Cupra Leon vs Mini 3D Hatch

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 Mini 60 Years is another classic special edition Mini and its definitely one for the fans. I'm not at all fussed by it and would quite happily save my money for a standard Cooper S. The Mini is still one of the most playful, interesting cars from a mainstream car maker and while it doesn't please everyone with its size and weight, it's tremendous fun to drive.

It's the kind of car I could own and I always feel comfortable in - it's the perfect size for urban environments but is just as much at home belting down a freeway on a long trip or scooting down a B-road just because.

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.

Always readily identifiable, Mini updates always add detail without touching the main game. I quite like the indicators, which are big LED rings surrounding the headlights, but then again I'm a sucker for lighting. I think the Mini looks terrific in three-door form and the Union Jack rear lights have grown on me. They're a bit silly but in a good way, which kind of sums up the car. The British Racing Green looks pretty good, too. Amusingly, the puddle lamp even has a 60 Years flavour.

You can spot the Cooper S by the centre exhaust and the 60 Years has its own set of 17-inch alloys.

The cabin is pretty much the same apart from the particularly warm hue of the leather. It's a classic colour for British cars but works nicely. In the Cooper S, the panoramic sunroof is split in two, but the front section opens. It does make the car feel a bit bigger, which is handy given it's pretty tight in there. The piping is a nice touch, too, although the Piano Black on the dash was so last decade rather than so last century but at least there isn't a slab of tacky wood. The fact the interior is otherwise unchanged means there are other cheap touches that somehow fail to ruin the ambience.

Mini calls its version of iDrive 'Visual Boost' for some reason, and it's displayed via a 6.5-inch screen set in a big round dial ringed by changeable LED lights.

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.

Yep, it's a small car so expect things to be reasonably cosy. I fit in there fine but I am neither particularly tall nor broad. Taller folks will fit just fine in the front (but not too tall, don't be greedy) while larger people might find themselves uncomfortably close to their passengers.

The rear seat is bearable for children and patient adults on short trips. At least they'll be well hydrated because as well as the pair of cupholders up front there are a further three in the back for a total of five. The Mini joins the NC Mazda MX-5 as a car with a greater cup capacity than passenger capacity. Front seat passengers can keep the water topped up as there are also small bottle holders in the doors.

There are two USB ports in the front seat and a wireless charging pad that doesn't fit bigger phones under the armrest. If your iPhone is the smaller size, the combination of wireless CarPlay and charging pad is excellent.

The boot is surprisingly big for such a small car, beating many of its cheaper rivals with 211 litres with the seats in place and 731L with them folded down.

There are four ways you can have your 60th Anniversary Mini. If you're happy with 1.5-litres of power, there is the three or five-door Cooper for $33,900 and $35,150 respectively. If you want a bit more grunt, you can step up to the Cooper S three-door (the car I had) for $43,900 and the five-door for $45,150. Eagle-eyed readers who know their Mini pricing will see a price rise of $4000, and Mini Australia says you get $8500 of value. All of those prices are before on-road costs. 

The standard Cooper S package brings dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, driving mode selection, leather interior, reversing camera, sat nav, auto LED headlights and wipers, wireless Apple CarPlay, run-flat tyres and you can add all the 60 Years stuff on top of that.

Without putting too fine a point on it, the Mini isn't cheap to begin with, so whacking four grand on top of the already stiff pricing obviously doesn't improve matters. You do get more stuff, obviously, as suggested by the claimed $8500 figure.

That means British Racing Green IV metallic paint with Pepper White mirrors and roof or Midnight Black Lapis Luxury Blue with black mirrors and roof. Inside you get a choice of Dark Cacao with the green paint or Carbon Black with the blue paint. If you choose the latter you miss out on the special piping and details.

Cooper S buyers pick up wireless phone charging, Comfort Access pack, heated front seats and LED headlights while the Cooper S adds a panoramic sunroof, Harmon Kardon-branded system and head-up display.

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 Cooper S has the usual 2.0-litre turbocharged four (the Cooper has a 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder), serving up 141kW and 280Nm. Power finds its way to the front wheels via a seven-speed twin-clutch transmission and will push the 1265kg Cooper S to 100km/h in 6.8 seconds.

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.

Mini reckons you'll get 5.6L/100km on the combined cycle. Maybe you could if you don't drive it like I did (I got an indicated figure of 9.4L/100km).

The Mini has stop-start to help cut fuel use around town and launch control to ruin those efforts.

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.

Driving a Mini is a unique experience. Almost no other car on sale today has the combination of that far-away, near-vertical windscreen and an A-pillar that is almost slim by today's standards. The side of the car is almost fifty percent glass, so vision is terrific. 

It had been a little while since I drove a Mini Cooper S so I was looking forward to the Mini bounce that I've always loved and my wife despised. Somewhere along the way, that bounce has faded somewhat, to the point where my wife says she doesn't mind it anymore. That must be a good thing, because while the ride is more refined, it's still a blast to drive, even if you're just getting around in traffic.

The Mini just loves point and squirt driving. The quick, well-weighted steering helps you swing the nose in and out of gaps and the handy slab of torque from the 2.0-litre ensures you stay out of trouble while doing it. The Mini also loves haring down a country road, the more secure-feeling ride belying its short wheelbase. The weight of the car probably helps keep things on the straight and narrow. It's pretty clever to make the car feel grown-up while also maintaining its sense of playfulness.

The driving mode switch doesn't make a huge amount of difference, with Sport mode adding a few apologetic pops from the exhaust.

Complaints are few, but there are too many buttons on the steering wheel and to my mind are all in the wrong place. By necessity, the controller for the media screen is practically on the floor and is crowded in by the cupholders and huge handbrake lever. But that doesn't mean Mini should take away the handbrake.

I have my reasons.

Like the rest of the range, the 60 Years has six airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls, forward collision warning, AEB (auto emergency braking), a reversing camera, speed sign recognition, and tyre pressure monitoring (it also has run-flat tyres and no spare, so that's an important consideration).

There are two top tether and ISOFIX points for the kiddies.

The Mini scored four out of a possible five ANCAP stars in April 2015. This was before AEB became standard earlier in 2019.

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.

As with parent company BMW, Mini only offers a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assist for the duration. You can buy an extension to five or hold your breath during negotiations with a dealer.

Servicing is condition-based - the car will tell you when it needs one. You can buy a servicing package that covers the basics for five years for about $1400 or step up to the near-$4000 option which throws in consumables like brake pads and wiper blades.