2023 Cupra Leon Sportstourer review: First international drive

Following news that Volkswagen is ditching its Golf wagon – including the much-loved Golf R long-roof – it is possible that the VW Group will instead offer a fast and fun family truckster here in the form of the Cupra Leon Sportstourer.

It’s been on sale in Europe for a few years now, and if it does come to Australia, it’ll probably be the facelifted version that'll be revealed soon.

The Leon Sportstourer would be a great gap-filler for the Aussie arm of the VW Group because this car could well be a better thing than the brilliant Golf R was.

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JUMP AHEAD

• Pricing and features
• Safety
• On the road
• Key rivals
• Should I put it on my shortlist?
• Specifications

Pricing and features

Hard to say at this point, as the model is yet to get the green light for Australia.

But we can make some educated guesses, as the brand has the Leon VZx and VZe hatchback models here, both priced at $61,690 plus on-road costs. Logic suggests a price premium for the wagon, not to mention the fact the VZx Sportstourer has all-wheel drive, unlike the FWD hatch.

Bank on circa-$65K pricing – and if that’s the case it’ll be a decent discount on the old Golf R wagon, which went out at a historic high of $71,990 before on-road costs.

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There’s a huge jump in cargo space from 270 litres in the VZe hatch to 470L in the Sportstourer

You’d be safe to assume the standard spec will be similar to the hatchback, meaning items like LED headlights and daytime running lights, 19-inch alloy wheels, heated sports bucket seats up front with leather trim, three-zone climate control, and a 12.0-inch touchscreen media system with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, sat-nav and more, plus a digital driver info display, too.

A modest wheelbase increase (2689mm vs 2862mm) means you get more space inside than the hatch thanks and there’s a huge jump in cargo space from 270 litres in the VZe hatch to 470L in the Sportstourer, though still with no spare wheel on offer.

The petrol-only model increases from 380L to 620L, and still has a space-saver spare wheel available.

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Safety

Just like the Leon hatch, the Sportstourer has an abundance of active safety technology and a five-star Euro NCAP rating (from 2020) to back it up.

If it comes, it’ll have all the fruit; autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian, cyclist and junction detection is standard, as are lane departure warning and lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera.

A surround-view camera isn’t available, but wouldn’t go astray.

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On the road

I drove both the VZe and VZx, and unsurprisingly they have pretty different driving characteristics – and that’s A-OK if you ask me.

Want a quick-looking wagon with a more eco-conscious powertrain? The PHEV is a pretty convincing thing.

Combining a 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor and a 12.8kWh battery pack, but using a six-speed dual-clutch auto driving the front wheels, it has a heap of punch on offer. In all-singing-all-dancing go-fast mode, there’s an apparent combined 180kW and 400Nm, which is a lot channelled only through the front axle.

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But if you’re driving it like a PHEV driver would, you’ll enjoy the smooth transition between EV driving and petrol mode, and the DSG is quick thinking and smooth shifting, too. There’s regenerative braking and a touchy pedal response.

Dynamically the VZe is a bit more of a comfy thing, with a spongier suspension and a bit more weight, which is evident in the bends and over bumps. But the steering is light and feels fun enough, if not nearly as enticing to punt as the VZx.

Yep, this one is the hero here, with more snot than a toddler at daycare. There are two versions in Europe – a 221kW/400Nm job and the quicker 228kW unit, which does 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.9 seconds. Sheesh.

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It feels quick, and sounds it in Cupra mode, too. There’s a raspy warble that is enabled in the sportiest drive setting, though not quite as racy as the Golf R.

Adaptive dampers make for rigidity when it's wanted and decent comfort in city situations, the steering feels more meaty, and the traction of the AWD system adds some slingshot effect in the bends, too.

Note, it is MQB-based, so there is some annoying road noise intrusion on rougher road surfaces. The infotainment also caused some headaches, with fiddly controls and smartphone mirroring issues evident on test.

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Key rivals

Want a wagon with go-fast intent? The best alternative could be the Subaru WRX Sportswagon (from $50,990 excluding on-road costs), though it isn’t quite the manic machine of years gone by.

Want a different Euro badge? Check out the Peugeot 308 GT wagon, which kicks off at $50,990 (before on-road costs). Not quite a performance item, but it is stylish and spacious. And if money is less of an object, there’s also the gorgeous Peugeot 508 GT plug-in hybrid at $82,915 (plus on-road costs).

And there’s always the Skoda Octavia, which in RS guise is a practical and price-friendly option, and the $53,090 (excluding on-road costs) sticker is plenty appealing.

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Should I put it on my shortlist?

Maybe on your wishlist, because it’s not a sure thing just yet.

But if it does get signed off, you can expect it to arrive alongside the Cupra Leon facelift hatch in 2024.

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2023 Cupra Leon Sportstourer specifications

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