Driving the small Cupra Leon VZx five-door hatch today – the performance
flagship of the four model Leon range. With this relatively new Spanish brand
being part of the Volkswagen Group the Leon VZx shares much with the potent
Golf GTi and a bit more. The styling different and edgy and with the test car in
matte Petrol Blue Paint it exuded a somewhat sinister appearance. With potent
2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, a 7-speed dual clutch automatic with manual shift
paddles and four drive modes it doesn’t disappoint in performance terms. A hot
hatch for the true believers but at $74,690 drive-away with options its expensive
by any measure. In sports mode its performance even more exhilarating, in
Cupra mode even animal like with suspension and steering sharpness
heightened and exhaust note elevated. Drivability as good as it gets with front
wheel drive grip benefiting from a limited slip differential while braking from the
optional Brembo brakes inspiring to say the least. The test car did suffer a glitch
to its 10-inch infotainment screen which blacked out, meaning I couldn’t access a
lot of features including climate control. Even when working its functionality was
frustrating, reinforcing my criticism of the usability of many touch screens in cars
today. Warranty – five years, unlimited kilometre. I’m David Berthon

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