Cupra Leon vs Deepal S07

What's the difference?

There's a lot to like about the updated Leon line-up, but probably not by lots of people. It won't be a best-seller, Cupra doesn't need or even want it to be. What it will do is offer something different, and in the case of the Sportstourer something very rare.

The S and VZx will face stiffer competition in the hatchback markets, primarily from Volkswagen, Audi and even Skoda, and it's hard to pick an area where they really stand out from the competition, apart from the unique styling. Not that they aren't pleasant cars to drive, it's just a crowded market.

Which is why the Sportstourer, especially with its plug-in hybrid powertrain, has a chance to be something that really sets Cupra apart from its rivals. Dynamic, efficient and different, it won’t fit in - and that’s exactly what the brand is hoping for.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with meals provided.

The Deepal S07 has the makings of a great family friendly EV, but with some quirks that really need to be ironed out.

Design is a key tenet of Cupra’s ethos, because while it may share Volkswagen mechanical DNA, the Spanish brand wants to really stand apart when you look at or sit inside the Leon.

While it may be the same size as a VW Golf, it certainly doesn’t look or feel like one. Yes, there’s the typical Volkswagen build quality to the fit and finishes, but overall it has a unique Spanish style to it.

On the exterior, Cupra has given the Leon a major visual overhaul with the front end featuring a new-look grille, bumper and headlights. At the rear the tail-lights have been redesigned and now incorporate the logo into a single horizontal light bar that runs the width of the rear.

Inside there’s some new materials, but the most notable change is the introduction of a 12.9-inch multimedia screen. Ambient lightning available on all three models helps to highlight the cabin design.

If you’re left a little underwhelmed from the bland same-sameness of so many new SUVs, I reckon you’d like the Deepal S07 in the metal. Because boring it ain’t.

It’s sharp and purposeful and full of lovely creases and angles, and it stands out on the road — especially in this 'Sunset Orange' colour.

Deepal says it was designed in Turin, Italy, but I'm not sure that matters much. I mean, being in Italy doesn’t guarantee design success – just look to the modern Lancia range for proof – but I guess it’s something for a newish Chinese brand to hang its hat on.

Inside, the design is lovely, too. I like the materials used, the extended dash and the size of the central screen (though it tilting towards you or the passenger is probably overkill). And the flat-bottom wheel is a nice touch.

I'd like to know where the air con was designed, though. It feels massively underwhelming on a piping hot Sydney day. The main outlet is at the bottom of the dash, which is perfectly positioned to chill absolutely nothing, and you can’t really change the direction of the vents, either. Or, at least, I couldn't figure out how to.

While we’re talking about two different bodystyles here - hatch and wagon - the front seats are the same. So you are treated to Cupra’s stylish but thoughtful layout, which looks nice but also has good practicality.

The seats themselves are comfortable, even after extended periods behind the wheel, while there’s cupholders, sizeable door pockets, a lidded centre console box and a wireless smartphone charging pad.

The previously mentioned 12.9-inch multimedia screen dominates the centre console, sitting proudly at the top of the fascia. Unfortunately, Cupra (like Volkswagen) has fallen to the modern trend of ‘touch controls’ rather than physical buttons.

Not to sound like an old man yelling at clouds, but these touch-sensitive sliders are simply not as user-friendly, especially in a moving vehicle, as a traditional physical button or dial. While the multimedia system is easy to use, especially with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay fully integrated, adding dials for the stereo (on/off and volume) and the climate control would have been great.

Otherwise, the 12-speaker Sennheiser sound system with subwoofer and 390W amplifier sounds great, offering a premium in-car entertainment experience to match the Cupra’s price and positioning.

As for space in the back, which is obviously where the hatch and Sportstourer vary. There isn’t a lot to split them in terms of passenger space. These are both small cars, so neither offer the kind of room you’d get from an equivalent-sized SUV. The real difference is the cargo capacity, the hatch pair offer 344L (or 888L with the rear seats down) whereas the Sportstourer has a more generous 470L/1045L.

At just over 4.7m long and 1.9m wide, with a 2.9m wheelbase, the Deepal is a sizeable proposition, which means good passenger room and decent luggage space.

Starting at the boot, you’ll find 445 litres with the rear seats in place, but with the seats folded flat that number grows to 1385 litres. There’s a frunk up front, too, that holds another 125 litres.

In the back, the room is ample for full-size adults. When sitting behind my own 175cm driving position, I had more than enough knee and headroom to sit comfortably. 

There’s also a heavy pulldown divider that’s home to twin cupholders, and there are two more up front, and USB connection points galore. Bonus points for the back seat riders being able to adjust their own air temps, too.

It’s easy picking in the Deepal range, given there’s one model with just the one trim level, simply called the S07.

It’s currently $58,521 drive-away in NSW, or $53,900 before on-road costs. And that’s probably about right. You can get an entry-level Kia EV5 for $56,770, though with less range and kit, or the XPeng G6 Standard Range for $54,800, though that’s before on-road costs. The new Model Y is a bit of a jump, at $63,400 on the road.

For that you get 19-inch alloys, a fixed sunroof with a sun shade, LED lighting all around and a powered boot. 

Inside, there’s a giant 15.6-inch touchscreen that can swivel towards the driver or the passenger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 14-speaker Sony stereo and wireless device charging.

There’s dual-zone air con, the seats (heated and ventilated up front) are trimmed in synthetic leather and there’s an interior camera with gesture control, so you can use a kind of sign language to take a photo, control the stereo or answer or hang up the phone. It's weird and makes you look like a turkey, which is why I used it once and once only, but you might like it.

The three Leon models all feature a different powertrain, as each is targeting a distinctly different buyer.

The Leon S is powered by a 110kW/250Nm 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine with mild-hybrid assistance. 

The Leon VZx gets a more potent 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine that makes 221kW/400Nm, to put it right at the heart of the hot hatch market.

The Leon VZe Sportstourer manages to combine efficiency with performance, with a 1.5-litre turbo-petrol engine paired to an electric motor to make an efficient 200kW and 400Nm.

The one thing all three have in common is a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel drive.

The S07 is powered by a single 160kW/320Nm rear-mounted electric motor and it's rear-wheel drive. That’s enough output, says Deepal, to push the S07 to 100km/h in 7.9 seconds — not bad for a two-tonne-plus SUV.

Naturally, the three different powertrains provide three very different fuel economy numbers.

The mild-hybrid system in the Leon S allows it to use just 5.4L/100km, which provides a theoretical range of up to 833km thanks to its 45-litre fuel tank.

The VZx is the thirstiest member of the range, not surprisingly, using 7.6L/100km. With its 50-litres tank it has a theoretical driving range of approximately 650km.

Finally, the Sportstourer VZe manages a claimed 0.4L/100km on paper, thanks to its 20kWh battery providing up to 121km of electric-only driving range. Obviously achieving that claimed figure in the real world is incredibly difficult (as it is with any PHEV) but we still managed to use just 2.4L/100km on our mostly extra-urban test drive, which is still a good return.

The 79.97kWh ternary lithium battery delivers a claimed driving range of 475km. It is, however, set up for just 92kW DC fast charging, which means going from 30 to 80 per cent will take just over half an hour. That’s at an appropriate DC fast charger, of course. Your 7.0kW AC home wallbox will take 11 hours, or eight hours if you can draw 11kW.

Obviously there are three very different variants in the Leon range, with three different powertrains and two different body styles, and yet there is a familiar feeling between all three when you’re behind the wheel.

This is arguably the ‘most Volkswagen-y’ element of the Cupras, with the solid, stable Volkswagen underpinnings coming through. This is, of course, not a criticism, but rather highlights the positive connections between Cupra and its parent company, which has allowed it to make an immediate impression on the Australian market.

However, it also means the Leons feel so familiar that they don’t leave you with a unique impression and driving character.

For example, the VZx is almost too good, too quick and too clinical. It lacks the excitement and engagement rival hot hatches offer, notably the Hyundai i30 N and Honda Civic Type R, but instead compensates by just being really capable.

Obviously, that may not be seen as a negative by everyone and for those who want that sort of engaging, dare I say ‘fun and edgy’, driving experience the Leon VZx may not be precisely what they are looking for. Still, the engine is potent and even the lack of all-wheel drive doesn’t dampen its performance abilities too significantly compared to the likes of a VW Golf R or Audi S3.

The Leon S offers a different proposition, a warmed up hatch, rather than something hot. On that front it delivers, providing a well-mannered drive but without the punch of the VZx.

The Sportstourer is arguably the pick of the range, with its combination of sharp driving dynamics and very efficient powertrain. At no point do you feel like Cupra compromised its sporty intent to make the Sportstourer save fuel. Instead, the PHEV powertrain offers plenty of performance when you need it but is otherwise quiet and efficient the rest of the time, helping it to sip fuel at a much lower rate than its Leon hatchback alternatives.

Binging, bonging safety systems aside, the Deepal S07's drive experience is relatively peaceful.

It can feel heavy, and isn't dynamically perfect through tighter bends, and even in the city the suspension - which does a good job ironing out most road imperfections - can clang over sharper, bigger stuff, especially if you're too enthusiastic with a speed bump.

But provided you're not asking too much of it on some twisting pass, and you're gentle enough over really big bumps, the S07 behaves much as you'd expect a big, wafty electric SUV might.

That is, with a smooth flow of power, steering that isn't overly direct, but not overly sharp either and with comfort the order of the day.

There are some annoying quirks, though, that would seem easy enough to iron out. The safety systems are often intrusive – and other Chinese brands can get them to be far less annoying – but I also found the tech and user interface annoying and fiddly, which again would be easy enough to fix.

Handing out a low score for a five-star ANCAP car seems harsh, but bear with me.

All the major bases are covered, the standard spec including auto emergency braking (AEB) with car-to-car and 'vulnerable road user' (pedestrian, backover, cyclist, motorcycle) detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane keeping assist and more. And there are front, front side (chest), side curtain and front centre airbags.

But the single biggest drawback of the Deepal experience has to be the most annoying, infuriating active (crash-avoidance) safety systems I’ve ever come across. Honestly, it has to be experienced to be believed.

For one, whenever I wear sunglasses it gives me an “occlusion” warning, which I genuinely had to Google, but that’s nothing compared to the driver attention monitor, which seems rigged to go off if you so much as blink, sending chimes binging and bonging throughout the cabin, increasing in number like a bomb about to go off.

And if you have to turn them off every time you get in, you have to wonder if they have any business being there at all.

So yes, it wears a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in January this year, but it’s a tree falling in the forest, kind of vibe, like if a car has every active safety system known to man, and you want to switch them off every time you get in, is it any safer than a car that doesn’t have any systems at all?

All three Leons are covered by Cupra Australia’s standard warranty, which covers the first five-years/unlimited kilometres. Which is good, especially for a new and more premium brand, even if it’s obviously short of the best-in-market.

Servicing is required every 12 months/15,000km, whichever comes first, and Cupra is offering a servicing pack special until the end of 2025, of $1990 for five years. That works out to an average of $398 per year.

Cupra is expanding its dealer network in Australia too. The Leon drive event we attended began at the newly-opened Cupra Macarther in Sydney’s growing west. There’s also a new dealership at Melbourne’s Essendon Fields.

Of course, one of the key advantages that Cupra has over many other new brands to Australia is its Volkswagen/Audi connections, which allows its models to be serviced at those dealerships as well. That provides a much larger footprint for customers to find somewhere convenient to service their car, which cannot be underestimated.

The S07 is covered for seven years or 160,000km, while the battery is covered for eight years or 240,000km.

Servicing is required every 12 months or 10,000km, and the brand’s capped-price servicing program covers the first seven services (or eight, if you include the initial 5000km check-in, which is free), for a total $2981.43 (or an average of $426 per paid workshop visit).