Cupra Leon vs Toyota GR Corolla

What's the difference?

Cupra is not trying to fit in.

In a car market that is getting more and more crowded the Volkswagen Group-owned Spanish performance brand is looking to stand out. Which is why its refreshed Leon hatchback range has added the most unlikely of new models - a small wagon.

The conventional hatchback is struggling to survive against the onslaught of SUVs, and almost every brand has abandoned the wagon in all its sizes, but not Cupra. It has added the Leon Sportstourer to its facelifted Leon hatchback range, giving buyers looking for something different a new alternative.

This new compact wagon is powered by a plug-in hybrid powertrain and joins the Leon hatch in a three-pronged line-up initially, with the Leon S mild-hybrid and VZx hot hatch. A red hot VZx version of the Sportstourer and plug-in hybrid hatch are locked in to join the local Cupra range in 2026, but for now we’ll focus on this trio.

There’s something immensely appealing about a car that can play two roles. 

An off-roader for the weekend and a school pick-up chariot Monday to Friday? How about a race car/grocery-getter combo?

The latter is what the Toyota GR Corolla wants to be, a slightly bigger and more day-to-day alternative to the first GR hot hatch, the Yaris.

Both of these cars have now been updated and are arriving in Australia now, and Toyota hopes the Corolla becomes an even better car to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Golf R. 

But can it do it?

We tested Toyota’s hotted-up Corolla on road and track to see if it’s up to the task.