1 Year Ago
Cupra wants to defy Australia's slow PHEV sales as more supply lands
Some 450 Cupra plug-in hybrids are landing in Australia, as the Spanish performance brand plugs its hybrid tech amidst slow industry uptake.
James Wong
About the Cupra Leon
Last updated Oct 23, 2024The 2023 Cupra Leon is classified as a 5 Door Hatchback currently on sale in Australia as part of the KU MY23 generation, starting from $40,100 MLRP for the V and topping out at $59,900 for the VZx.
There are 12 variants available for our market and the current year model went on sale in Jan of 2023. The Leon is built in Spain and is available with 2.0L Turbo Direct Fuel Injection, equipped with a 7 Speed Auto Direct Shift transmission with the drive sent to FWD. The Leon is offered with a 5 year, unlimited kilometre warranty.
Pros
- Handsome exterior design
- Interesting cabin, even in base model
- Impressive performance, with more mongrel
Cons
- Infotainment can be fiddly
- Faces off with some tough rivals
- Brembo brakes cost $3500
Cupra Leon Rating
Kia Cerato
Entry-level
Honda Civic
Best in class
Overall rating
8.4
7.5
8.9
Cupra Leon News
2023 Cupra Leon Reviews
New Cupra Leon deals
2023 Cupra Leon Dimensions
1475mm
1799mm
4398mm
The dimensions shown above are for the base model.
See all 2023 Cupra Leon Dimensions2023 Cupra Leon Boot Space
Boot space varies based on which model you choose. The VZe has just 270 litres because of the PHEV battery hardware, while the VZ and VZx up that to 380L.
2023 Cupra Leon Gallery
CarExpert High Resolution Photos of the Cupra Leon
View 50 images
2023 Cupra Leon Safety Rating
The Cupra Leon has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, which is based on Euro NCAP testing conducted in 2020.
It received an adult occupant protection rating of 91 per cent, a child occupant protection rating of 88 per cent, a vulnerable road user protection rating of 71 per cent, and a safety assist rating of 80 per cent.
Standard safety equipment across the Leon range includes:
- 10 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control
- Lane-keep assist with highway lane-centering
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Safe exit warning
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Reversing camera
2023 Cupra Leon Fuel Economy
The 2023 Cupra Leon has the following claimed combined fuel economy figures:
- V: 6.2L/100km
- VZ: 6.7L/100km
- VZe: 1.8L/100km
- VZx: 6.8L/100km
All Leon models require a minimum of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol except for the flagship VZx which requires 98 RON premium unleaded.
The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) Leon VZe has a claimed all-electric range of up to 60km.
See all Cupra Leon Fuel Economy
Cost of ownership
What is the running and servicing costs of a Cupra Leon?
All Cupra Leon’s need servicing every 12 Months months or 15,000km km, whichever comes first.
How does the 2023 Cupra Leon drive?
Our expert take on Cupra Leon drivability.
Each of the four Cupra Leon variants has a different powertrain.
The base V is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 140kW of power and 320Nm of torque. This is mated with a seven-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
The VZ also uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, but its engine produces 180kW and 370Nm.
The VZe mates a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, for total system outputs of 180kW and 400Nm. It uses a six-speed wet dual-clutch transmission.
Lastly, the VZx is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
All models are front-wheel drive.
The 100km/h sprint takes a claimed 5.7 seconds, but the quickest Leon feels faster than that in-gear.
2023 Cupra Leon Options
Options list for the Cupra Leon
You can find more details on all the options and inclusions across the Cupra Leon variants on the official website, and within the official Cupra Leon specifications page.
2023 Cupra Leon Colours
What colours are available for the Cupra Leon
The 2023 Cupra Leon is available in the following exterior paint finishes, depending on the trim level.
- Nevada White metallic
- Magnetic Tech metallic
- Midnight Black metallic
- Asphalt Blue metallic
- Urban Silver metallic
- Desire Red premium metallic
- Graphene Grey premium metallic
- Petrol Blue matte
- Magnetic Tech matte
Premium metallic paint finishes comprise Desire Red and Graphene Grey, and are a $475 option across the range. Desire Red isn’t available on the VZx.
Exclusive to the VZx is the option of matte paint ($2300), available in either Petrol Blue or Magnetic Tech.
2023 Cupra Leon Warranty
The 2023 Cupra Leon is covered by a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty.
Cupra also includes three years of free servicing.
2023 Cupra Leon vs other Small's to consider
The Cupra Leon's main competitors are listed below. All of these cars are in the Small category. Click compare to to see a feature list comparison of the Cupra Leon against your chosen competitor.
Should you buy the 2023 Cupra Leon
Is this the right car for you? Out experts buy or not guide.
There’s plenty of variety in the Leon range.
At the bottom end of the range, the upcoming Leon V shapes as a well-specced alternative to a VW Golf R Line or even a base Audi A3, while the Leon VZe plug-in hybrid fills one of the very few empty niches elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group Australia world.
The real excitement for enthusiasts lies in the VZx, though. It possesses almost all the polish of a Golf R or Audi S3, but features an extra dose of mongrel thanks to its front-wheel drive setup.
We’ll know more when we spend more time with the car, but based on our first road drive it’s going to be an interesting addition to the already crowded hot hatch market in Australia.
Cupra Leon FAQs
The cheapest Cupra Leon is the V that starts from $40,100.
The most expensive Cupra Leon is the VZx that starts from $59,900.
The best towing capacity of a Cupra Leon is 0Kg offered by the following variants
- V
- VZ
- VZe PHEV
- VZx
The largest Cupra Leon is the VZe PHEV which measures 1799mm wide, 4398mm in length and sits 1489mm tall.
The most powerful Cupra Leon is the VZx which has 221kW of power from its 2.0L Turbo Direct Fuel Injection engine.
The Cupra Leon is built in Spain and shipped to Australia.
The heaviest Cupra Leon is the VZe PHEV which weighs 2070 kg (kerb weight).
See full fuel information for Cupra Leon below:
| Variant | Fuel Type |
|---|---|
| VZe PHEV | premium unleaded/electric |
| VZe PHEV | premium unleaded/electric |
| VZe PHEV | premium unleaded/electric |
| VZx | premium unleaded petrol |
| VZx | premium unleaded petrol |
| VZx | premium unleaded petrol |
| VZ | premium unleaded petrol |
| VZ | premium unleaded petrol |
| VZ | premium unleaded petrol |
| V | premium unleaded petrol |
| V | premium unleaded petrol |
| V | premium unleaded petrol |