Cupra Leon vs Mazda 3

What's the difference?

VS
Cupra Leon
Cupra Leon

$31,880 - $57,880

2023 price

Mazda 3
Mazda 3

$23,995 - $55,682

2024 price

Summary

2023 Cupra Leon
2024 Mazda 3
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.4L

Inline 4, 2.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
1.8L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

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

  • Small boot
  • Gloomy rear seat
  • No more manual
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.

View full pricing & specs
2024 Mazda 3 Summary

Half a decade on, the current-generation Mazda 3 has weathered a world of change.

Cheap cars have vanished. Electric vehicles are commonplace and the small car class it belongs to has been decimated by SUVs. Big names like the Ford Focus, Holden Astra and Mitsubishi Lancer are history.

But while it looks identical to the car unveiled at the 2018 LA Auto Show, today’s Mazda 3 has also evolved, albeit gently.

Let’s see how competitive the latest and improved (as well as more expensive) version is.

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Cupra Leon 2024 Mazda 3

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