Car news, 30 Apr ’24: Cupra brings back the wagon to Australia with Leon Sportstourer, MG Cyberster could cost over $100K down under, and more

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Thanks for joining us this Tuesday April 30th 2024. Notably in car news today: Cupra Australia will keep the wagon love alive and will introduce the Leon Sportstourer in 2025, and MG announces UK pricing for its Cyberster sports car that could easily surpass $100,000 here in Australia.

Browse this issue:

• Cupra confirms it’s bringing the Leon Sportstourer wagon model to Australia 
• MG Cyberster officially costs Porsche 718 Boxster money in the United Kingdom
• Cupra Formentor and Leon gain facelift for 2025 
• Polestar and battery maker StoreDot charge Polestar 5 prototype in just 10 minutes 

Cupra confirms it’s bringing the Leon wagon to Australia   

• Cupra Australia has at last confirmed it will bring the Leon Sportstourer to our local market. 

• Effectively replacing the very-related Volkswagen Golf R wagon, the Sportstourer will be sold initially in a single, high-performance variant. A plug-in hybrid variant could join at a later stage, but is not yet confirmed. 

• The Sportstourer will be powered by Volkswagen’s venerable EA888 turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol engine, but power and torque has been cranked up to 245kW/420Nm, matching the outputs of the upcoming Audi S3 and Volkswagen Golf R.

• The Cupra wagon will also utilise the same trick torque-split rear differential, the same found in the current RS3 and upcoming S3 facelift.

• Expect more information regarding the Cupra Leon Sportstourer, including pricing, at a time closer to launch.   

MG Cyberster costs as much as Porsche 718 in the UK

• Pricing and specification for the highly-anticipated MG electric sports car, the Cyberster, has been announced for the United Kingdom … and it’s no budget electric car. 

• Priced at £54,995, or the equivalent of just over AUD$100,000, the Cyberster is around the same price as a £53,800 Porsche 718 Boxster in England.

• However, with the 718 platform going electric very soon, the Cyberster might just undercut the price of an electric Cayman or Boxster.  

• While Australian pricing is yet to be announced, MG Australia has confirmed that the electric convertible will be very limited in its local allocation. 

• MG Cybersters have already been spotted on Australian roads, with the local launch in the not-so-distant future. 

Cupra Formentor SUV and Leon hatch receive significant facelift for 2025 

@chasingcarsaustralia

Cupra Leon 2025 facelift revealed! One of the best hot hatches now has more power, a lot more range in the hybrid model, and a new wagon for Australia! #cupra #hothatch #cars

♬ original sound – Chasing Cars | Car Reviews

• Cupra has today globally revealed its facelifts for its Formentor SUV and the Leon hatch and wagon for 2025. 

• Due in Australia early in Q2 of 2025, both models receive new front and rear styling, revised LED light signatures, new interior screen tech, new Sennheiser audio, as well as more power and torque for the flagship variants. 

• Both Formentor and Leon wagon (also known as Sportstourer) will gain 245kW/420Nm outputs.

• Also new for Cupra in 2025 will be the addition of a new 110kW e-TSI mild-hybrid engine, as well as an updated plug-in hybrid drivetrain with a claimed electric-only range of 100 kilometres. 

• Cupra Australia will increase its local portfolio of cars from four to seven available models over the next 12 months, with highlights to include the Born VZ performance variant and the anticipated Terramar plug-in hybrid SUV. 

Polestar testing super-fast charging with 5 prototype

• Electric car manufacturer Polestar has been testing the capability of fast charging using the batteries from electric car battery producer StoreDot.

• Polestar officially charged its 5 prototype’s 77kWh battery between 10 and 80 percent in 10 minutes.

• The maximum charge rate seen during the test was a significant 370kW. It’s the first time a StoreDot battery pack has been tested outside of a lab. 

• Polestar’s chief executive officer Thomas Engenlath remarked that the charging experience was akin to filling up a combustion car with petrol or diesel.

• The Porsche Taycan is one of the fastest charging electric vehicles in the market today, with the ability to charge up to 270kW DC.  

The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Wednesday 1st May at 4.30pm Sydney time.