Cupra Leon First Drive: A Composed Brute

As an owner of a Mk2 SEAT Leon Cupra I've been looking forward to the reveal of the new Cupra Leon, the first new model to come out since Cupra has become its own brand. The badges may be new, but the formula is very similar. You have a sleek, but aggressive body which houses a 2.0 litre turbocharged four cylinder petrol engine, with power fed the to the front wheels. Sadly, the new model is DSG only, but at least it makes it faster.

With a power output of 300hp - the 4Drive estate gets 310 - and 400Nm, the Cupra Leon is able to hit 62mph in just 5.3 seconds, and the top speed, as you would predict, is limited to 155mph. This power is tamed by a 7-speed DSG and VAG's XDS system, which is an electronic diff.

How does it drive?

Turn the wheels a few yards and it's very clear this is a Volkswagen product. It's got that solid, assured feeling, and it feels very much like a Golf. For some that will be a bad thing, but for others that will be a good thing. You sit relatively low in the cabin on leather clad seats that hold you in the right places.

Pretty cool looking seats

Pretty cool looking seats

There are four driving modes to choose from; Comfort, Sport, Cupra or Individual, but accessing them isn't always easy as you need to navigate the touchscreen to get to them. Don't get me wrong, the infotainment system is very pretty to look at - although it can look a bit cluttered at times - but it isn't the most intuitive to use. In fact, as you will see in the video, I actually had to pull over so I could use more focus to find them! It would be better if there was a dedicated button as seen in the Golf GTI.

I do like a flat bottom steering wheel

I do like a flat bottom steering wheel

The brakes perform well and the steering has a positive action to it, so the car had already filled me with confidence as I entered the first tight corner on Millbrook Proving Ground's 'Hill Route'. It's not the most playful hot hatch going, although I suppose you wouldn't expect that from a VAG product.

Some good sounds, some not so good...

When in Cupra or Sport mode, you'll find an engine note that growls its way into the cabin, even though I think it's safe to say that is thanks to some audio trickery. It may be my ears, but the engine note in the cabin doesn't sound to far away from that produced by Audi's five-pot. However, on my short drive I found the sound was being interrupted by the beeping brought on by the autonomous emergency braking that seemed overly sensitive.

Not sure what I think of the alloys...

Not sure what I think of the alloys...

The 7-speed DSG works well and offers enough involvement to the driving experience, but one can wonder how the car would be if fitted with a 6-speed manual instead... You may wonder what the sounds are that aren't so good, well, it's the safety systems. Yes, it's great to have them, but like the Cupra Formentor and Audi S3 I had lately, the assistance systems can be too sensitive, and on my short drive there were plenty of bongs - quite annoying...

Final thoughts

As with previous versions of this car, this is the one to go for if you fancy a Golf, but want something that stands out from the crowd a bit more. The touchscreen is frustrating, and the lack of dedicated drive mode button - Golf GTI gets this - is annoying, but it looks better than the Golf, and is better value than an R, although it does without the 4Motion system.

View gallery image