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Cupra Leon vs Ford Focus

What's the difference?

VS
Cupra Leon
Cupra Leon

$31,999 - $57,880

2023 price

Ford Focus
Ford Focus

$19,990 - $42,888

2021 price

Summary

2023 Cupra Leon
2021 Ford Focus
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 1.4L

Turbo 3, 1.5L
Fuel Type
Premium Unleaded/Electric

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

6.4L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

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

  • Optional advanced safety
  • Better tyres would be nice
  • Too many optional colours
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.

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2021 Ford Focus Summary

Ford's small hatch, the Focus, is criminally under-bought in Australia. The latest model is  one of the best hatchbacks on the road and when you chuck in the decent price, impressive equipment and absurdly powerful engine for its size, it's a winner.

But you lot? You don't buy it in nearly the kinds of numbers it deserves. Partly because there isn't a bait-and-upsell boggo model to lure you in, partly because it's got a badge that is not exciting Australians any more and partly because it's not a compact SUV.

Or is(n't) it? Because alongside the ST-Line warm hatch is the identically priced and therefore technically a co-entry level model; the Focus Active. Slightly higher, with plastic cladding, drive modes and a conspicuous L on the transmission shifter, it's a little bit SUV, right?

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Deep dive comparison

2023 Cupra Leon 2021 Ford Focus

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