Zeekr 009 vs Cupra Leon

What's the difference?

The Zeekr 009 is difficult to fault. It's a luxurious, practical vehicle that's easy and enjoyable to drive. There's no SUV on the planet that can compete with its practicality, whether it's room for people and their cargo, or just getting in and out of the vehicle. The only thing I would change about the 009 in terms of family use are the captain's chairs in the second row; a bench seat here for three people would be more practical for a family. If, however, you are using the 009 as a chauffeur car then the captain's chairs would provide the comfort and luxury jet-setting executives would welcome.

The Cupra Leon VZe demands you give it an appropriate amount of time to get to know.

Because, as an unknown challenger brand, as a hatch in an SUV world, as a PHEV wearing an EV price tag, it is up against it. And it's too interesting a car to be summarily dismissed.

But as long as you're not expecting a pure hot-hatch-cum-ultra-economical eco warrior, the VZe is a close-enough approximation of both for it to be an intriguing and enjoyable multi-faceted small car, while also possessing a fair degree of space as well as styling flair.

If you can forgive the screwy multimedia and cope with the high pricing, there's a lot to love here.

You might think that there's only so much you can do to make a people mover good looking but Zeekr’s futuristic and alien-like take is inspired.

I love to sheer bluntness of the face. I love the chiseled looking bonnet, the LED running lights and the little show they put on every time you walk to or from the car. Even the side profile of the car sitting low and planted on its air suspension looks sleek and stylish. And I love the roulette-wheel-style alloys wheels.

I was impressed by the interior of the Lexus LM500h but the interior of the 009 exceeds even that with modern and youthful styling wrapped in beautiful soft leather upholstery. The second-row seats are just absolutely sumptuous and every single touch point throughout the cabin feels luxurious.

The 009 doesn't match the size of the gigantic entertainment screen in the second row of the LM500h but I found the drop down 17-inch 3K entertainment to have an even more modern look and feel.

One reason why you might want a Leon over, say, one of the more common PHEV SUVs like the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV, or even Cupra's own Formentor PHEV, is because of its pleasing, conventional five-door hatchback size and shape.

Sleek and chiselled, it is quite a looker, especially from the rear three-quarter view. And the wheels are equally pretty.

Only from front-on does the Leon seem anonymous and somewhat dated in appearance. But at least it avoids the droopy fussiness of the 308.

When it comes to practicality, no SUV on the planet can beat a people mover for space, storage and utility. The Zeekr 009 is beautifully luxurious with outstanding practicality.

Air suspension can lower the vehicle to an entry height that is just a small step into a cabin through the power sliding doors and while space in the second row is outstanding, entry to the third row is easy with the second-row seats folding forward at the touch of the button.

This third row by the way is the most spacious I have encountered with excellent leg and headroom.

Gigantic door pockets, a folding table between second-row seats, great storage under the floating centre console and in the centre console bin, cupholders in all three rows along with wireless charging pads and USB ports everywhere make this a practical and versatile cabin for families or executives.

Boot capacity with all seven seats in place is 574 litres and with the third row folded flat there's 2979 litres of volume.

A front boot can be found under the bonnet but will probably just fit the charging cable.

Once standard setters, VW interiors have copped flak lately, losing the lead they once enjoyed in terms of perceived quality and functionality. A big backward step.

Within this context, the Leon's cabin is as aesthetically appealing as the exterior's, with lots of interesting angles and textures set within a broadly familiar VW-corporate multi-level dashboard design and presentation.

Most of the basics are largely fine, too. From the superbly enveloping front bucket seats and commanding driving position, to excellent ventilation and plenty of storage, there's much to commend.

The same goes for the moody, techy ambience, though it's closer to ‘chilled Audi' than ‘zesty Latin' in flavour.

Directly ahead of the driver is a 10.25-inch instrument cluster, offering several combinations of vehicle speed/operation and multimedia views.

Some of it looks good, some suffers from info-overload, but at least it's all configurable. Pick your favourite. And build quality seems up to scratch, too.

Like the Golf, there's also above-average space for longer legs and outstretched arms, while – after having to duck down a bit to get in – head and shoulder room are sufficient.

Selecting gears is a matter of manipulating a charmless stubby toggle. It works well enough, but remember when VW Group owners could interact with a Tiptronic-style lever and feel more immersed in the driving process? Memories.

That's replaced by paddle shifters, a divisive substitute that's of debatable merit in an electrified vehicle such as this, since they would serve better as regenerative braking controls.

But that's only the beginning of the confusion that ensues in the Cupra.

Reach for the 12-inch touchscreen to scroll through your many and varied media options, try and figure out the trip computer or search for an odometer reading, and any goodwill earned will be severely curtailed by just how needlessly complicated these and other once-simple tasks have become.

Plus, frustratingly, our particular car's multimedia system would just switch off mid-operation. This is not good.

We're certain time and familiarity will help make sense of working out where everything is and how to access vehicle functions located within layers of that touchscreen's myriad menus, but it is distracting and complicated.

And how is it that we could not find how to switch on nighttime illumination for the climate controls? In a week we failed to find that answer. And who ever green-lit fiddly slide controls over good old buttons? It's maddeningly frustrating.

Moving to the back seat, the Leon makes up some ground.

Two larger adults should settle into the outboard positions comfortably and snugly, aided by a pair of rear-facing air vents accompanied by a climate-control panel, two USB-C ports, a folding centre armrest with cupholders, ski-port access to the boot and useful storage via door bins and map pockets. There's even enough space for a third, smaller passenger to squeeze in between.

Further back, while the boot floor is long and flat and with a large tailgate opening to aid loading stuff in and out, the actual cargo capacity is just 270 litres, or nearly one-third down on the regular petrol Leon grades' 380L offering. This is due to the battery pack and related EV gubbins.

Speaking of which, if you need to carry charging cables there's nowhere to properly store them other than in the main boot area. And don't forget, there's no spare wheel.

At least there's a sturdy parcel shelf to keep prying eyes from seeing what you're carting around.

The VZe's interior, then, is spacious and broadly sensibly executed, but is let down – and mostly unnecessarily so – by some of the details. We strongly recommend trying before buying.

There's lots to unpack here.

SEAT started in 1950 as a venture between Fiat, the Spanish government and some private banks, until VW took over in 1986 and turned it into a youth-baiting value brand. Think pre-current Kia positioning.

Meanwhile, Cupra ­– a portmanteau of Cup Racing – had began as SEAT's competition arm earlier that decade. And there's been a Leon (referencing both ‘lion' and a city in Spain) based on every Golf since the latter's Mk4 iteration, making this generation numero cuatro.

Halve that figure and you end up with the number of small-car PHEVs left in Australia – Cupra's and another big-cat evoking Euro, the Peugeot 308 GT Sport PHEV, costing a few grand more than the VZe from $64,990, before on-road costs.

These high prices are clearly hurdles for Australian small-car buyers. Even Mercedes-Benz recently axed the slow-selling A250e due to a lack of buyer interest. Kia dropped the Niro PHEV. And Hyundai canned the Ioniq PHEV.

So, why are these types of cars so expensive, then?

The Leon and 308 feature a turbo-petrol engine, backed up by a small motor and a battery pack that's large enough to provide a claimed 67km of electric-only range in the Cupra's case. On paper at least.

That's more than the cheaper non-plug-in hybrid alternatives like the wildly-popular Toyota Corolla and superb Honda Civic e:HEV can manage.

So, besides exclusivity and two powertrains, what does the Leon VZe give you for your circa-$65K drive-away ask?

On the safety front, you'll find the now-usual driver-assist items like autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-support systems and adaptive cruise control, as well as 10 airbags including a nifty front-centre item. More on this in the safety section below.

Buyers also score LED headlights, auto high beams, fog lights with cornering function, adaptive dampers, tyre-pressure monitors, a reverse camera, electronic instrumentation, three-zone climate control, variable-ratio steering, keyless entry/start, satellite navigation, wireless phone charging as well as wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

There's also rear privacy glass, four USB-C ports, sports front seats, a heated steering wheel, paddle shifters, ambient lighting, powered/heated exterior mirrors as well as 19-inch alloy wheels and a tyre repair kit. No spare wheel is offered.

The pricier 308 PHEV has most of these plus Matrix LED lighting, Nappa leather upholstery, panoramic opening sunroof, heated/massaging front seats, 360-degree surround-view vision and a digital radio, but has smaller (18-inch) alloys and no adaptive dampers.

Our test car was fitted with the 'Leather Package' that adds $2050 to the price, ushering in leather upholstery, heated front seats with driver's side power and memory, premium audio and dash-top stitching, while the sunroof costs $1800 more.

These take the VZe north of $65,000 drive-away. That's pure-EV territory. Little wonder buyers baulk at PHEV small cars in Australia.

The Zeekr 009 has two electric motors - one at the front and one at the rear - with a combined output of 450kW and 693Nm. That's Lamborghini Huracan stuff! Almost identical power, but this has more torque.

Not only does this provide all-wheel drive and fantastically controlled traction, but the way the power and torque is delivered is simply superb. This is a seven-seater rocket that will never leave the ground - hopefully.

The nature of electric motors - especially these ones - are the perfect fit for this vehicle, providing a serenely quiet, luxurious and effortlessly powerful experience.

Under the Leon VZe's bonnet is a variation of the German parent brand's familiar 1395cc 1.4-litre direct-injection four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.

This Euro 6-rated unit produces 110kW of power between 5000-6000rpm and 250Nm of torque from 1550-3500rpm.

Meanwhile, the 85kW/330Nm electric motor also nestled under there is fed by a 12.8kWh Lithium-ion battery pack slung out back. The system outputs combined produce 180kW and 400Nm.

Weighing in at 1634kg (tare), the VZe's power-to-weight ratio is an impressive 110kW per tonne, explaining this portly small car's feisty 6.7 second dash in the 0-100km/h sprint. However, once the battery is depleted, that drops to a much-more mundane 67.3kW/tonne.

Based on VW's 'MQB Evo' modular transverse engine architecture, the Leon features a sports-tuned MacPherson-style strut set-up up front and a multi-link rear end, while adaptive dampers and variable-ratio electric power steering are also fitted.

The Zeekr 009 has a 116kWh battery which is enormous - almost the biggest you can get in Australia currently. This lithium-ion battery has a range of 582km (WLTP). There are petrol cars that can’t go that far on a tank.

The battery has an AC charging capacity of 11kW and DC charging capacity of 205kW, allowing you to charge from 10-80 per cent in 39 minutes.

Energy consumption is officially 19.5kWh/100km and we’ve been getting an average of 23.5kWh/100km.

That’s because this thing is so heavy at 2.9 tonnes.

Cupra says the combined cycle average fuel consumption figure is a startling 1.8 litres per 100km, equating to just 40 grams per kilometre of carbon-dioxide emissions. The electricity consumption claim is 11.2kWh/100km.

Out in the real world, we averaged 5.9L/100km pump-to-pump, while the car's trip computer read 5.5L. This is a disappointment.

It must be all those extra kilos the VZe has to carry around, as most of our driving was inner-urban or casual freeway cruising. The stop/start system was working overtime once that battery depleted.

We managed fewer than 40km of pure-electric driving, against a WLTP rating of 52km (or 67km using the more-lenient NEDC number Cupra quotes), with the trip computer telling us we were averaging 5.9kWh/100km – a figure likely achieved in hybrid mode with the petrol engine chiming in.

Charging times vary, with the 12.8kWh battery needing between six and eight hours plugged in at home, or about four hours using a 7.0kW AC charger via the Type 2 connector. No DC rapid charging ability is available.

Filling up the 40L fuel tank with the required 95 RON premium unleaded petrol and giving the VZe the benefit of the doubt by using the official fuel consumption average of 1.8L/100km to find out its PHEV range, you could theoretically achieve 2220km between refills.

Or about one-third of that by our real-world experience.

The Zeekr 009 is one of the largest vehicles on the Australian market at almost three tonnes and 5.2 meters long but it's also one of the most comfortable, and one of the easiest and most enjoyable cars I've driven.

This is for three main reasons. The first is the air suspension which provides a beautifully comfortable and composed ride.

The next is those electric motors which provide so much grunt but in a very predictable way that's smooth, silent and instant, allowing you to move through traffic or drive confidently on a motorway.

Finally the visibility, steering and pedal feel all combined to provide an effortless piloting experience through narrow laneways, carparks or while parking.

Adding to the enjoyment of driving this people mover is a comfortable, plush interior that's so well insulated that you'll coast serenely through traffic.

As for handling, I have also driven the 009 on a race track at Sydney Motorsport Park. I pushed it through a couple of corners where even some sports have cars struggled to maintain their composure and this massive people move performed surprisingly well, staying planted through the corners.

I've also taken the 009 onto a skid pan and intentionally tried to slide the vehicle and even under these controlled conditions it showed no sign of roll or loss of control.

Having taken the 009 through probably the widest range of testing I've ever put a car through I'd say that it feels safe and secure in pretty much any real-world condition you will experience.

There aren't many PHEVs out there, and that may remain the case, for Australians at least.

But the Leon VZe is definitely one of the more enjoyable of the breed to drive and ride in, with a sporty bias that lives up to its sleek and sexy styling.

With a fully-charged battery, off-the-line acceleration is brisk, and remains rapid as the revs and speed rise. It's smooth and slick in the best VW Group manner, and is accompanied by an appropriately stirring exhaust note. Especially in racy 'Cupra' mode.

The extra torque provided by the electric motor is also felt at low speeds, with little hesitation or delay from the throttle and DCT if the driver wants to instantly plug gaps in traffic.

Expertly tuned, the Cupra ought to be commended for how well-modulated everything feels and responds.

Find a fast, curvy ribbon of road and the Leon's steering comes alive, providing plenty of feel and control, backed up by a taut and agile chassis tune. Whether in 'Comfort' or 'Sport' modes, this is an athletic little hatch.

What the VZe isn't is a hot hatch.

When pushed, even in Sport or Cupra mode, it feels far heavier and less zippy than, say, a Golf GTI, lacking the latter's lithe spirit and dynamic dexterity.

That's not to say the Cupra isn't an involving, capable and secure handler or road-holder, because in isolation this is a terrific little car to hammer along. But it doesn't excite or thrill like the best of them. For more clarity on this, please drive a Civic Type R.

The driver can switch between electric, hybrid and turbo-engine-only modes to help preserve electricity, but once the battery is spent, there isn't the same level of punchy torque available.

Better, then, to instead select Comfort mode and let the adaptive dampers isolate you from those irritating bumps; while not plush, the ride is compliant enough for the VZe to make a very good impression of a grand tourer. Road noise intrusion, too, is pleasingly muted.

We're also grateful Cupra allows the driver to mix-and-match the drive modes, so you can choose a spicy engine tune with cushy suspension if you wish.

Note, however, that our Leon insisted on defaulting to Sport mode after every start-up. Using the flummoxing touchscreen to figure out how to change that to Comfort or Normal was a challenge.

Otherwise, there's much to enjoy from behind the wheel of the VZe. Probably the most fun PHEV we've ever punted around.

Tested in 2021, the Leon range achieved an ANCAP crash-test rating of five stars.

The VZe is fitted with 10 airbags – dual front, side chest, side head, driver knee and a front centre item; the latter is there to help reduce occupant-collision injury in lateral impacts.

On the driver assist tech side of things, the AEB includes pedestrian, cyclist and reversing detection, and there's 'Lane Assist', park assist, blind-spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert with exit warning, a driver-fatigue monitor, emergency assist and tyre pressure monitors.

The AEB is operational between 5.0km/h and 250km/h. Likewise, the lane-support systems kick in between 65-250km/h.

The VZe is also fitted with electronic stability control, traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, adaptive cruise control, an alarm, auto on/off LED headlights with auto high beam, cornering driving lights, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and a rear-view camera.

Plus, the outboard rear seats include ISOFIX child restraint anchors as well as three top tethers for top straps.

The 009 is covered by Zeekr’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. The battery is covered by an eight-year/160,000km warranty.

Servicing is recommended every 40,000km or every two years, whichever comes first. There’s also five years/unlimited kilometres of roadside assistance and five years of connected services as standard.

The Cupra comes with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, which is standard fare nowadays, as well as five years of roadside assistance.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km.

The VZe is offered with a three-year or five-year service pack in place of capped-priced servicing. The price for three years is $990 (until December 31, 2023).