When it arrives in Australia from July 2022, the new Cupra Leon hot hatch will take the fight to the Ford Focus ST and Hyundai i30 N, not to mention its Volkswagen Golf cousins.
Priced from $43,990 plus on-road costs for the entry-level Cupra V grade, which will arrive in Australia in the third quarter, the Leon range moves swiftly on to VZ and plug-in hybrid VZe grades while being capped by a 221kW Leon VZx range-topper priced at $64,990 driveaway.
The Cupra Leon will be available in petrol and petrol-electric hybrid forms
We’ve already covered in detail the local Leon range, including full specification for each model – but pricing is a new development.
The majority of the Australian Cupra Leon range – the VZ, VZe and VZx – will hit the ground in decent number in July 2022, with only the base V being delayed further.
Much like its larger sibling, the Formentor midsize SUV, all Leon models for Australia use a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine in various states of tune – with the exception of the plug-in hybrid, which blends a 1.4-litre turbo petrol with an 85kW electric motor.
All Leons have a wet-clutch DSG automatic transmission – with seven gears for the petrols and six for the plug-in hybrid – while all are front-wheel drive. No AWD model to directly compete with the Golf R or Audi S3 is available.
The Leon’s interior is dominated by a large touchscreen and, on the VZx, petrol blue trim
The slightly delayed Leon V model is priced at $43,990 before on-road costs and is expected to receive a national driveaway price closer to the arrival of the variant between July and September 2022.
Equipment is generous, though, with a 140kW/320Nm tune of the 2.0-litre ahead of 18-inch alloy wheels (with space-saver spare), full LED headlights, LED taillights, privacy glass, a spoiler, and metallic paint included.
Inside, the Leon V nabs cloth sports bucket seats, a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and satellite navigation. A black headliner, ambient lighting, and a leather steering wheel with paddle shifters are all standard, as are aluminium pedals and three-zone climate control.
On the safety front, the Leon V scores forwards and reversing AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, parking sensors, driver fatigue detection and a reversing camera.
You can tell a top-shelf VZx from its quad exhaust tips…
Options for the Leon V include a leather and sound package ($2450) that adds leather seating with heating for the front pews, plus driver’s electric adjustment and memory, as well as copper dash stitching and a nine-speaker, 350-watt Beats stereo. A sunroof is $1800, and the two premium colours (desire red and graphene grey) are $475.
Stepping up to the mid-tier Leon VZ – which arrives with the first batch of Australian cars in July – costs another $8600, at $52,590 ($56,990 driveaway), but upgrades the engine outputs to 180kW/370Nm to match two of its cousins: the Golf GTI, and the Skoda Octavia RS.
Equipment and options are shared with the Leon V, though the VZ scores 19-inch black/silver wheels to set it apart.
Much of the equipment is similar for the 180kW/400Nm Leon VZe, which pairs a 1.4-litre turbo petrol (110kW/250Nm) with an 85kW/300Nm electric motor. A small change is found in that the Beats stereo is unavailable for the plug-in hybrid, so the major option is simply the leather package ($2050) with leather, heated front seats, driver’s power adjustment and memory, and copper dash stitching.
…while the VZe plug-in hybrid has a charge port on its front left flank
The Leon VZe plug-in hybrid costs $59,990 before on-road costs, while driveaway pricing differs by state and territory: $62,990 (ACT), $63,990 (QLD), $64,990 (NSW, SA), $65,490 (VIC), and $65,990 (WA), while Tasmania and NT pricing will be annnounced soon.
Finally, the top-tier Leon VZx is a true hot hatch, with 221kW of power and 400Nm of torque from its uprated 2.0-litre engine. 19-inch copper/black wheels become standard, as does a body kit with a unique side skirt design and quad exhaust tips, plus a ‘Supersports’ heated leather steering wheel, petrol blue seats and dash, heated front seats, driver’s power adjustment and memory, and a nine-speaker, 340-watt Beats stereo.
The Leon VZx can be further specified with Brembo brakes ($3600), matte paint in petrol blue or magnetic tech ($2300), a power sunroof ($1800), or graphene grey premium metallic paint ($475).
Cupra Leon 2022: prices in Australia
All prices listed are before on-road costs.
- Leon V: $43,990 (driveaway pricing to be announced later)
- Leon VZ: $52,590 ($56,990 driveaway)
- Leon VZe plug-in hybrid: $59,990 (driveaway pricing varies by location)
- Leon VZx: $60,990 ($64,990 driveaway)