2026 Cupra Leon S review

Cupra – a Spanish subsidiary of Volkswagen – has attracted a small but loyal following in Australia since it arrived in 2022.

Its top seller has been the Formentor compact SUV, but about 1400 Aussies have sprung for the Leon – a sporty hatchback based on the Volkswagen Golf and its high-performance derivatives.

It was given an overhaul in late 2025, adding more aggressive styling, a higher-quality and better-equipped interior, and the option of a wagon body style.

Cupra has also overhauled the model grades available, dropping the entry-level 2.0-litre V and VZ hatchbacks, and introducing a new S entry-grade model with a smaller engine and efficiency-optimised mild-hybrid technology.

However, at more than $50,000 drive-away, is the new Leon S worth nearly $10,000 more than the cheapest Volkswagen Golf?

The new Cupra Leon S hatchback is priced from $46,990 plus on-road costs, or $50,990 drive-away nationwide, before options and premium paint.

Despite a smaller engine and less power, it is $1800 more than the old Leon V, though it gains heated front seats, a power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory, 'Dinamica' suede-like upholstery (rather than cloth), and equipment added to other Leons, such as a larger 12.9-inch touchscreen and front cross-traffic alert.

Model Year 2026 (MY26) Leon builds also include speed sign recognition and gloss black exterior accents, rather than gloss grey. The vehicle pictured is an MY25 example.

Standard features otherwise include 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 10.25-inch instrument display, wireless phone charging, a heated leather steering wheel, keyless entry and start, tri-zone climate control, and a full suite of safety assists, plus automatic parking.

Available as an option – and fitted to this test car – is the $2200 Leather and Sound Package, which adds leather seats, a power-adjustable front passenger seat, and 12-speaker Sennheiser premium audio. It brings the as-tested drive-away price to $53,190.

It pushes what is an entry-level car from a relatively niche brand into big-name price territory.

A Volkswagen Golf R-Line is $48,690 before on-road costs (or currently $51,990 drive-away), the most expensive Mazda 3 is $43,310 before on-roads (or about $48,000 drive-away in NSW), and a flagship Honda Civic hybrid is $55,900 drive-away nationwide.

It is getting close to an Audi A3 – with the same engine and footprint, but a prestige badge – which starts at $54,800 plus on-roads, or close to $60,000 drive-away.

Resale value can be tricky to predict, but Cupra does not have the same sales or badge cachet as Mazda, Volkswagen, or even Audi, and it has shown a willingness to gut prices by up to $17,600 to clear old stock.

Cupra’s in-house finance offering includes a guaranteed future value program that places a minimum on how much the car will be worth at the end of its lease, but to an extent, customers still pay for lower-than-average resale value through higher repayments.

Cupra has not redesigned the Leon’s interior, but it has addressed aspects of the predecessor's cabin that needed updating, given the price it was charging.

The tech upgrades are the most noticeable – which I’ll detail in the next section – but there are also more expensive-feeling materials, with soft leather-like trims added to the tops of the doors, as well as where your knees rest on the sides of the centre console.

Other small tweaks – a more interesting pattern for the silver dashboard accent, and copper and silver highlights on the centre console, around the toggle-switch gear selector – help to lend the interior a higher-quality feel, and one that feels like a $50,000 car.

The front sports seats are excellent, with firm padding but still great comfort on longer drives, backed by loads of support both in corners and under your thighs. Heating and driver’s side position adjustment, lumbar, and memory are standard, with a power passenger seat optional.

Plush leather upholstery is optioned in this test vehicle, while the sliding and tilting centre armrest helps comfort, albeit at the expense of one of the cupholders.

The steering wheel has the same supple leather-wrapped rim and clicky controls, but it’s great to see even the base model now gets the cool engine start and drive mode ‘satellite’ buttons previously exclusive to the flagship grade.

It has opened a spot on the centre console that Cupra has elected to fill with a button to disable the traction control – something intended to lean into the Leon’s sporty character, but we think it would be better served in a 1.5-litre hatchback by, say, a volume knob.

The touch-sensitive volume and air temperature sliders below the touchscreen are now illuminated, and there are climate-control shortcuts pinned to the bottom of the display, but adjusting fan speed still requires an additional tap into the screen.

Storage space is respectable, with a big glovebox, two cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and slots around the gear selector for coins, parking tickets, or the key fob, but the under-armrest centre console box is a little small.

Amenities include a single wireless phone charger, two USB-C ports, a 12-volt socket, keyless entry/start, a heated steering wheel, tri-zone climate control, and ambient lighting that wraps around the dashboard and can display indicators and blind-spot warnings.

Space in the rear seats is generous for a small hatchback. At 186cm (6ft 1in) tall, I can sit behind my driving position with a few centimetres of knee room to the seatback, as well as plenty of toe room, and ample head room, though anyone taller than me may struggle.

The Leon is best used as a four-seater, as shoulder room with three rear passengers is tight, and there’s a wide tunnel on the floor for the centre occupant to straddle. The wide-backed front seats also hinder forward visibility.

Amenities in the rear include air vents, a temperature adjustment panel, dual map pockets, two USB-C ports, a fold-down armrest with cupholders, bottle holders in the doors, and two ISOFIX plus three top-tether anchors for child seats.

Once you’ve found the boot release – now on the right side of the tailgate, just under and beside the tail-light –  you will find a cargo area that’s slightly smaller than the outgoing model (344L vs 380L), but still on par with its peers in the small hatch class.

It is roomy enough for suitcases, shopping, and most day-to-day items a hatch would be expected to carry, aided by a 60:40 split-folding rear seat – plus a ‘ski port’ hatch – for more room, but there is a large load lip to haul heavy items over.

Aside from a light and a few bag hooks, the boot is light on amenities, and optioning the Sennheiser premium stereo places a subwoofer where the space-saver spare wheel normally goes, subbing in a puncture repair kit instead.

Standard in the latest Leon is a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, in-built satellite navigation, Bluetooth, voice control, and digital radio, but no support for remote phone-app connectivity.

The screen is bigger and brighter than the outgoing 12-inch display, it’s quicker to respond to inputs, and the software is easier to use, with the climate controls now pinned to the bottom of the screen (not the top).

There’s a handful of customisable shortcut icons at the top of the display that can be set to vehicle settings, Apple CarPlay, and other commonly used applications.

Cupra’s version of this software has bigger, easier-to-tap icons than in Volkswagen and Skoda cars, but the bright colours and bold shapes might be a little kitsch for some buyers’ tastes.

Wireless Apple CarPlay worked well in our testing, with an occasional dropout, but never one that could not be fixed without just tapping the CarPlay icon on the screen.

The 10.25-inch instrument display is very customisable, with a choice of layouts, including a sporty central tachometer, and a wide array of information available to be presented.

The 12-speaker Sennheiser premium stereo is a marked improvement over the nine-speaker Beats audio in the outgoing Leon – as well as, if testing of the previous Leon is a guide, the base six-speaker audio – and delivers clear and punchy sound.

The Cupra Leon is covered by a five-star ANCAP safety rating, but it has not been extended to the new 1.5-litre mild-hybrid S, as it is a carryover from the pre-update model.

Even if it had, the score dates back to 2020 – when the Cupra’s donor vehicle, the Seat Leon, went on sale in Europe – so the rating is due to expire at the end of 2026.

For context, though, the Leon earned 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 88 per cent for child occupant protection, 71 per cent for vulnerable road user protection (pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists), and 80 per cent for safety assist technology.

Those ratings are based on 2020–2022 test protocols, which are less stringent than current 2026, and just-replaced 2023–25 criteria.

The Leon’s broad range of advanced safety systems, as with other cars in the Cupra range, work intuitively and without annoyance.

Lane-keep assist is not too intrusive, lane-centring assist is smartly calibrated so as to hold the middle of the lane without bouncing between the white lines or straying over them, and the attention warning does not chime at the driver unnecessarily.

This test vehicle is a Model Year 2025 build, so the jury is still out on how the speed-sign recognition system will perform in the real world. We'll be able to test this with another car soon.

There are some weaknesses, however. The blind-spot alerts cannot prevent collisions, only detect them, there is no 360-degree camera, and the resolution of the rear-view camera Cupra has fitted is poor.

As for ‘passive’ safety, there are 10 airbags, including coverage for the torsos of rear passengers in side-impact collisions.

The Cupra Leon is covered by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty for privately used vehicles, accompanied by five years of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are set every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first, and the prices of each are capped for the first six dealer visits, though they are subject to change over the life of the car, and are not fixed from the day you take delivery.

Prepaid servicing is the least expensive option, priced at $990 over three years/45,000km, or $1990 over five years/75,000km.

A year of comprehensive insurance coverage with a leading provider is quoted at $2403, based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Cupra claims fuel consumption in the Leon S of 5.4 litres per 100 kilometres, down from 6.2L/100km in the outgoing, 2.0-litre Leon V entry-grade model.

Over a few hundred kilometres of testing – across a mix of city traffic, suburban driving, some time on the motorway, and a winding road – the trip computer displayed 6.7L/100km.

In calmer 70 to 80km/h driving on tollways and major suburban roads – when the mild-hybrid system allowed the engine to coast – we saw indicated consumption in the low 5.0L/100km range, while city driving was closer to an indicated 7.5 to 8.0L/100km.

It equates to a range between fills of about 600km to 900km depending on how and where it is driven.

As with most European cars sold in Australia, a minimum of 95-octane premium unleaded petrol is required for the base Leon’s 45-litre tank.

The less powerful Leon S has not forgotten the sporty character that Cupra prides itself on, but its smaller engine places more emphasis on talent in corners than on the straights.

The new 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder is not a powerhouse when pushed to its limit, but it is sufficient for the size and weight of the car, and offers more than enough punch for daily duties.

The seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is also a slick operator, with quick and crisp shifts on the move, both from its regular automatic modes, but also the plastic shift paddles behind the steering wheel.

There is some hesitation from a standstill, as well as modest rollback when at parking speeds, before the clutches catch the car’s movement – attributes you won’t get in a Volkswagen Golf, which does not use a dual-clutch transmission – but neither is excessive.

However, the engine and transmission combination make for noticeable lag at low RPM. It takes a few moments after touching the accelerator for the turbocharger to spin up, the engine to gain steam and, if needed, the gearbox to downshift.

The Leon S ‘mild hybrid’ is not a true hybrid – as it cannot drive on electric power alone – but there is a tiny electric motor that can provide subtle assistance under acceleration, or switch the engine off when coasting or stopped to save fuel.

Outside of an emissions lab test, the benefits are difficult to feel. There’s no appreciable improvement in power or response, and while it will switch the engine off when you let off the throttle, even tapping the brakes to slow down – when you definitely don’t need power – will fire the engine back up again.

On test, there were also moments where the engine would stay off while decelerating, yet as soon as the car comes to a halt, it turns back on as it has depleted its small battery.

Sporty suspension makes for a taut ride over bumps. It is not exceptionally stiff or harsh for our tastes, but it is not as supple as a VW Golf, for example, and the rear suspension – a less advanced, non-independent ‘torsion beam’ design – can crash over some big bumps.

It pays off at higher speeds, where the Leon is settled and sure-footed over undulations, and apart from a quite noticeable amount of tyre roar, it is a calm and easy car to cruise in.

Winding roads are a favourite of the base-model Leon. It does not feel as light on its feet as some of its peers, but it turns into corners with agility, the Bridgestone Turanza tyres have a surprising amount of grip, there’s little body roll, and it inspires confidence.

Only the sharpest of mid-corner bumps can upset the suspension’s composure.

The steering is well weighted, designed such that it doesn’t feel nervous or twitchy just off the centre point, but builds speed and precision as you turn the wheel further into a bend.

Around town, the steering is easy to twirl in car parks, and outward visibility is good, bar small side mirrors compared to its hatchback peers. The brake pedal is a little too responsive when first touched, but it’s easy to modulate as you push further.

The Leon is rated to tow up to 1500kg braked and 720kg unbraked – decent for a small hatch, given these are vehicles Australians rarely buy to tow.

In fact, Cupra does not sell a factory towbar for the vehicle, so customers would need to look to the aftermarket for a solution.

The vehicle’s payload – the maximum mass of passengers, cargo, and accessories it is rated to carry – sits at 540kg.

For buyers looking for a small hatchback that’s a little different to the rest, there’s plenty of appeal to the Cupra Leon S.

It’s stylish inside and out, spacious, well appointed, loaded with features, frugal on fuel, and a delight to drive, with perky performance and sharp handling.

It is not perfect, though. The engine and transmission can be laggy at low speeds, the mild-hybrid system is not as capable as a true hybrid, and boot space is respectable, but not outstanding, compared to its peers.

The biggest issue is the price. The Leon is not sparsely equipped – and it is a well-engineered European car, so it will never be dirt cheap – but at more than $50,000 drive-away, it asks buyers to overlook plenty of great alternatives with similar performance, space, and features, but more familiar badges.

And while it is impossible to say what will happen in the future – and there is a guaranteed future value finance program available to soften any blow – Cupra’s recent history of drastic discounts to clear old stock does not inspire confidence in preserving this car’s value in five years’ time.

If none of that is a deterrent, and you’re after a small hatch with a bit of style and character, the Cupra Leon is worth a look.

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner

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