Launched in Europe a couple of months ago, the 2021 Cupra Leon was recently subjected to the moose test.
With the safety systems turned on, it made a good impression at 75 km/h (47 mph), with Km77 noting that neither understeer nor oversteer were noticeable.
Nonetheless, in order to pass the test, it must exceed 77 km/h (48 mph). And it did it at 79 km/h (49 mph) without hitting any cones – unlike its platform-sharing sibling, the Volkswagen Golf Mk8, which failed the test earlier this year.
Related: New 2020 Cupra Leon Hatch And Wagon Are Here As Golf GTI’s Slightly Hotter Mediterranean Cousins
The 2021 Cupra Leon impressed in the slalom evaluation, where it performed better than one of its biggest rivals, the Ford Focus ST, with a peak speed of 80 km/h (50 mph). Switching off the ESC though turned out to be not a good idea, as it made the Spanish plug-in hybrid hot hatch less maneuverable.
Powered by a 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine and an electric motor, the 242 hp Cupra Leon plug-in hybrid can do the 0 to 62 mph (0-100 km/h) in 6.7 seconds and hit a 140 mph (225 km/h) top speed. The 13 kWh lithium-ion battery can be recharged in 3.5 hours at a Wallbox and gives it an electric range of 34-37 miles (55-60 km/h) on the WLTP cycle. Pricing starts at €37,816 ($46,074) in Germany.
Other powertrain options include a 242 HP 2.0-liter four-pot and a 296 HP variant of the same engine. The 306 HP and 295 lb-ft (400 Nm) unit is reserved for the Sportstourer wagon, which is also equipped with all-wheel drive.
