Cupra Leon 1.5 eTSI First Drive Review: Raising the Mercury

BARCELONA, Spain - The Leon exists as a SEAT Leon and a Cupra Leon. Only the latter will be offered in Singapore as SEAT is no longer officially represented here.

The Cupra Leon has traditionally been understood as the hot version, so it takes a little bit of adjustment here when it only packs a 150 PS 1.5-litre turbo under the bonnet.

It’s a respectable figure, but it’s nowhere near the performance of a VW Golf GTI or Golf R.

Instead, what it is could be explained as a higher-powered version of the Golf offered in Singapore. Currently, only the Cat A Golf is sold in Singapore, which means 129 PS.

So if you wanted more output but not a proper hot hatch, the Cupra Leon is it.

In fact, the Cura Leon offers more than meets the eye. It has a multi-link suspension setup at the rear, which is more premium than the Golf, Octavia and even the Audi A3 (all offered only with a torsion beam rear in Singapore).

In that regard, the Cupra Leon is the enthusiast choice of the lot.

The product suits the extrovert nature of the exterior, which comes with a shark nose, unusual paint colours, snazzy rims and premium lighting.

The interior is more conventional in the vein of the Terramar, but it is OK. It’s ergonomic and some materials do stand out.

What’s notable about the Cupra Leon is how sorted it feels on the road. Due to its compact dimensions, it has a penchant for agility and dynamism. It’s a joy to bring down a B-road, even though more power will be appreciated. You naturally want to go fast with it because it feels like totally under your control.

The car is extremely well-damped, but that’s also because the test car is fitted with Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC). There is a myriad of stiffness settings to choose from on a slider scale, an important option in my experience in VW Group cars to elevate the drive.

Unfortunately, Singapore-bound Leons will not be specified with DCC nor the Sennheiser sound system as standard.

That said, it is still an appealing package overall especially if you found its Group siblings too underpowered. Expect to pay a slight premium for the Cupra Leon versus the Golf R-Line, based on early indications on pricing. With the additional S$18k launch discount, it would be a good trade for power and sophistication if you don’t mind trying out a new brand.

Photos by James Wong

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