Cupra Formentor vs Cupra Leon – is the hatchback even more fun?

The Leon is in the unique position of being sold under two brand names: in well-behaved versions such as Seat and for the more peppery variants such as Cupra. That immediately brings us to the elephant in the room, because as much as Cupra does its best to erase all associations with Seat, that link is still there for the public and we fully understand that, as witnessed by the model politics. Before Cupra (combination of ‘cup’ and ‘racing’) became an independent brand, the sporty model variants of the Seat Ibiza and Leon bore that name. Now all references to the past have almost been erased and the Leon is simply available from two brands.

The Cupra Formentor is not even that much higher than the Leon.

And then the story of the Formentor. As mentioned, it is closely related to the Leon. It’s basically a crossover based on the Leon; the two relate to each other in the same way that the Volkswagen Golf does to the T-Roc. We recently had the Formentor in a comparison test and with that we can easily discuss the main features of the powertrain. It is identical in both cars: it is a plug-in hybrid that combines a 1.4-liter TSI engine with 150 hp with an electric motor of 115 hp, together good for a system power of 245 hp. If you want to tow a trailer or caravan, you should pay attention. The Leon is not allowed to tow a trailer, while a trailer of up to 1,500 kilos is allowed behind the Formentor.

Leon the better choice if you really care about sportsmanship

Sportsmanship is still a brand value at Cupra, but they are no longer real top athletes. At least, not in the Netherlands. In our country you will only find electric or plug-hybrid powertrains at Cupra. The Formentor VZ5, with that great five-cylinder from the Audi RS3, is not available in the Netherlands and it is precisely that model that still has that old-fashioned Cupra disorder in it. But don’t worry, even in these less potent Spaniards, the qualities of good chassis tuning emerge. If sportiness is what you’re after, the Leon is definitely the better choice of the two. The center of gravity is slightly lower, you are closer to the road and the car therefore feels a bit sharper. That is largely due to the tires. The sporty Bridgestones Potenza on the Leon have a lower and stiffer sidewall than the more comfort-oriented Bridgestones Turanza on the Formentor. Although the wheels have a different design, they are the same size, but the tires have different sizes: 235/35R19 for the Leon and 245/40R19 for the Formentor. You can immediately feel the differences in tire size and type in the steering, which is very alert in the Leon. It makes the Leon much more playful; he turns a roundabout into a party.

We think the Formentor is already very festive for an SUV-like car, but the Leon offers even more driving pleasure.

Not that the Formentor would be the opposite, because that too is an entertaining car, as we described in previous tests. Especially since the 245-hp versions have adaptive shock absorbers as standard. That is not a placebo attitude, as you sometimes suspect, because the differences are really very large. In the comfort mode it is a bit quieter, but in the Cupra mode it feels much firmer and the steering is even more direct. You can hear a kind of five-cylinder roll through the speakers, although that is a bit too much of a good thing in our opinion.

The Cupra Formentor, it takes some getting used to the fake sound of the plug-in hybrid.

For both the Leon and the Formentor, you can seriously go hard with these settings. They are stable and give a sure feeling through the steering, even on bad roads. The Leon is therefore almost certainly the most fun car to drive in this class.

Height Formentor emphasized by screen edges

Maybe it’s nice to take a tour of the cars to see the design differences. The height has already been mentioned – it makes a difference of about five centimetres. But even things that seem the same at first glance suddenly turn out to be different. The logo in the tailgate can tilt on the Leon to open the tailgate. With the Formentor, the logo is fixed and there is a push button a little lower. The layout of the rear is otherwise almost the same, although the Formentor has more ‘look’. At first, nothing seems different at the front, until you notice the round fog lights in the bumper of the Formentor. It visually nicely breaks up the extra height. That height is also visually emphasized in the side view. At the bottom by the screen edges and profiles at the bottom of the doors in contrasting color and at the top by a set of roof rails. Both models have copper-colored exhaust tips, but with the Leon they are just as fake and sealed as with the Formentor, because the exhaust actually ends a bit earlier under the car. Inside, the difference is limited to the luggage compartment. The Formentor has slightly more trunk space than the Leon, which in turn is also available as a station wagon, for those who appreciate extra space.

The dashboard is exactly the same in both models, but you can see the small difference in luxury level here. The tested Leon is a VZ Adrenaline and the Formentor a VZ Performance. The latter is slightly higher up the ladder and has partial leather on the seats and the two round buttons on the steering wheel: start button and drive mode switch.

The extra buttons on the Formentor’s steering wheel because it’s a VZ Performance.

A Leon is €3,500 less expensive

The key question: are they different or actually the same? Price strongly influences the answer to that question. In the same version, the price difference is €3,500 in favor of the Leon. If you ask us, that is not sick, for a little more ground clearance and a somewhat different body. Those who attach more value to sporty driving should not hesitate at all and always opt for the Leon. But if you’re looking for an all-rounder, the Formentor with its higher entry and slightly more space in the back is a good choice. Plus you have a pretty unique car; after all, it is not there as a Seat, but only as a Cupra. But to be fair, the similarities are greater than the differences.