CUPRA's “standard door” may even be the Formentor, the first model designed from scratch for the young Spanish brand, but there are many other points of interest in the CUPRA range, starting right at CUPRA Leon (formerly SEAT Leon CUPRA), which recently surrendered to electrification with the e-HYBRID versions.
These are two names — CUPRA and Leon — that have been hand in hand for many years and that have always been part of success stories. And they have a sporting DNA to defend, which goes back to the first CUPRA versions of the Leon in the early 2000s.
But after all these years — and now being part of an independent brand — and the arrival of electrification, are the CUPRA Leon's sports credentials still intact? we drive the van CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID and we have no doubts about the answer...
Contrary to the “rules”, which dictates that we talk first about the exterior image and then about the interior, I'm going to start by talking about the hybrid drive system of this CUPRA Leon, which is the same one we found in the SEAT Tarraco e-HYBRID that recently tested.
This system combines a 1.4-liter, four-cylinder 150hp TSI engine with an electric motor that “offers” 116hp (85kW) — both engines are front-mounted.
The electrical system is powered by a 13 kWh capacity Li-Ion battery pack that allows this CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID to claim a combined 100% electric range (WLTP cycle) of 52 km.
When combining efforts, these two engines allow a maximum output of 245 hp and 400 Nm of maximum torque (50 Nm more than in the SEAT Tarraco e-HYBRID).
Thanks to these numbers, the CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID needs just 7s to complete the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h and reaches a maximum speed of 225 km/h, values that are already very interesting.
And behind the wheel, does it look like a CUPRA?
The suspension of the CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID has its own set, very firm, which works very well when taking a section of curves with a regular tarmac. The counterpart of this firmness happens on floors in a worse condition, where it becomes uncomfortable, leaving this CUPRA Leon Sportstourer to bounce around too much.
Steering wheel has a very comfortable grip (just like the other CUPRA "brothers") and a button for quick access to driving modes.
On the other hand and when the two engines work together, I sometimes felt a lack of drive on the front axle and this is felt in the direction that, despite being communicative (it's progressive as standard in this version), could be slightly more precise and direct.
Of course, the 1717 kg that this version shows on the scale help explain part of what I told you above. Don't get me wrong, the CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID is a capable sports car, especially given its familiar features and the (generous) space it offers, both in the rear seats and in the luggage compartment.
The trunk "offers" a load capacity of 470 litres.
Accelerations and speed up are never a problem, but this extra ballast makes itself felt, above all, when it's time to “attack” some curves with the “knife in the teeth”, forgive me the most automobile slang. Mass transfers are more noticeable and we feel that the car is being pushed out of the corner, which naturally makes it less agile and precise.
The braking system also doesn't help when we adopt a sportier drive, more because of the feeling it conveys than its effectiveness in “cutting” speed.
This is because at first what we feel is just the regenerative braking system. Only then do the “real brakes”, that is to say, hydraulics, come into play, and the transition between the two affects the feel of the pedal. This is obviously something much easier to ignore in a SEAT Tarraco e-HYBRID than in a CUPRA.
But after all what do we gain with this hybrid version?
If the extra weight of the electrical system (electric motor + battery) makes itself felt and has a direct impact on the comfort, handling and dynamics of this CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID, on the other hand, it is precisely the electrical system that enables this CUPRA assert itself as a more versatile proposal and reach a wider range of customers.
Unlike other sports of its kind, the CUPRA Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID is able to give "cards" also in urban settings, where it uses the 13 kWh battery to claim more than 50 km in 100% electric mode.
Still, and considering the days I've spent with this model, it takes a good deal of patience and a very sensitive right foot — to manage the use of the accelerator — to get beyond the “emission-free” 40 km.
Unquestionable is the smoothness with which this model can “navigate” around the city, especially in “stop-and-go” scenarios, which, despite everything, manage to be much less “stressful” in electric mode.
Is it the right car for you?
If you're looking at this model just based on its sporting skills, I can already tell you that there are many other proposals that deserve your attention, starting right away with CUPRA Leon Sportstourer “non-hybrid”, with the same 245 hp, but approximately 200 kg lighter, offering sharper dynamics and a more efficient chassis.
But if, on the other hand, you are looking for a versatile van, capable of providing you with good times on a mountain road and at the same time “shine” in the “urban jungle” of everyday life, then the “story” is different.
It is capable of covering 40 km (at least) in all-electric mode, although after the battery runs out it is easy to walk above 7 l/100 km, a number that rises beyond the 10 l/100 km barrier when we adopt a much faster and… aggressive driving style.
And all without much harm to the volume of the luggage compartment and the interior space, which continue to respond very well to family requirements.
To this, obviously, we still have to “add” a distinct image that, despite being recent — CUPRA was only born in 2018 — is already emblematic.
It's impossible to drive a CUPRA on the road and not “pull out” some more curious eyes and this Leon Sportstourer e-HYBRID CUPRA van is no exception, not least because the unit I tested had the optional Magnetic Tech Mate Gray paint (costs 2038 euros) and with 19” wheels with a dark (matt) finish and copper details.