The Volkswagen Group’s media team have released a video of the new CUPRA Leon (Phev) pre-production model being driven by the group’s CEO, Dr. Herbert Diess, presumably for the first time.
This is the first time we have heard the car from the inside. It sounds quite throaty but bearing in mind this is the PHEV it is likely to be the sound actuator (fake engine sound) we are hearing.
Interestingly he comments that the steering needs tightening up and in CUPRA mode the car should downshift more often, also that the brakes could be more aggressive. Finally, he says the seats could do with more lateral support. It will be interesting to see if the CUPRA team take this feedback on board this late in the final stages of development.
He also says it is sharper, more precise, agile than the Golf GTI.
At the end of the video he gives his feedback to Wayne Griffiths, CUPRA’s CEO, you can imagine it’s a key moment for him with the boss marking his homework! He tells Wayne CUPRA mode could do with “more ruckus”.
We can also see the car in front for the first time the 5 door (PHEV) in another colour than the matt grey (Magnetic Tech Matte). This is the same metallic grey colour the CUPRA Leon ST has been shown in (Graphene Grey). The car has the petrol engine wheels on not the PHEV wheels, again probably due to being a prototype.
CUPRA have still not shown any pictures of the 5-door hatch petrol version of the CUPRA Leon which is frustrating, especially as the PHEV isn’t meant to be due until next year, sometime after the hatch.
