Cupra Australia isn’t afraid to offer a niche model, and now the company has given its niche model an even more niche configuration.
The Cupra Leon VZe sports tourer Plug-in hybrid wagon (PHEV) – priced at $69,990 before on-road costs – is now available with the Extreme package previously reserved for the Leon Hatch.
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For an additional $7,600, the Extreme package offers the following:
- Aerodynamic upgrades including side skirts, extended rear spoiler
- High-performance brakes with Brembo four-piston calipers at the front
- CUP bucket front seats with Enceladus Gray Seaqual and Dinamica upholstery
- Matrix ultra high beam headlights
- Dark gloss interior accents
Don’t expect Cupra’s workshops to be filled with it, though – the company says it’s entirely contract manufacturing and a “direct response to strong customer demand” for the recently launched (in Australia) Leon Sportstourer.
The Spanish brand has also hinted at the return of a plug-in hybrid Leon Hatch to Australia – with its new-generation PHEV powertrain – expanding its local electrified model range.
The Leon VZe Sportstourer combines a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 130kW of power and 250Nm of torque with an 85kW/330Nm electric motor, a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 20kWh lithium-ion battery.
Total system output is 200kW and 400Nm, with an electric range of 121km on the stricter WLTP cycle and combined fuel consumption of 0.4L/100km.
The battery has a maximum AC charging power of 11 kW and a maximum DC fast charging power of 50 kW.
The standard equipment of the Leon VZe Sportstourer includes:
- 19-inch black and copper alloy wheels
- Four exhaust outlets
- Adaptive chassis Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC).
- Heated, electrically folding exterior mirrors
- Hands-free power tailgate
- Windshield wipers with rain sensors
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wireless phone charger
- Heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment
- Sennheiser sound system with 12 speakers and 390 W
- 3-zone automatic climate control
- Ambient interior lighting
- Semi-autonomous parking assistant
- Adaptive cruise control
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Turn assistant
- Swerve support
- Blind spot monitoring
- Lane keeping assistant
- Rear cross traffic warning
- Speed sign recognition
- Rear view camera with front and rear parking sensors
In addition to the Leon Sportstourer, the mid-range SUV Terramar is also available as a PHEV; a refreshed Formentor PHEV will be available for sale this year.
Cupra says offering the Extreme package for the Leon VZe Sportstourer sends the message that electrified performance means no compromise, as the new generation PHEV technology is “designed not just for efficiency, but also for emotional, dynamic driving”.
“As a challenger brand, Cupra is built on listening to our tribe,” Cupra Australia brand director Jerome Figuiere said in a press release. “Customers and media told us they wanted the most extreme version of the VZe Sportstourer, so we made it happen.
“This package proves that our PHEVs can be just as sporty, emotional and engaging as their combustion engine counterparts.”
The Cupra Leon VZe Sportstourer is Australia’s most affordable PHEV station wagon.
Additionally, following the removal of the Peugeot 508 and Volvo V60, it joins the recently launched Audi A5 e-Hybrid and BMW M5 Touring as the only PHEV wagons now available in Australia.
Although PHEVs are enjoying increasing popularity, station wagons themselves are a dying breed.
There are only a handful of them left on our market. Station wagon fans may have to look to China for their fix, as BYD is expected to launch its Seal 06 Touring here, as well as the Porsche Taycan rival Z9 GT under its premium Denza brand. Even more station wagons have come onto the market in China as the body style continues to grow in popularity there.
MORE: Explore the Cupra Leon showroom
