupra is a brand that is completely dedicated to the car and driving fun. In any case, these are the values that were conveyed at the time the brand was presented two years ago.
Since then we have seen a 300 PS SUV and a concept vehicle in the form of an SUV coupe with a 245 PS plug-in hybrid. The latter, also known as Cupra Formentor, will be presented in its final form at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show. As far as sportiness is concerned, we have had better starts. In reality, Cupra was lacking a really strong product, a kind of flag bearer with gloss. With the new Leon, this was the perfect opportunity as the previous generation was certainly the best and most successful compact sports class of its generation. At the same time, Cupra must face the environmental challenges posed by the EU and follow the trend towards electrification, which is obviously the best way to reduce CO2 emissions today. At least that’s what the industry wants us to believe.
Two bodies, four engines
As a result, Cupra is now presenting its new Leon with a 245 PS plug-in hybrid and 400 Nm torque. On the other hand, there are two versions of the 2.0 TSI, one with 245 PS and 370 Nm and another with 300 PS and 400 Nm. The Sport Tourer version can even reach up to 310 horsepower and then gets all-wheel drive, while the other versions have front-wheel drive. All vehicles are available with a seven-speed DSG. The manual gearbox no longer exists on the Cupra Leon. Technical details and prices will arrive later this year, as will the homologation values. We only know that the hybrid variant is homologated below 50 g / km CO2. Marketing of the car is planned for October 2020 in France.
A hybrid version with light and shadow
It’s all well and good on photos and on paper, but what about up close? Aesthetically, from a purely subjective point of view, the Cupra Leon seems to be softened compared to the previous generation. If we liked the Sport Tourer version of the presentation, it wasn’t really the case with the Cupra Leon five-door plug-in hybrid. On the one hand, the slight plus in height gives the impression of a kind of compactness that looks like an SUV.
The reason is simple, the battery is under the floor. It takes a little more space to get them in there. Another detail that is not very shiny on this Cupra Leon is the exhaust tailpipes, which are covered with a plastic cap. Fortunately, this is not the case with the combustion version, where we have four tailpipes at our disposal. It remains to be seen in operation whether, like the Audi S3, only two of the four outlets actually work.
How does it look inside?
Inside, apart from the rather mediocre integration of the touchscreen, the whole thing is pretty good. The engine’s ignition button on the steering wheel, like Ferrari’s and recently also Audi Sport’s, or the “ESP off” button on the center console, which is prominently displayed as if you were asked to press it. This is a fun detail, especially when legislators are forcing automakers to equip new cars with electronics for added safety.
With the tiny gear selector lever, the Cupra does not escape the new fashion of the Volkswagen Group cars. In order to take control of the transmission or to partially control it, since it is a DSG, you also have the right to small paddles behind the steering wheel. Not very aesthetic paddles that are borrowed from the new Audi RS 6 and are actually just two vulgar plastic parts that have been put together. You almost miss the tiny paddles of the previous generation. As far as the driving position is concerned, it is just perfect for my height of 1.80 meters, and there is even enough space in the rear for two adults who are 1.80 meters tall to sit comfortably.
And the performance?
Jaime Puig, the director of Cupra Racing confirmed that the difference in performance compared to the previous generation was not significant. Logical, because the power remains the same, in this case 300 hp, and the car only increases about 50 kilos compared to the old model. So far, no empty weight has been announced; we only know that in the hybrid version the electric motor plus battery package is 130 kilograms heavier.
On the tire side, Cupra has decided to offer the Bridgestone Potenza S005 to customers. No further tire approval is currently planned in the catalog. Perhaps the likely arrival of an R version could change that. As far as the brakes are concerned, the internal combustion versions will be able to use Brembo brakes, while the hybrid will have to be satisfied with its own brakes with Cupra badge, which will certainly be those of the future VW Golf GTE and Audi A3 e -tron match.
Nice prospects for the future
If the new Cupra Leon is just as sensational to drive as the old one, the calculation for Cupra will be successful. We are a little more skeptical about the hybrid version, which doesn’t exactly look sporty on paper. Without being clairvoyant, however, this could be the version that will seduce most buyers, including those for whom design may be more important than good dynamic handling.
Incidentally, the versions with 245, 300 and even 310 hp remain with the good old gasoline engine. Cupra assures us that it has made some special adjustments compared to the other upcoming Volkswagen Group models, namely the new Audi S3, the Golf GTE, GTI and GTI TCR and the Skoda Octavia RS. We will be able to say more in the coming months when we have tested all of these compact athletes.
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