Are you in the market for a zippy, sophisticated small hatch, but find traditional hot hatches too expensive or vigorous for everyday use? If so, you must take the 2024 Cupra Leon VZ for a spin. It may have the balance just right for you.
In case you haven’t heard of the brand, Cupra is a subsidiary of Spanish car maker SEAT, whose parent company is Volkswagen Group. And all Cupras are built on the same platform as a Volkswagen model. The Cupra Leon is a small hatch that shares underpinnings with the Volkswagen Golf and Audi A3.
Cupra is generous to prospective Aussie buyers. It’s not often we get to choose from four different powertrains as part of the V, VZ, VZe and VZx variants. We’re picking on the VZ that balances price, power and comfort in the middle of the range.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Specifications
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder
Output: 180kW@6200rpm / 370Nm@1600-4300rpm
Gearbox: Seven-speed dual-clutch auto
Drive type: Front-wheel drive
Wheels: F & R: 19×8.0, 235/35
ANCAP: Five stars
Tare weight: 1500kg
Power-to-weight: 8.33:1 (kg:kW)
Official consumption: 6.7L/100km
Our consumption: 7.5L/100km
Fuel tank/Fuel type: 50L/95 RONPower efficiency: 26.86kW:L/100km
0-60km/h: 3.48 seconds*
0-100km/h: 6.61 seconds*
60-110km/h: 4.22 seconds*
1/4 mile: 14.77 seconds at 162.0km/h*
Max acceleration: 0.837g*
100-0km/h braking: 37.81m in 3.08 seconds*
Max deceleration: -1.204g*
Decibel at idle (/sport mode): 47/51*
Peak decibel at 60-100km/h: 83*
Starting price: $57,990
*Figures as tested by Driving Enthusiast on the day. Manufacturers’ claims may be different
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: How much does it cost?
The Cupra Leon VZ retails from $57,990 (excluding on-road costs). It is $8800 more than the base V, $3700 less than the plug-in hybrid VZe, and $7700 less than the top-spec VZx.
Sharing the same engine and platform, the Volkswagen Golf GTi is cheaper, starting from $56,090. And then you have the BMW 128ti from $61,900. Audi does not offer a close midrange sporty engine – the closest spec would be the 140kW A3, from $57,700.
All Cupras come with the industry average five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty and five years of complimentary road-side assistance. Servicing is required every 12 months or 15,000km, and it comes with a free pick-up and drop off concierge service when carried out at a Cupra service centre. You can pre-purchase a three-year service plan for $990 or a five-year plan for $1990.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Interior & packaging
Starting with the interior, the Leon makes its mark with a strikingly attractive space that is spotted with copper highlights. Surfaces are broken up into a quite a few different looks, including carbon fibre, dotted leather wrapping, smooth plastic, glossy plastic, and dark bushed chrome surroundings. This gives off a sporty and rugged vibe. At night, the space is energised further with wrap around ambient mood lighting.
You also pick up a strong sense of tech emphasis from the sharp, high-res 10-inch centre touch-screen and fully digital 10.25-inch instrument cluster. They are both customisable with different layouts, and the cluster offers car info not usually displayed, like a compass and current oil temp. The centre screen has the handy wireless Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay.
To our dislike, most air-con controls are all integrated into the screen, making it a bit more cumbersome to change frequented settings. There are air-con temperature up/down buttons under the screen. But they do not light up at night, meaning you can only use them during daylight unless you want to play guessing games. They’re not mechanical buttons either, so you can’t feel for them in the dark.
With regards to interior space and comfort levels, it feels more like sports-oriented environment as the front seats feature heavily bolstered side chunks, which are good during fast cornering. The space around you is adequate in both the front and rear, though, the footwell space in the front is tight. The centre console is small, but we love that rear air vents are squeezed in. We also feel there needs to be a grab handle in the door armrest to make it easier to open and close from the inside. Further back, boot space is generous for the small hatch market, with 380 litres on offer, or 1301L when the split/fold seats are lowered.
As for the exterior design, the Leon certainly exhibits a sporty intent. A beautifully proportioned, athletic hatch. Contours are chiselled sharply, and bright LED lighting that traces around the acute headlight angles exaggerates the aggressive stance. Even though the Leon shares the same platform as the Golf, it looks nothing like it. We love the stern LED light strip that bridges the rear light units to create a sense of stability and width. You also get illuminated scuff plates to remind you what you are driving, dual exhausts, a rear diffuser, and spectacular 19-inch matt black and brushed metal alloy wheels.
All Leon variants receive the usual safety and tech features of today’s standards. Standouts are side door exit warning, automated steering parking assistance, multi-zone climate control that includes rear seat controls (we haven’t seen this before in any hatch, except the Golf), a heated steering wheel, auto-dipping side mirrors when reversing, and those illuminated scuff plates. But it misses out on 360-degree camera view.
You need to add a ‘Leather and Sound Package’ ($2550) to pick up an electronically adjustable driver’s seat with memory, partially leather seating, heated front seats, and a premium Beats nine-speaker sound system with subwoofer. The standard is a six-speaker sound system.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Powertrain & handling
So, the Leon talks the talk, but does it walk the walk? Well, beneath the bonnet lurks a 2.0-litre turbo engine that outputs a lavish 180kW and 370Nm, sent to the front wheels. Its performance on the road feels more exhilarating than the numbers suggest.
Maximum torque is available from as low as 1600rpm, so you never really need to rev it. But when you do, inevitably, the thrill only grows further. An official 0-100km/h sprint time of 6.4 seconds makes the Leon VZ a truly fun hatch to drive. Our tests revealed a time of 6.61 seconds on an average surface.
Exhilaration is reinforced with the use of a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, which has improved drastically from older-generation Volkswagen DSG gearboxes. You now get quick, decisive, and smooth transitions, with significantly less delay on take-off and under light acceleration. Even the engine start/stop feature is surprisingly quick. There is no conventional starter motor to keel over; the engine springs to life faster than you can move your foot from the brake to the accelerator.
The combination of it all working away feels particularly smooth, tight, and ready. As a driver, you receive a strong sense of commanding control, power and effortlessness the moment you turn on the engine. It is aspects like plentiful pulling power up hills, speedy take-off without the engine needing to rev, and the speed at which it changes gears and punches in action that makes the Leon VZ feel like this. Even the engine note is perfect. A sporty, low note that is noticeable, but not obnoxious.
Thankfully, that captivating performance does not come at a great cost in fuel. The official average has the VZ burning 6.7L/100km. During our week with it, we averaged a slightly higher 7.5L/100km. But as expected, it requires a minimum of the more expensive 95 RON petrol.
Being a small hatch with a sporty soul, good handling and comfort is a difficult balancing act if you want to spend every day with it. That’s where active dampers and dynamic chassis control come into the equation. The Leon VZ scores electronically controlled dampers that adapt to driving conditions and drive modes selected. You can also manually toggle between pre-set stiffness settings. The result is rigid dynamics for agile cornering and a liveable ride that is not too stiff for standard affairs, tackling bumps. It hangs on around corners brilliantly.
Further adding to that zesty feel is tight, nimble steering. The steering ratio is quick in tight corners, which gives it that energetic feel. Yet, the progressive electronic steering means that its sensitivity changes accordingly at higher speeds, allowing it to feel sturdier and centred on the freeway.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Key attractions/reasons to buy
- Performance that excites: Enough performance in the engine to thrill, but not too much to make it obnoxious or too expensive to live with every day.
- Active dampers: This gives the best of both worlds; agile handling and cabin comfort over bumps.
- Presents beautifully inside and out: Distinctive design is very unique, and copper highlights are a cool touch.
- Huge improvement in the wet dual-clutch auto: Quick and smooth transitions and take-off now with minimal delay.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Key considerations before you buy
- Price: Fractionally more expensive than the Volkswagen Golf GTi.
- Some anomalies related to practicality: Small centre console, air-con controls not lit up at night time, footwell space is tight, and needs a grab handle in the door armrests.
2024 Cupra Leon VZ: Video
How does it rate against its rivals?
- Price
- Quality look & feel
- Interior tech
- Powertrain performance
- Ride & handling
- X factor (does it stand out in its class?)
Final word
We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves during our week with the Cupra Leon VZ. It is a sporty hatch that is surprisingly liveable. That’s not to say it doesn’t excite when the pedal hits the metal. But it does so without being too over the top, or impractical.
Australia is lucky to get so many variants and powertrains in a market that is essentially fading out. But its cars like the Leon that we hope will keep sporty hatches alive and on the map for a while longer.
