Is this the must have hot hatch? Can the Cupra Leon tow? Maximum towing capacity. Need a Cupra Leon towbar?

Is this the must have hot hatch?  Can the Cupra Leon tow? Maximum towing capacity.  Need a Cupra Leon towbar?

Great looking, fast, extremely fun to drive and value packed with equipment.
The Cupra Leon is just a fabulous hot hatchback, giving the traditional competitors a run for their money. The Cupra is mechanically identical to the Golf GTI Clubsport, but gives a generally more sporty drive and superior styling. The Cupra offers more generous equipment than the VW for less cash. The car has been specially tuned by Cupra’s engineers to deliver a very well-judged balance between handling precision and ride refinement on the road - the choice is easy - test drive a Cupra and judge for yourself.

You can tell a lot of work has been put in by the engineers to fine-tune Cupra's hot hatch.  It just sounds great, its throttle response in the strongest modes is deliciously crisp, its gearshifts seem a little bit snappier than they are in a VW, and it simply has an extra acceleration when you want need it.

The designers went all out, starting with its distinct tribal logo.  You can tell it's a Cupra by its lower, meaner stance, bigger wheels with elaborate designs and lashings of copper detailing. There are also enlarged front grilles for a more aggressive face and sporty exhaust finishers.  There is a sports steering wheel, with a flat bottom, lots of synonymous copper stitching and very cool starter and drive mode buttons- like you'll see in supercars. Sports seats and unique screen displays also add to the hot hatch feel.

The Leon is one of the most practical hot hatches on offer.  The front seats have plenty of adjustment and the steering wheel also offers plenty of movement. Head, leg and elbow room are all great and the Cupra Leon’s sports seats keep you locked in position when cornering hard.
There’s loads of room for adults in the back, plus a good sized 380-litre boot - a nifty feature, press the Curpa Leon’s badge (which doubles as a boot release).  Keep in mind, with the VZe, the boot is downgraded to just 270L to accommodate the battery and electric motor of its plug-in hybrid system.  Unfortunately, no tow rating with the hatch, if you really want to tow have a look at the tow rated wagon.  Fortunately, you may fit our bike towbar and use a ball mounted bike carrier to take your bikes along on your next trip - rated up to 129kgs on the ball.

The Leon’s 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen has a unique user interface that takes a little time to learn. There are many ways to interact with HVAC settings, driver assistance settings and drive modes, none of which are tied to physical buttons.  Points to Cupra for allowing owners to drop a widget on the home screen to control fan speed for the air-con, and for making shortcut buttons prominent.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto feature, and the Apple system performs faultlessly. The optional nine-speaker sound system is probably worth the upgrade.

Ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch digital display that, in typical VW Group style, provides flawless interaction, including the option to display a full map with native navigation directions.  The digital cockpit is sharp and features unique graphics in keeping with Cupra’s sportier underpinnings.

For city dwellers, the Cupra Leon is a comfortable hot hatch for your everyday drive. With its optional adaptive dampers in their comfiest setting, the Cupra absorbs holes and bumps well and its automatic gearbox shifts through the gears quickly and smoothly. Plug-in hybrid models are particularly zen because you can drive around on silent electric power.  Easy to park in tight spaces as the Cupra Leon has a tight turning circle making it very manoeuvrable.

Out of the city and on winding roads, you can feel that you are in a quick and focussed hot hatch. Switch your Leon into sporty "Cupra" mode and the car’s optional adaptive dampers (with a massive 15 different settings) firm up to near-race-car levels and it can take corners almost completely flat, giving you the confidence to make full use of the car’s quick and direct steering.  Accelerate out of corners and you immediately feel the Cupra’s electronic differential adhering to the ground to give you lots of traction.  Cupra’s designers even thought about the brakes. Up front, you get big four-pot callipers that fuse the front discs like super glue.

For the Leon petrol range, the base V is the most economical consuming just 6.2 litres per 100km in official testing.  The VZ is thirstier at 6.7L/100km, while the VZx requires 6.8L/100km. The VZe plug-in hybrid meanwhile, can travel up to 60km thanks to a 12.8kWh battery, making its combined fuel consumption figure just 1.8L/100km. Without DC fast-charging capabilities though, the Leon VZe will need four-to-five hours of AC charging (maximum of 3.6kW) to go from zero to 100 per cent change.

The Cupra Leon scored five stars for safety when it was crash tested by Euro NCAP in 2020. Standard safety kit includes automatic emergency brakes – can detect vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians – and lane assist that can gently steer the car between the lines. Specify the optional Safety and Driving pack and you can add kit like auto-dipping headlights, active cruise control, blind-spot monitoring and Emergency Assist that can steer you around imminent accidents there’s no space to stop for. All models also come as standard with an alarm with an interior and tow-away sensor. 

If you are after a head-turning hot hatch, look no further. The 300hp version, gets from 0-100kms/h in just 5.7 seconds  Increase the practicality of your Cupra by fitting a bike towbar.  Order your Leon bike towbar today and enjoy taking your bikes along on your next weekend trip.