You don't see many cars with a low-slung profile these days; such styles don’t really sit well in the development programmes of electric vehicles, but CUPRA has recently been producing cars that aim to bring back something of the performance car appeal of the past.
It seems to have done so quite successfully by adding battery electric cars into the mix - these now account for 34 per cent of sales.
The fact that CUPRA - a branch of the Spanish manufacturer, SEAT, which in turn is owned by Volkswagen - has managed to successfully regenerate this dwindling market after just seven years in business is a surprise in itself.
Back then, I, for one, wondered whether this quite radical enterprise had a real future in an era of transition.
Having driven the new Leon model, which sits alongside contenders such as the Golf GTi and the Ford Focus ST, I appreciated the logic of moving towards really innovative styling and driver engagement because that's really what CUPRA is about.
Performance figures are not as relevant as the sense of character that has been engineered into the car.
The dynamic chassis control system, for example, gives the car a sure-footedness that you don’t often experience these days.
The Leon’s low-profile design, along with bucket seats, makes it look a little intimidating at first, but it’s actually a very comfortable car for four. It might not make the top ten list of family cars, but it is quite spacious, and the ride quality is certainly not the bone-shaking experience it might have been had the tuning been overdone.
I drove the PHEV version, which will give a good 55 kilometres in electric mode, and delivered quite decent consumption of 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres on average - a little more for motorway driving. Also, at motorway speeds, it was a little noisier than I expected it to be, given the car’s low shark-nose front profile.
Like other PHEV’s, its pricing is punchy at €48,455 and it does carry that extra battery weight. There is plenty of available power, though.
The entry-level 1.5 TSi petrol model comes in with a starting price of €39,005, which is quite good and standard equipment includes those bucket seats, keyless entry, a 10.25" digital driver display and a 12.9" infotainment screen, an 11-speaker sound system and a rear view camera.
On the subject of the infotainment screen, I'm afraid I have to complain again about the fact that it can be fiddly and unpredictable, as is the case with other VW Group offerings. The fact that you have to dig into screen menus when driving. It is overly distracting, and the option of simple buttons would be more welcome and far less distracting.
There is a full suite of safety features, including front and lane assist, adaptive cruise control, adaptive high-beam LED headlights and emergency braking.
You could add extras such as the copper wheels for an extra cost and have a very appealing car, without paying a lot more.
However, it is a pity that moving up from the base model to the PHEV incurs an extra expenditure of over €9,000.
A diesel option is also available with a 2.0-litre 150 horsepower TDi engine and a price tag of €44,600.
Much of the appeal of the car was in smaller styling details. Copper-coloured stitching around much of the dashboard added a stylish look, as did some of the copper detailing on the wheels, and you have ambient interior lighting to enhance the cabin experience.
Within and without, the Leon has character you don’t experience a lot these days, and the driver engagement was a welcome change from the blander experiences of many other cars.
