Cupra Leon 300 review: a GTI Clubsport in copper clothing

Hang on, hang on. I can’t be the only one confused about which Cupra this is?

Don’t fret, it definitely isn’t just you. Now its own performance brand, Cupra badges adorn all of the hot Leons, with Seat badges on the rest of the range. That all sounds nice and simple, but Cupra hasn’t quite named its myriad performance hatches as clearly as Volkswagen does with its equivalent Golfs.

The 242bhp plug-in hybrid (essentially a Spanish Golf GTE) is helpfully badged ‘eHybrid’, but after that you’ll fall down a trim level/powertrain rabbit hole where lower VZ1 spec cars get a 242bhp petrol turbo option (similar to the standard Mk8 Golf GTI) whilst mid-spec VZ2 cars get the option of the same 242bhp or a GTI Clubsport rivalling 296bhp.

The top spec VZ3 trim can only be combined with the 296bhp setup if you’re shunning the PHEV.

Pick the Leon Estate and you’re able to choose between the aforementioned eHybrid and a Golf R-style 306bhp four-wheel drive powertrain. Still with us?

Okay, I think I’ve got it. So, which one are we talking about here?

Right, this is the Clubsport equalling Cupra Leon 300, or to give it its full name in the UK, the Leon 5Dr VZ2 2.0 TSI DSG-auto Petrol 300. Phew.

Anyway, the 300 gets the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder as you’ll find in the GTI Clubsport, with all 296bhp being sent through the front wheels via the VW Group’s seven-speed DSG auto gearbox. Cupra won’t sell you a manual on any of its cars these days.

Torque is also the same as the Clubsport at a healthy 295lb ft, whilst 0-62mph takes just 5.7 seconds.

Come on then, is it any good?

So far we’ve only spent a couple of hours with a left-hand drive Leon 300 on Spanish plates here in the UK, but first impressions are really rather good.

The Cupra weighs 29kg more than a Clubsport (which explains the 0.1 sec difference in their 0-62mph times) but in reality, you’ll never notice. The familiar EA888 four-cylinder delivers its power with minimal turbo lag and maximum efficiency, and Cupra has nailed the steering – it’s light but superbly accurate and direct.

The small Cupra button on the steering wheel allows you to easily flick between Comfort, Sport, Cupra and Individual modes. In Comfort the DSG ‘box is slightly slow to respond and bogs things down a little, but the setting does give the Leon 300 a quiet-ish and impressively refined side. That’s amplified by the Dynamic Chassis Control (standard on both the VZ2 and VZ3, but a £785 option on the Golf GTI Clubsport) which offers no less than 15 different suspension settings.

All-out Cupra mode is possibly too firm for UK roads and brings with it rather over the top pumped-in engine sound. Sport is a good compromise, but even better is Individual with the suspension set towards the comfort end of the spectrum and everything else in Cupra. Just right.

Also welcome is the inviting and heroically simple traction control button, which is an actual button on the centre console. Once more for those at the back – an actual button. Press it once to engage ESC Sport mode and the rear axle is allowed just enough slip in corners without things getting out of hand. Hold it down for a couple of seconds and you’ll deactivate the traction control entirely. The 300 is no stranger to wheelspin from a standing start but there’s no shortage of mechanical grip through corners.

Generally the gearbox is smooth and unobtrusive, but – and this is one of not many gripes we have with the Leon 300 – even though there’s a manual mode the paddles are impossibly tiny (like in the equivalent Golf) and it’ll still change up automatically at the red line.

Sounds impressive. Anything else you can tell us?

A couple of things actually. The chassis is fantastic, and despite the standard 19-inch wheels it’s very well damped too. The huge Brembo brakes are mighty and if you’re sensible you’ll easily manage upwards of 34mpg (Cupra claims 35.8mpg).

What’s it like on the inside?

The Mk8 Golf and its siblings have so far been hindered by their button-free interior layouts. The Leon 300 isn’t much different, and the infotainment system is laggy and frustrating to operate.

Luckily, Cupra has shunned the terrible haptic feedback ‘buttons’ that VW is using on its sports steering wheels these days and has instead littered the wheel with actual buttons. It’s busy, but anything that stops you having to use the central touchscreen is a bonus.

There’s a nice premium feel to the Cupra’s interior too – perhaps more so than the GTI Clubsport’s. Most of the materials are of good quality and there are neat Cupra-specific touches like the lane change warning lights that flash up in the trim above the door handle. The Leon also gets fantastic one-piece sports seats that are brilliantly comfortable and can be trimmed in cloth or leather.

It’s a proper family hatchback too so there’s plenty of rear legroom and a very useful 380-litre boot.

Is it better than the Golf GTI Clubsport, then?

Well, it’s certainly cheaper. The GTI will set you back £37,230 without any options (that’s without the almost obligatory DCC, remember), whilst in top-spec VZ3 trim the Cupra is £36,760.

Knock yourself down to VZ2 trim and you’ll pay £35,030 – that’s actually only a fiver more than a standard Mk8 GTI with 242bhp and a DSG gearbox. Tempting, isn’t it?

Score: 8/10