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Cupra Leon vs Hyundai Ioniq

What's the difference?

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Cupra Leon
Cupra Leon

$39,490 - $64,990

2023 price

Hyundai Ioniq
Hyundai Ioniq

$29,990 - $47,980

2021 price

Summary

2023 Cupra Leon
2021 Hyundai Ioniq
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.4L

0.0L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Electric
Fuel Efficiency
1.8L/100km (combined)

0.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

5
Dislikes
  • Infuriating multimedia system
  • Expensive
  • PHEV-related limited boot space

  • Feels very heavy
  • Design won't be for everyone
  • Still a little too pricey for mass adoption
2023 Cupra Leon Summary

Behold the beautiful Cupra Leon VZe.

Like its name and multimedia screen, this enigmatic hatchback needs some decoding to make sense to Australians.

Essentially, the Leon VZe is a variation of today's eighth-generation Volkswagen Golf. Except it's built in Spain by VW Group subsidiary SEAT (remember them?), offering sleeker styling, and – in VZe guise – a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) powertrain.

In other words, this is similar to the intriguing Golf GTE grade not offered in Australia, but with more than a splash of Balenciaga about the way it looks, feels and drives – and with pricing to match (from $59,990, before on-road costs).

So, does the Leon VZe combine the sportiness of a hot hatch and torquey zing of an EV with the parsimony of a hybrid? Could this be the most complete small car on sale in Australia today?

Let's spill the tea to find out.

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2021 Hyundai Ioniq Summary

Hyundai's Ioniq range is nothing if not a flex in the face of Toyota.

Sure, Toyota has a dominating position in the Australian market, with its well-received range of hybrid models, but what happens after hybrid? Hyundai takes on the blocky Prius formula with not only a directly competing hybrid model, but a plug-in and a fully electric version, too.

This expansive range is as though Hyundai is trying to demonstrate it's ready for any future, near or far, and guess what, Toyota? Anything you can do; the Korean juggernaut thinks it can do better.

These cars aren't really designed to sell so much as they are offerings for early adopters, but a few years after its launch, with a host of rivals set to take it on, and an entire sub-brand based on the Ioniq just around the corner, is Hyundai's top-spec Ioniq electric  worth a look? I took one for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Cupra Leon 2021 Hyundai Ioniq

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