LEON · VANTAGE ROADSTER · A110 SPORTSX
The emissions crackdown means your new hot hatch might have to go hybrid to survive. Seat – sorry – Cupra is first out of the blocks
It’s the newest hot hatch on the block. And – guess what – it’s a hybrid. Plus a roofless Aston and an Alpine with a sexy name
Ahot hatch should be all things to all people. Sporty, practical, safe, affordable, chuckable… and economical? Traditionally, that’s where a hot hatchback’s biggest compromise elbows its way in. But what if your hot hatch was also a plug-in hybrid? Silent electro-running for the school gates, turbocharged fury for when school’s out. Enter the new Cupra Leon eHybrid. The best of all worlds, and best for the world, surely?
Seat’s sporty racing offshoot hasn’t invented this idea. The old Mk7 Golf had a GTE version, and VW’s already confirmed it’ll be back for the Golf VIII. Seat’s old Leon Cupra didn’t get a look-in at the PHEV gubbins, so this time it’s bolted early.
Powering the deliciously Eighties low-drag aero wheels is a 1.4-litre turbo 4cyl engine, good for 148bhp and 184lb ft. Towards the back, there’s a 13kWh lithium-ion battery, which powers a front-mounted 113bhp e-motor. Together, these sources Megazord together to bump out 242bhp and 295lb ft. So, if you’re being unkind, it’s a Passat GTE powertrain with a bit more zip. If you’re not, then this is a hot hatchback with equal torque to the monstrous Honda Civic Type R, but capable of a claimed 37 miles of zero-emission electric running, after a six-hour household-socket recharge.
A company car special, then? You bet. You get the same looks – dubious rose-gold tailpipes excepted – as the solely petrol Cupra Leon, but sub-50g/km official emissions. Here’s hoping that Cupra’s done a better job than VW managed with the Golf GTE to stop battery heft unsettling the handling.
If it has, this Cupra could revolutionise, nay, single-handedly save the future of the hot hatchback. And the fast wagon, since you can also buy this Cupra eHybrid as an estate.
If it can’t… well, there’s plenty of super-Leons powered exclusively by petrol to choose between. First off, there’s the one we’ll cheekily call ‘Leon GTI’. It’s got a 2.0-litre engine, no electric drive and – oh, what a coincidence – 242bhp. Exactly the same as the eHybrid. Torque is 23lb ft down on the plug-in version, but we’d expect it’ll have a serious weight advantage.
That’s the entry-level one, then. And a fairly sizeable nudge-wink hint of what numbers we can expect from the new Golf GTI.
Need more speed? There’s also a 296bhp version incoming. Like the base car, it’s front-wheel drive and only sold with a seven-speed DSG paddleshift gearbox in the middle. No manual? Surely it can’t be the quintessential hot hatch, then? We’ll leave that to keen drivers on internet forums to decide.
Top of the Cupra tree is a 4WD, 306bhp Leon. Welcome to the new VW Golf R, with a Cupra badge, right? Well, not quite. For a start, the next super-Golf is rumoured to have even more power, because hierarchy demands it. Secondly, this 306bhp Leon is only sold as an estate. It’s Spain’s shrunken RS6, folks.
Wading through the brochure trying to pin down the exact model you’re after may be a challenge. Happily, there’s a slug of kit on board. Meaty 370mm Brembo brakes. Standard LED lights front and rear. Sportier seats. Lower, stiffer suspension. Keyless entry/start. Inside, there’ll be a digital instrument set-up and – like the new Golf – a big touchscreen atop worryingly teeny climate-control toggles.
The old Seat Leon Cupra was a subtly brilliant car – it didn’t look like a stealth bomber, but it went like stink and could outpoint a fast Golf or A3 for less money. This fleet of replacements is trying harder to get noticed, with its electric drive and coppery highlights. Strangely enough, you can decide not to spec either. Funny, that...
“YOU GET THE SAME LOOKS AS THE SOLELY PETROL CUPRA LEON, BUT SUB-50G/KM CO2”