New Cupra Leon VZ review: Spanish brand’s most fun hot hatch yet
The new Cupra Leon VZ produces 320bhp with plenty of grip and agility
Verdict
With the new VZ, Cupra has finally given the Leon some teeth. The full-fat 320bhp four-cylinder engine paired with a relatively lightweight front-drive chassis is a new combination for the Cupra brand, and brings incredible levels of performance. The VZ is not the most talented hot hatchback in its class, but it is engaging, charismatic and fast. And if you’re after even more drama, an ultra-light TCR variant will be along shortly.
How much power is too much power for a front-wheel-drive car? This is the question I find myself asking when accelerating hard out of a tight, second-gear corner in the new Cupra Leon VZ. Packing a 320bhp punch from a tuned-up version of the standard car’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, it’s the most powerful front-wheel-drive Leon in the brand’s history – in fact, alongside the new Golf GTI Edition 50, it’s the most powerful front-wheel-drive car from the whole of the VW Group.
The Leon VZ’s 320bhp isn’t alone at this level, though, because Honda’s Civic Type R has a similar output in its current FL5 generation. However, these two hot hatchbacks couldn’t feel more different to drive.
High-grade engineering has been used on the Honda to counteract the forces generated by so much power going through the front wheels. Things like separating the dampers from the steering arms, dramatically widening the body, and fitting massive sticky Michelin rubber all help the Honda feel like a BTCC racecar. And the Leon? Not so much.
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From what we’re told, the VZ’s springs and adaptive dampers have been fiddled with, but that’s about it. Otherwise the car’s electronically controlled limited-slip differential, seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and 235-section Bridgestone Potenza Sport tyres are all identical to what’s used on lesser models.
It is nice to know, however, that colossal six-piston Akebono brakes are fitted as standard, as are a set of copper-finished 19-inch wheels and quad exhaust tips. As for styling add-ons, they amount to little more than a slightly bigger lip spoiler and some carbon-fibre mirror caps. A standard Cupra Leon is a rather underwhelming-looking thing; this new VZ is no different.
The VZ’s driving experience isn’t much changed from other Leon models either. But really concentrate, and you notice something different. At low speeds, the turbocharger seems less urgent than in a standard 296bhp VZ3 edition. It’s a little slower to react to opening the throttle, something only made more obvious by the transmission’s hesitancy to drop down the gears.
This is for good reason, though. A couple of quick taps on the Cupra button on the steering wheel puts the Leon VZ in a more vicious driving mode – totally changing the VZ’s character. Put your foot down and the engine’s more ambitious tune is apparent as the turbo builds up to a crescendo, just like turbos used to feel. The steering – which is now so much heavier that it feels under-assisted – then transmits how hard that front differential is working to keep all the excess power from spinning away.
Point the car’s nose into a corner, feel the grip – which isn’t particularly high considering this car’s straight-line performance – and you can’t just lay on the power and let the front wheels do the rest. Instead, you have to keep the engine on boost and meter out that performance. Yet this isn’t intimidating or annoying; in fact, it’s totally exhilarating. The VZ feels really fast when the turbos are singing.
All of this is underpinned by those superb brakes, and if all else fails, an excellent switchable traction control system. The VZ is rabid, feisty, and genuinely engaging. Even the cabin ergonomics are great – the carbon fibre-backed bucket seats grip you tightly, you sit nice and low in the cabin, and the placement of that driver-mode button, plus the large, round ESC control on the centre console, make going through the VZ’s Jekyll and Hyde transition an easy procedure.
As we’ve said, the Leon VZ doesn’t feel like a Honda Civic Type R, which impresses and flatters like the best sports cars, always feeling one step ahead. In comparison, the Cupra Leon VZ feels a little uncouth, but in the best possible way. As ultra-high-performance cars continue to get sanitised, whether that be through cutting-edge lag-proof turbochargers, or even just in the switch to hard-hitting EVs, the Leon feels like an old-school performance car, which is just how enthusiasts like it.
If we were to be picky, a few more visual cues to mark out the VZ’s inner demon would be a nice addition, but this understatement has its own appeal. Just at the point companies such as Cupra look to an electrified future, the last days of ICE-powered hot hatchbacks will bring with them a ‘throw caution to the wind’ mentality that will encourage the production of cars like these.
It’s just a shame Cupra will only build 1,500 VZs, because even at around £50,000 this feels like a hot hatchback worth fighting for.
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| Model: | Cupra Leon VZ |
| Base price: | £50,000 (est) |
| Powertrain: | 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol |
| Transmission: | Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, front-wheel drive |
| Power/torque: | 320bhp/420Nm |
| 0-62mph: | 5.4 seconds |
| Top speed: | 167mph |
| Fuel consumption/CO2 | 34mpg, 187g/km (est) |
| Size (L/W/H): | 4,398/1,799/1,444mm |
| On sale: | Q2 2026 |
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