The new CUPRA Leon – the latest addition to the CUPRA range made its world debut on Thursday 20 February at the CUPRA Garage in Martorell.
The live unveil showcased the five-door, estate and racing versions: the CUPRA Leon Competición and the CUPRA e-Racer.
If you missed it, you can watch it here.
The world premiere was the perfect opportunity to mark the official opening for the new CUPRA headquarters (also known as) CUPRA Garage. It was also announced that CUPRA has signed FC Barcelona goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen as new global ambassador
The five-door and estate
The five-door and estate are kitted with standard equipment including full LED front and rear lamps, rear coast-to-coast lighting, bucket seats, sports suspension, keyless entry and ambient lighting.
This latest iteration offers an outstanding driving experience, mixing sportiness and sophistication in its exterior and interior design. The new vehicle also boasts a highly connected, digitalised user experience and the integration of some of the most advanced driver assistance systems available.
The 2.0 litre TSI petrol engine is available in 245PS, 300PS and 310PS (exclusively available for the estate) power outputs to deliver real on-the-road performance. With an electrified 245PS plug-in hybrid variant also available, performance doesn’t come at an environmental cost in the new CUPRA Leon.
The CUPRA Leon not only offers on-road performance but also provides a level of connectivity not seen in CUPRA vehicles until now. So, whether it’s bringing your smart device into the vehicle cabin, or accessing vehicle-specific online services, the CUPRA Leon is the intersection between the road and connectivity.
Powertrain: performance and future-proofed
The new CUPRA Leon offers a range of performance-orientated petrol engines, with electrified options in the form of a plug-in hybrid system, so customers can choose the vehicle that best suits their needs.
High-performance plug-in hybrid (eHybrid)
Available in both hatchback and estate variants, the CUPRA Leon high-performance eHybrid has a 150PS (110kW), 250Nm 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, a 115PS (85kW) electric motor, and 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack. Together these provide 245PS (180kW) of peak power and 400Nm of torque.
CUPRA Leon eHybrid has an electric-only range (WLTP) of up to 37 miles to silently travel through streets or through city centres. When the battery needs recharging, it can be done in as little as 3.5 hours using a 3.6kW AC wall box (or six hours from 230V domestic socket). Thanks to the efficiency of the plug-in hybrid powertrain technology, CO2 emissions will be below 50g/km (WLTP).
TSI petrol
The new CUPRA Leon is also available in a selection of turbocharged, direct-injection petrol units. Customers can choose either the 245PS (180kW) and 370Nm or the 300PS (221kW) and 400Nm variant. Both versions are front-wheel drive, available in both five-door and estate body styles.
The most powerful engine in the line-up is the 310PS (228kW)/400Nm 2-litre TSI turbocharged petrol engine, found exclusively in estate. The new CUPRA Leon can accelerate from 0-62mph in less than five seconds (4.8 seconds) and on to an electronically-limited top speed of 250km/h (155mph).
Chassis: unparalleled ride and handling
The CUPRA Leon’s electronic power assisted steering (EPAS) system is the most progressive yet, accurately translating driver inputs to the road and connecting the driver to the conditions with immediate feedback through the steering wheel.
The car’s dynamics can be changed to suit the tastes of whoever is in control through the four different driver profiles: Comfort, Sport, CUPRA and Individual. These profiles change the vehicle’s character, from daily drive to performance-focused hot hatch.
In the most powerful estate variant the performance is controlled by the 4Drive all-wheel drive system. The latest generation of the electro-hydraulic multi-disc traction system delivers power to all four wheels (whichever has the most traction) in a controlled manner to maximise traction and performance.
Exterior Design: Evolving performance
The new CUPRA Leon is available in five metallic paints: Candy White, Magnetic Tech, Midnight Black and Urban Silver and two special finishes: Desire Red and Graphene Grey. There are also two exclusive matte paint options: Magnetic Tech Matte and Petrol Blue Matte.
It comes exclusively with CUPRA-specific 19-inch alloy wheels – available in black/copper or black/silver finishes – that house the copper-coloured Brembo brakes. The 245PS variant CUPRA Leon features 18-inch alloy wheels as standard.
“The CUPRA Leon’s design is the result of the combination between athletic physiognomy and striking elegance; both are necessary and complimentary in a car like this.” said Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, Director of Design at SEAT/CUPRA. “Smooth flowing lines and well-trained muscles reflect perfectly the way it drives on the road: pure fun, just impossible to resist.”
At the rear the coast-to-coast lights deliver a visual focus, while the two dual exhausts (two individual on 245PS variants), a diffuser and spoiler adds to its sporty look.
Interior design: Refinement, comfort and convenience
Before you step into the cabin, the puddle light projects a CUPRA logo down on the floor.
Inside the cabin, the driver gets sporty bucket seats as standard and looks forward to a CUPRA steering wheel, which houses the engine start and driver mode selection button, and an interactive digital driver display.
There’s a large central 10-inch infotainment touchscreen that reduces the button count. This look is further accentuated by the vehicle’s compact DSG shifter.
The interior of the new CUPRA Leon gives greater space to front and rear occupants thanks to the vehicle’s greater dimensions. In the estate version, luggage space is increased by 30 litres, adding yet more appeal.
New CUPRA Leon: lighting technology
The CUPRA engineers and designers have used advanced lighting systems to provide dynamic styling. The full LED technology used in the headlights improves vision, making even the darkest road visible to the driver.
The vehicle’s side mirrors include integrated LED indicators and puddle lamps that greet the driver and passengers by projecting the CUPRA logo as you unlock your vehicle.
The new CUPRA Leon’s design is emphasised further with the inclusion of the rear coast-to-coast light design.
Connectivity: never lose touch
CUPRA’s engineers and designers have integrated systems that ensure customers will stay connected to their high-performance hatch.
The digital driver binnacle (Digital Cockpit) is joined by a standard 10-inch infotainment system that incorporates retina display and offers 3D online navigation, as well as integrating voice and gesture control. The system combines SEAT’s Full Link system making it compatible with both Apple CarPlay (wirelessly) and Android Auto. Users need only plug their phone into the vehicle using the USB connection or connect via Bluetooth to access their eco-system of apps.
Voice recognition in the CUPRA Leon allows users to interact with the infotainment system using natural language and commands, making corrections and referencing previous commands. The next level of connectivity is being made available to Leon customers with the introduction of the SEAT Connect app.
The built-in eSIM delivers the eCall service, which directly contacts emergency services should an incident occur, adding yet another level of safety to the vehicle.
Safety: maximising protection
CUPRA also incorporates a suite of safety and convenience technologies such as
Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC). It uses feeds from GPS data delivered from the navigation system and from the front-mounted camera and Traffic Sign Recognition, allowing it to adjust the cruise speed.
When the road becomes more congested Traffic Jam Assist takes the stress out of driving. This technology helps maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front, staying in lane (based on road markings) and, with Lane Assist Plus, keeps the car in the centre of the lane.
If the vehicle senses that the driver has taken both hands off the wheel for more than 15 seconds, they will receive audible and visual warnings. A braking jolt can be given. If the driver continues to fail to respond, the Emergency Assist 3.0 system can bring the Leon to a complete stop.
Blind Spot Detection alerts the driver to another vehicle in their blind spot when on the motorway (the wraparound LED light flashes yellow).
Our super racing models
CUPRA is set to take the racetrack by storm with its all-electric CUPRA e-Racer and CUPRA Leon Competición touring race car.
CUPRA e-Racer
Electric powertrains are at the core of CUPRA’s racing strategy, and the brand’s engineers have developed the first E-TCR (electric touring car racer).
The CUPRA e-Racer is one of the world’s first all-electric racing touring car. A liquid-cooled 65kWh battery pack provides power to four, single-speed motors to deliver 680PS (500kW) of peak power and 960Nm of torque to the track. This sees the e-Racer accelerate from standstill to 62mph in just 3.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 169mph.
Aerodynamic design has sculpted the shape of the CUPRA e-Racer. A lower and wider stance provides both mechanical and aero stability in the corners.
From 2021, the E-TCR championship, a race series designed specifically for electric touring cars, will take place. The format, race duration and driver, team and fan experience will highlight how different pure electric racing competitions are, emphasising the intensity and excitement the technology can produce.
CUPRA Leon Competición
Whether you want to compete in TCR series around the world or Endurance racers the Cupra Leon Competición has been engineered to compete no matter what the track throws at it.
Based on the new road-going CUPRA Leon, reinforcing the link between the road and the track, the CUPRA Leon Competición incorporates revised bodywork that brings significant aerodynamic efficiency improvements to increase downforce.
The heartbeat of the Competición race car is a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine that produces 340PS (250kW) at 6,800rpm and 410Nm of torque across the rev range. This engine is linked to a six-speed sequential racing transmission and can reach zero to 62mph in just 4.5 seconds and on to a top speed of 162mph.
A full kinematic geometry in both axles that use lightweight components better distributes weight and a CUPRA racing-specific electronics architecture reduce weight, is more robust, customisable and modular.
The CUPRA Leon Competición is available to pre-order online – the first touring race car to offer this service. All pre-booked race cars will be delivered exclusively at CUPRA’s headquarters from April.
CUPRA is at the centre of the TCR and E-TCR race series, developing vehicles specifically to compete in both categories, and is a core creator of both combustion and electric powertrains.