CUPRA Leon E Hybrid first thoughts...

[Ollie]

Evening all...

I've had my CUPRA Leon E Hybrid VZ2 in Graphene Grey for just over a week now and thought I would post my thoughts on how I've found it.

I got rid of my previous Leon CUPRA 290 Lux (the copper badged version) simply because I got it heavily discounted (23.5k new) and managed to sell it to WBAC for 23k. My commute to work has decreased and the amount of times I truly put my foot down means I can't justify keeping it!

First thoughts are that the interior is a big step up in terms of quality. The digital dash is more responsive, generally the trim pieces are fitted better, the wraparound lighting and copper details just make it feel that bit more special and exclusive.

The major downside, which everyone knows, is the infotainment and lack of climatronic - I miss it, I expected that to be the case, but I'm getting used to it quickly. The screen generally is much more responsive, but lots of menus within menus which the MK3.5 was never really exempt from either!

I love the look of the car - graphene grey which is one of the special metallic - and have had plenty of people asking what it is etc. Not a fan of the fake copper exhausts - but can't have it all! Nice to still get 19 inch rims and some sports styled bumpers.

The CUPRA app works really well, have had no issues with it - can set departure times, temperature, defrosting (useful for winter) and send directions via the app so I can jump in and go straight away. It's a big step up and is without bugs for me!

KESSY works just as my MK3.5 did, no issues. The lighting and puddle lights with the CUPRA logo are a nice touch in the evenings, as is the upgraded ambient lighting.

The drive select mode is good, especially Individual which let's you adjust the dampers very specifically. I do miss the VAG DIF but as I said - the amount of times I used to drive on the edge that much, I'll barely notice the difference!

Straight line performance is good - very torquey and for any GTi owners it's on par. The electric motor gives a good instant boost. The sound actuator can be turned off in individual mode if you don't want to sound like you're enroute to the next Apollo mission.

Charging is easy, already have a 7kW wallbox as the better half has a fully electric car. The Leon can only charge at 3.5kW and nothing higher, so no fast charging or similar.

The intelligent braking is very very clever and accurate. It uses the mapping function to tell you when to lift off when approaching a roundabout, a descent etc - I was really impressed and the battery is efficient at recouping energy through the regeneration.

My commute is 32 miles, I have managed to get there and back and generally return on 8 percent battery. That beats what CUPRA quote and includes back roads and single lane A roads at 60mph. I am very impressed, but would expect this to decrease significantly over winter (maybe 20 miles?)

Dynamic driving is good - you do feel the extra weight - so don't to expecting this to be a full on CUPRA if you've owned a proper one before. I went for this model because its geared towards efficiency, but has enough grunt to outpace most things on the road and doesn't leave a hole in my pocket every 280 miles.

So far I've done 400 miles and used a quarter tank of fuel.

For those of you truly set on a proper CUPRA like my last one - this won't be for you. But if you want something with nice styling, something unique, efficient and your round-trip commute is 30 miles or less - this may well be for you.

I have to admit I love it and don't regret changing. Just be sure you're making the right decision if you're thinking of buying one... I've yet to see another on the road so it's nice to feel exclusive - but that will come by having the 300PS Cupra Leon too.

Happy to field any questions for prospective buyers...!

Happy driving & stay safe...

Ollie

 

[Ollie]

New and old...

 

[C_ED_99]

The new one looks good

 

[Syphon]

Thanks for the write-up, glad you are happy with it. Love the colour.

Scott

 

[Stebb]

I picked my VZ2 up last thursday - same colour too! I swapped from an Ateca Excellence-Lux so the performance difference is quite marked <big_grin>, plus on the flip side I did 25 miles + electric only at the weekend on variable A-roads between here an Aberystwyth.
Still grappling with CupraConnect though - I can see all of the data on my phone and via the PC/website, but I get "Can't Connect to Vehicle" when I try to set the a/c or even flash the lights.

 

[Ollie]

I picked my VZ2 up last thursday - same colour too! I swapped from an Ateca Excellence-Lux so the performance difference is quite marked <big_grin>, plus on the flip side I did 25 miles + electric only at the weekend on variable A-roads between here an Aberystwyth.
Still grappling with CupraConnect though - I can see all of the data on my phone and via the PC/website, but I get "Can't Connect to Vehicle" when I try to set the a/c or even flash the lights.

Glad you like the car too! Can imagine it is a nice performance step up from the Ateca

How odd... What phone are you using? I take it you had to go through the whole setting up primary user thing when you got the car? Do you live in a rural area with poor mobile coverage that the car may be struggling with?

 

[Stebb]

My phone is a Samsung S20 - the signal is 'fair' here on Sky, although I know Virgin struggles a bit, so that could be the reason. I wonder if there's any indication of signal strength on board. However, I do get a definate "Call SEAT" message if I try to unlock/lock with my phone.

 

[Sarah]

How many miles does the electric battery cover when driving using the battery and petrol to get the 245 bhp? Thanks

 

[Ollie]

If long distance, it would easily do 500 miles and that is with a smaller tank compared to the normal CUPRA Leon etc.

 

[Sarah]

Thanks Ollie

 

[Stebb]

I concur with Ollie - 500 mile range should not be a problem from the tank plus a full charge.
It's gonna take a while to quantify though, clearly you're not using all 245 horses very often to achieve the numbers given and there are options as to how much reserve you leave in the battery.
If I understand it, the "=" setting keeps 30% battery charge for use 'in traffic' or accelerating, recharging it when you brake. The ">" setting keeps 40% battery but also uses the engine to add charge - that would reduce the overall range but give you the extra power for longer. The "<" setting retains only 20% battery, probably suitable only for pottering to the shops electrically - it would give you longer electrical range but once it's gone, it's gone.

 

[Sarah]

That's interesting. I'm interested in all tips to do with the 245 ehybrid

 

[Firaxis]

That's interesting. I'm interested in all tips to do with the 245 ehybrid

Edit: Just so there's no confusion, I've added some details.

I'll share a different perspective from someone who has a Clarkson approach to everything I.E POWER, in Cupra / hybrid mode with a heavy foot I managed to drain the battery in about 85 miles and once everything had fizzled out I took a more mundane approach but only received about *18 - 20 MPG. It's a very heavy car powering batteries with a small motor so that's not unexpected. Regen braking didn't make enough difference to offset anything really and I was still draining electric with the engine charging batteries ..

I wasn't driving like a maniac at any point and I used the in car speed limiter at all times, I just progressed with all the available power when I could and selected a very specific route which contained a lot of B road's and sharp turns that require you to slow down to a near standstill, plus en mass roundabouts on dual carriage ways etc.

In a 365 HP V6 car on the same route I managed 32MPG (same driving style), that's because it gets up to speed in the blink of an eye and spends most of its life barely ticking over, it's a bit of a waste really and overkill on public roads. What's worse is if you drive it like a granny on short city trips you'd be lucky to get 8MPG .

Back on the Leon, I wasn't looking for a hybrid so I used it as a GTI equivalent. On day two of testing I did my standard 90% of the time trips and it averaged **40MPG, for a quick punt to the shop I ran it electric only which was cool. My conclusion was it's a great car IF you're going to use it as a warm hatch for short to mid length trips and take advantage of the battery only mode on occasion.

But I wouldn't buy it as a GTI equivalent, the car's too heavy for a start which does affect the handling, the brakes are pretty soft compared to the Cupra 300, it's not as raucous, wild or fun and in hybrid mode the fuel economy isn't that much better when you consider the power difference. They both have their place and pretty much cost the same so it's very much a scenario / preference based thing.

* From realtime not average MPG when charging the battery's via the engine. Just to note the MPG on the car when delivered was 19 MPG..
** End of test results, long 70MPH motorway stretches and some self charging added to that result. The best I got according to my notes was 67.8 MPG on a 42 mile trip in hybrid mode.

 

[Stebb]

It is an interesting comparison!
I've only had the car a week so just working it out really. I found on the 100 mile trip home from the dealers, starting with about 85% battery I got about half way in hybrid mode before the battery showed up as 0 miles, but it was still able to pootle electrically in traffic, stop/start and assist with accelerating etc., all the rest of the way home. I assume thats the 30% 'left' its using - noting this was my first drive in the car so not really pushing any limits!
I tend not to "GTI" with the car, but any overtaking on the A/B roads becomes much simpler with the extra shove, I've yet to try motorway driving.
Reported MPG so far is of course 300 when in electric mode (must be a max), but all others are over 100 on journeys of about 50-60 miles - clearly using up the battery first.
Handling, well - switching from an Ateca its not fair to compare, and the dog hasn't really complained that the boot is smaller!

I have a 500 mile round trip coming up next month so I will try a few things out. Presently weighing up whether a mode 2 cable is worth the cost to put some juice in whilst out and about.

 

[.Griff.]

I'll share a different perspective from someone who has a Clarkson approach to everything I.E POWER, in Cupra / hybrid mode with a heavy foot I managed to drain the battery in about 85 miles and once everything had fizzled out I took a more mundane approach but only received about 18 - 20 MPG. It's a very heavy car powering batteries with a small motor so that's not unexpected. Regen braking didn't make enough difference to offset anything really and I was still draining electric with the engine charging batteries ..

I wasn't driving like a maniac at any point and I used the in car speed limiter at all times, I just progressed with all the available power when I could and selected a very specific route which contained a lot of B road's and sharp turns that require you to slow down to a near standstill, plus en mass roundabouts on dual carriage ways etc.

In a 365 HP V6 car on the same route I managed 32MPG (same driving style), that's because it gets up to speed in the blink of an eye and spends most of its life barely ticking over, it's a bit of a waste really and overkill on public roads. What's worse is if you drive it like a granny on short city trips you'd be lucky to get 8MPG .

Back on the Leon, I wasn't looking for a hybrid so I used it as a GTI equivalent. On day two of testing I did my standard 90% of the time trips and it averaged 40MPG, for a quick punt to the shop I ran it electric only which was cool. My conclusion was it's a great car IF you're going to use it as a warm hatch for short to mid length trips and take advantage of the battery only mode on occasion.

But I wouldn't buy it as a GTI equivalent, the car's too heavy for a start which does affect the handling, the brakes are pretty soft compared to the Cupra 300, it's not as raucous, wild or fun and in hybrid mode the fuel economy isn't that much better when you consider the power difference. They both have their place and pretty much cost the same so it's very much a scenario / preference based thing.

If I recall correctly your experience is based on a test drive, albeit an extended test drive? I remember seeing your post a few weeks ago and thought to myself the figures seemed a bit odd but I'd only had my car a week at that point and didn't think more of it.

Having said that, now I've owned the car a month and done nearly 600 miles in distance and 28 hours behind the wheel (according to the Cupra Portal), I simply can't replicate the numbers you're quoting.

once everything had fizzled out I took a more mundane approach but only received about 18 - 20 MPG

I've deliberately drained the battery in mine on a couple of occasions (technically the lowest it will go/show is 1% capacity) and even then the ICE still returned me 36.69 MPG by itself (24 miles, 45 minutes, average speed 33MPH)

How you got it down to "18 - 20 MPG" I'm not sure but I can only imagine it was set to charge the battery using the ICE as you drove which may explain such a low figure.

Over the 600(ish) miles I've owned mine I'm seeing 71 MPG average and since I refuelled it 100 miles ago I'm seeing 88 MPG and no, that's not driving like a granny. That's the village roads, B roads, blast up the motorway to the next junction and repeat.

As for it being "very heavy" and "too heavy" it's one typical male adult passenger heavier than the Golf GTI (depending on what figures you believe).

Ultimately I'm not a Cupra salesman and everyone has their own opinion. I wouldn't have posted a reply other than my experience, over a much longer time period and distance than your test, doesn't match the numbers you're quoting and I wouldn't want any prospective buyer to think those figures are representative of all scenarios. NOTE - I'm being very careful not to say you're wrong, merely I can't replicate the numbers.

As cars go it's ok. It's not blistering fast and lacks any real personality or charm but for me, to get from A to B in comfort for a few years at little cost it's ideal.

* - Consumption, time, distance figures I've quoted are from the Cupra Portal and/or XLSX download from "Driving Data Management"

 

[Firaxis]

If I recall correctly your experience is based on a test drive, albeit an extended test drive? I remember seeing your post a few weeks ago and thought to myself the figures seemed a bit odd but I'd only had my car a week at that point and didn't think more of it.

I managed to get a 48 hour test drive.

How you got it down to "18 - 20 MPG" I'm not sure but I can only imagine it was set to charge the battery using the ICE as you drove which may explain such a low figure.

The other car in the showroom had less, yes I did have the ICE charging the battery as I said.. Just to quote "powering batteries with a small motor"..

Over the 600(ish) miles I've owned mine I'm seeing 71 MPG average and since I refuelled it 100 miles ago I'm seeing 88 MPG and no, that's not driving like a granny. That's the village roads, B roads, blast up the motorway to the next junction and repeat.

As for it being "very heavy" and "too heavy" it's one typical male adult passenger heavier than the Golf GTI (depending on what figures you believe).

Firstly the Cupra Leon 300 is 1490KG, the 245 hybrid VZ3 is 1671KG's that's a fair bit more than your average "typical male". E batteries aren't light.. Secondly just as a reference point Jimbobcook did a review of the 204 e-hybrid and averaged 46MPG https://www.seatcupra.net/forums/threads/2021-seat-leon-e-hybrid-fr-204ps-dsg-review.464037/

Like Jim I did a fair bit of motorway driving in between stops (like hours worth), also to mention this thing was brand new and engines do tend to ease up. On my first day with the Cupra 300 I got 15MPG? Now I'm getting around the 30 mark and that's only after 250 miles.

Ultimately I'm not a Cupra salesman and everyone has their own opinion. I wouldn't have posted a reply other than my experience, over a much longer time period and distance than your test, doesn't match the numbers you're quoting and I wouldn't want any prospective buyer to think those figures are representative of all scenarios.

Obviously no specific scenarios are representative of all scenario's, for example I managed to get more life out of the battery than Stebb. What one usually does is correlate the values and end up with a median. On some trips for extended times I got much more than 40MPG but that was the average at the end of the test. Also A) it is my experience B) 14 hours on the road is ample time C) it doesn't have to match that's why we share. From what you're saying 40MPG is a worst case scenario which is good.

Also I did put a deposit down on the 245 and test drove it a third time after the 48 hour test because I couldn't make my mind up, I shouldn't have to spend a year with a car before commenting.

As cars go it's ok. It's not blistering fast and lacks any real personality or charm but for me, to get from A to B in comfort for a few years at little cost it's ideal.

* - Consumption, time, distance figures I've quoted are from the Cupra Portal and/or XLSX download from "Driving Data Management"

As I said there are reasons to buy both cars and the buyer will decide ultimately, we yet again just share our experiences.

 

[Sarah]

I asked both dealers that I'm dealing with to include the second charging cable that I need when I'm out and about (not familiar with the names of things yet).
The cable for home charging comes with it but the other didn't so I asked both dealers to include it and they have included in their deals.

I'm looking at it from the opinion of that I don't race around, I stick to 30 in 30's etc and don't go mad. I hardly do motorways and the multistorey carpark I use when i go shopping at the next town and to the cinema has a free charging point which is a bonus.
I haven't seen any 300 models for sale at the moment and I can get a 245 ehybrid for £28k cash at 2 dealers. If I finance £3k of that, I get 2 free services equal to £500 and then pay off the £3k more or less straight away but keep the 2 free services.

I'm interested in all of your views so it's all very helpful.

 

[.Griff.]

Firstly the Cupra Leon 300 is 1490KG, the 245 hybrid VZ3 is 1671KG's that's a fair bit more than your average "typical male".

You've sidestepped the part where I made a point of saying "depending on what figures you believe". I checked a few sources and the mean difference between weights specified was 80 KGs. Having owned a plethora of cars I know it's a bit naive to take one source at face value when it comes to car weights (dry, wet, with/without driver etc). I prefer to go with a consensus approach.

Everything else....

It wasn't my intention to arouse annoyance, which I suspect I did, merely to counter your experience with my own. If any prospective owners want real-world examples of fuel economy I'm more than happy to discuss that with them and I'll continue to update this thread with more data as my ownership continues

 

[.Griff.]

I asked both dealers that I'm dealing with to include the second charging cable that I need when I'm out and about (not familiar with the names of things yet).
The cable for home charging comes with it but the other didn't so I asked both dealers to include it and they have included in their deals.

It's called a "Type B" cable for the Cupra Sarah.

With regards to charging while you're out and about just be mindful that the Cupra doesn't support rapid charging and is limited to 3.6kW. Not a problem if you're parked up all day at work or spending the afternoon at the shops or cinema but just don't expect Telsa like charging speeds and/or to achieve much charge in the space of say an hour at the shops.

 

[Sarah]

Ah right, thanks. Very helpful.