2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch

Oh, my word!  CUPRA cars?  Yes, CUPRA cars really are here in Australia!

That’s the sort of high praise CUPRA cars hold.  Thanks to SEAT and VW diversifying the SEAT brand into SEAT cars as well as a standalone CUPRA brand, there is loads of growing excitement for those who love enjoying pure performance in their daily drive.

The CUPRA name comes out of Cup Racing, something that the best SEATs and CUPRAs have plenty of experience with and much success over the years.  Currently, CUPRA has their special e-Racer competing in the FIA Pure ETCR championship – an electric touring car world cup series.  The CUPRA e-Racer is heavily based on the Leon hatchback (the one we’re about to review) and is powered by four electric motors, produces 500 kW and takes around 3 seconds to get from 0-100 km/, 8.2 seconds to get to 200 km/h, and has a top speed of around 270 km/h.

So, you know a little bit more about the brand now.  What about the new line of CUPRA Leon Hatchbacks that are for sale here in Australia?  The 2022/2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch offers the buyer four models, three of which run different forms of the same powerful 2.0-litre Turbo Premium ULP petrol motor, and one offering hybrid power.  All CUPRA Leon Hatchbacks use proven VW components and are thus pretty reliable, coming standard with a 5 year/unlimited km warranty when bought new.

The CUPRA Leon V has the standard 2.0-litre Turbo engine that puts out 140 kW of power and 320 Nm of torque fed to the front wheels.  The inline 4-cylinder motor is a smooth and responsive unit, and great for getting the job done.

2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch

Next inline is the CUPRA Leon VZ.  The VZ hatchback takes a considerable jump in performance, thanks to the tweaks in the 2.0-litre engine that have it pushing out a maximum of 180 kW of power and up to 370 Nm of torque through to the front wheels.  The CUPRA Leon VZ provides a sensational drive, the chassis harnessing the power extremely well, offering a load of additional confidence in handling and communication being delivered sweetly through to the driver.  This is a fun little hot hatch.

Top of the performance ladder sits the CUPRA Leon VZx – a special hot hatch drive with a level of performance that’s a steal at this price.  The CUPRA Leon VZx happily runs with the big boys!  Peak power leaps out to 221 kW and the torque can be up to as much as 400 Nm.

You can experience the 0–100 km/h sprint in around 5.5 seconds, and hit a top speed of at least 250 km/h.  Rolling acceleration figures are around the following: 60 – 100 km/h (4^th gear), 3.8 sec; 80 – 120 km/h (4^th gear), 4.2 sec; and 80 – 160 km/h (4^th gear), 8.9 sec.

On all models, the CUPRA Leon levels of grunt are fed carefully through to the front wheels via traction control monitoring for the best power delivery and acceleration for all-weathers.  It would be nice to see an AWD option for the VZ and VZx power levels, but it is all cleverly controlled, and excitement is written all over a VZ or VZx driver’s face!

The fourth model that CUPRA provide is the affordable CUPRA Leon VZe, a plug-in-hybrid (PHEV) model that makes use of the latest VW designed 1.4-litre Turbo petrol engine matched with an electric motor that is tracked to deliver as much clean electric power for driving as possible.  The petrol motor is there primarily as a backup.  The result is a classy Hatch that delivers up to 110 kW of power and up to 250 Nm of torque through to the front wheels.  With a claimed CO₂ emission average of just 40 g/km, and a claimed combined average of fuel usage being just 1.8 litres/100 km, this is a phenomenal hatchback to be driving in a time where fuel prices are a little bit up in the air.

2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch

Practicality and safety for the 2023 CUPRA Leon has the 2.0-litre petrol-powered hatchback variants offering a 380-litre boot space that will open out to 1600 litres if the rear seats are folded down flat.  The PHEV model, the VZe, offers 270 litres with the rear seats up and in position because of the battery pack stored under the floor.  Both the ICE models and the PHEV variants of the CUPRA Leon Hatch scored highly in all areas of Euro NCAP crash testing: Adult Occupant 91%, Child Occupant 88%, Vulnerable Road User 71% and Safety Assist 80%.  The CUPRA Leon was awarded the full 5 stars.

2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch

All models are well-equipped, with even the base model boasting GPS, a six-speaker audio system, automatic lights, a rear camera, park assist (front and rear), 10 airbags, active crash avoidance technology, an engine immobilizer, LED DRLs, rain sensing wipers, heated and powered mirrors, a digital driver’s display, sports seats, ambient lighting, multi-zone climate control, keyless start, and voice recognition – to name a few.  The VZx model gets a nine-speaker premium stereo, driver seat memory, and side skirts, filling the Leon’s flagship role very nicely.

The CUPRA Leon Hatch has sweet styling inside and out.  It’s also fun to drive and yet easy to live with.  I also like the unique plug-in hybrid option with its awesome fuel efficiency and green stamp of approval.

2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch

The current CUPRA Leon models include the:

• CUPRA Leon V (140 kW)
• CUPRA Leon VZ (180 kW)
• CUPRA Leon VZx (221 kW)
• CUPRA Leon VZe (PHEV)

For any more information on the 2022/2023 CUPRA Leon Hatch, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!) we can submit vehicle quote requests out to our national network of CUPRA dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!