Cupra Leon

Having nearly satisfied with their works such as the Cupra Ateca, and the Cupra original vehicle, the Formentor coupe-crossover, it's about time Cupra made a hot hatch by taking the fourth-generation Seat Leon as their base for their latest masterpiece, the Cupra Leon, and by the looks and feels of it, this could be the Cupra car speedo boys are waiting for, well almost.

2021 Cupra Leon

2021 Cupra Leon Sportstourer

The first-ever Cupra Leon range follows the footsteps of the previous Seat Leon Cupra and by turning the fourth-generation Seat Leon into a Cupra-fied hot hatch, this is what the Cupra fans are demanding since the beginning of the Cupra brand. It's available in either a five-door hatchback, priced at 40,480 Euros plus additional costs, and the more spacious Sportstourer, priced at 41,080 Euros plus additional costs.

Those who are familiar with the fourth-generation Leon should have no problem about how they worked. The Tarraco-styled nose, stylish side view, rear lamps that look like it came from the Kia Sportage, minimalist interior that spells utter nonsense for speedo boys behind the wheel, seating for five people, more boot space for the Sportstourer, and wide array of ADAS such as DCC, ACC, Emergency Assist, Travel Assist, Side and Exit assist, and more. 

Yes, it's those familiar stuff that kept us familiarized with the fourth-generation Leon but since this is the Cupra Leon, the differences are all over. From its Cupra logo, wheels, and interior accents finished in its copper glory, beefed up exterior design, additional drive modes on the sat-nav for when you need it, and pretty much anything to differentiate it from the normal Seat Leon.

At the start, the Cupra Leon range features a modest e-Hybrid powertrain which combines the 150PS, 250Nm 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and a 85kW electric motor with 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack, making it capable of producing a total output of around 245PS of peak power and 400Nm of torque. That's about more power than a Toyota Altezza RS200 and by a long shot but now's not the time for comparison because with this PHEV powetrain mated to a DSG, it does 6.7 seconds and onwards to 225kph. That's modest performance for an eco car as well as its fuel efficiency which returns to about 1.4 l/100km on the combined WLTP scale.

The PHEV variant sounds nice but those who are demanding for the ultimate hot hatch should wait later this 2021 for the 2.0L TSi engine which produces 300PS of power (10PS more on Sportstourer 4Drive variant) and with the DSG mated, it can get out at 100kph in 5.7 seconds and electronically limited to 250kph.

Of course, being the Spanish answer to the Golf GTi, the Cupra Leon is as close to the hot hatch poster boy as you can get thanks to its enhanced chassis setup, the DCC, front MacPherson struts and rear multilink setup on the suspension, and Brembo brakes. For a front-wheel drive hot hatch, the Cupra Leon is as breathable to drive as breathable underwear you bought at the mall and then soiled by the time you had a blast with this Spanish GTi.

With the choice of a e-Hybrid and 2.0L TSi with over 300PS of power, not to mention the reworked dynamics that makes it hot hatch material, the Cupra Leon is the Cupra fans are waiting for, almost. Will you have one rather than Cupra's crossover siblings?

Photo: SEAT