Fledgling performance brand Cupra has expanded its line-up with the Cupra L/car-news/new-cars/cupra-leon-ehybrid-plug-hot-hatch-priced-%C2%A334495eon hot hatchback, its first model to be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Based on the fourth generation of the Seat Leon, it is the first Leon to wear the Cupra badge and will be available as both a five-door and an estate, with a selection of petrol engines as well as a PHEV variant.
The Cupra Leon e-Hybrid plug-in pairs a 1.4-litre, 148bhp petrol engine with a 113bhp electric motor and 13kWh battery pack, for a combined 242bhp and 295lb ft of torque. It is capable of a WLTP-tested 37 miles of electric range and 217.3mpg on the combined cycle, with CO2 emissions at 30-31g/km. Prices for the electrified variant begin at £34,495 for the hatchback and £35,525 for the estate, with deliveries set to begin by the end of 2020.
The standard Cupra Leon uses the tried-and-tested 2.0-litre turbocharged ‘EA888’ TSI petrol engine in both hatchback and estate guise. A more powerful 306bhp variant is exclusive to the Cupra Leon Estate, which also gets 4Drive all-wheel drive. All versions use a dual-clutch DSG automatic gearbox and feature an electric limited slip differential. Suspension is by MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear, with adaptive damping adjusted via four user-selected drive modes.
Indicative prices for the pure petrol options - available to order in early 2021 - project a £31,450 starting price for the 242bhp car and £35,000 for the 296bhp option. Official prices for the 306bhp range-topper will be released within the next two months.
A larger front splitter, expanded air intakes, roof spoiler and Cupra badging set the Cupra Leon apart from the Seat on which it is based. It has a 3mm lower roofline, sits lower to the ground (25mm on the front axle, 20mm on the rear), and gets a bespoke exhaust - twin tailpipes for the 242bhp engine, and quad pipes for more powerful variants. All models have full LED headlights, plus a rear LED lightbar that stretches across the entire width of the tailgate. It rides on 18in alloy wheels as standard, but can be optioned with 19in alloys and uprated 370mm Brembo brakes.
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Forget Cupra, just buy the Seat
The Cupra brand is a complete wate of time if it is just a re-badged Seat with a few extra trim bits.
I have never been convinced about the logo or the coppery bits either, so forget Cupra and just buy the Seat Leon e hybrid which is cheaper anyway.
I am not one to usually be
I am not one to usually be too bothered about interiors, but that just looks nasty.
Styling subjective
Does it really matter what the wheels, or light clusters look like? The fundamentals are that this hybrid has a lot of power and torque, but it's going to be expensive and almost certainly very heavy given the sizable battery. And it's built by a company most people have never heard of and hasn't exactly got a track record of success in the UK.
After sveral decades of establishing the SEAT brand as a slightly cheaper more sporty and stylish alternative to the parent VW it seems a bit daft to establish a new, similar brand.