The Cupra Leon Plug-In Hybrid Hatchback: The Complete Guide For India

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Electric Cars: The Basics

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For those of you new to zero-emission electric driving, we recommend a read of the following articles:

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The Cupra Leon PHEV Hatchback

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SEAT CUPRA, S.A.U, simply known as CUPRA, is the high-performance motorsport subsidiary of SEAT S.A., Spain’s first family car manufacturer. The automotive company was founded in 1950 and is headquartered in Martorell, Spain. 

In 1986, SEAT was sold to the German automotive group, Volkswagen A.G. CUPRA was previously known as SEAT Sport. The high-performance CUPRA brand was created in 2018. The manufacturer is committed to becoming a fully-electric brand by 2030. CUPRA is expected to introduce the all-electric Cupra Terramar and the all-electric Cupra UrbanRebel in due course. The company has the following portfolio of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs):

• CUPRA Formentor e-HYBRID
• CUPRA Leon e-HYBRID
• CUPRA Leon Estate e-HYBRID
• All-electric CUPRA Born
• All-electric CUPRA Tavascan

The Cupra Leon compact hatchback is the high-performance version of the Seat Leon hatchback. The Leon has been sold since 1999, and is now in its fourth generation. The vehicle is built on the Volkswagen Group MQB platform. The Cupra Leon (formerly Seat Leon Cupra) plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) is a good option for those seeking high-performance, but in an environmentally-friendly electric vehicle (EV).

In the Cupra electric hatchback, the automotive manufacturer has successfully combined a ‘hot hatch’ performance, along with an environmentally-friendly plug-in hybrid engine. The electric vehicle (EV) has a 12.8 kWh onboard EV battery, with a WLTP certified zero-emission electric range up to 59 km.

The real-world EV range will be lower, impacted by a number of factors, to include: driving profile, speed, passenger load, weather, road condition, wheel size, etc. Assuming a 50 km emission-free electric range is more realistic. However, that should be just fine for most shorter commutes. Do keep in mind that the average commute is a mere 25 km. Hardly surprising, given that the majority of our day-to-day trips include going to the grocery store, school-runs, high street, gym, to work etc.

In fact, the more the EV is driven on the pure electric mode, the better is the overall fuel economy of the vehicle. The manufacturer claims that the Cupra PHEV has a fuel economy up to 1.3 l/100km. To achieve anywhere close to the claimed economy, driving the plug-in electric car on EV mode will be imperative. If the PHEV is driven primarily using the petrol engine, the fuel economy will be closer to the internal combustion engine (ICE) variant.

Another advantage of the Cupra PHEV, compared to the conventional petrol variant (172g CO2/km), is the reduced tailpipe emissions from the PHEV (29g CO2/km). Lower the tailpipe emissions, lower the air pollution!

The EV has a 3.6 kW onboard charger, and using a dedicated home EV charging station, can be fully charged in under four hours. Of course, EV owners ‘top-up’ the battery charge on a regular basis. This way, one does not need to wait four hours for a full charge!

Moreover, topping up on a regular basis is also better for the long-term maintenance of the onboard EV battery. Cupra offers a 8 years or 160,000 km warranty.

Yes, a 3-PIN domestic socket can be used for charging the EV, however, we at e-zoomed discourage the use a domestic socket for charging an EV. It is faster and safer to use a dedicated EV charging station. The EV does not offer DC charging compatibility.

As would be expected from a Cupra badge, the exterior styling does not disappoint. The copper badged plug-in electric hatchback has a distinctive styling, placing it among the best looking electric hatchbacks in the market. The interior is also high quality and more importantly, practical. Adults seated on the rear seats have amply headroom and legroom. However, due to the placement of the EV battery, the boot space is not as large (270 L).

A number of intelligent safety features are available to include: emergency assist, rain/ light sensor, exit warning, rear traffic alert, front assist, side assist and the Cupra eCall emergency service.

The Cupra Leon plug-in hybrid pairs the 1.4 e-HYBRID petrol engine with an electric motor. In terms of performance, the front-wheel drive PHEV delivers up to 245 PS and 250 Nm torque. The top speed is 225 km/h, and the EV can achieve 0-100 km/h in 6.4 seconds. Of course, the EV benefits from instant torque.

Bottom-line, electric driving is good for the environment and the wallet! The Cupra electric car is not available in India.

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PROS	CONS
Attractive, distinctive and stylish exterior	Charging limited to 3.6 kW. DC charging not available
A good combination of performance and efficiency	Boot space limited
High quality interior, with ample legroom and headroom for rear seats	Electric range limited

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The Cupra Leon Hatchback PHEV (credit: Cupra)

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At A Glance
EV Type:	Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV)
Vehicle Type:	Hatchback
Engine:	Petrol-Electric
Available In India:	No

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Variants (1 Option)
Cupra Leon Hatch (from ₹ N/A)

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EV Battery & Emissions
EV Battery Type:	Lithium-ion
EV Battery Capacity:	Available in one battery size: 12.8 kWh
Charging:	DC charging not available. Onboard charger 3.6 kW (0%-100%: 3 hrs 42 mins)
Charge Port:	Type 2
EV Cable Type:	Type 2
Tailpipe Emissions:	29g (CO2/km)
Battery Warranty:	8 years or 160,000 km

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Dimensions
Height (mm):	1467
Width (mm):	1799
Length (mm):	4389
Wheelbase (mm):	2682
Turning Circle (m):	10.5
Boot Space (L):	270

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Leon Hatch VZ2 1.4 e-HYBRID
EV Battery Capacity:	12.8 kWh
Pure Electric Range (WLTP):	59 km
Electric Energy Consumption (Wh/km):	153.8
Fuel Consumption (l/100km):	1.3
Charging:	DC charging not available. Onboard charger 3.6 kW (0%-100%: 3 hrs 42 mins)
Top Speed:	225 km/h
0-100 km/h:	6.4 seconds
Drive:	Front-wheel drive (FWD)
Max Power (PS):	245
Torque (Nm):	250
Transmission:	Automatic
Seats:	5
Doors:	5
Weight (kg):	1,596
Colours:	10
NCAP Safety Rating:	Five-Star

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Electric Car Charging: A Snapshot

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Charging an electric vehicle (EV), is really quite as simple as charging your smart mobile phone i.e. plug and play! Both, battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are charged in the same manner. Below is a brief guide to charging an electric car:

• Just like a conventional internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle is filled with fuel, similarly, an electric car is filled with ‘fuel’, the only difference being that the fuel is electricity and not petrol or diesel. In a petrol or diesel car the fuel is stored in a fuel tank, while in an electric vehicle, like the Tesla Model Y, the electricity is stored in an EV battery, usually a lithium-ion battery.

• Electric cars can be charged at home or at public charging points. Most EV charging is done at home overnight via a dedicated EV charging station. However, some households still use a 3-PIN domestic plug to charge an EV. We strongly discourage the use of a 3-PIN domestic plug and instead encourage the installation of a high quality home EV charging station, like Webasto or EVBox.

• Pure electric cars take longer to charge than plug-in hybrid electric cars, as pure EVs have a larger EV battery. In most cases a pure electric car will have an EV battery between 30 kWh and 100 kWh, while a plug-in hybrid electric car will usually have an EV battery between 8 kWh and 15 kWh. Charging an EV at home can take between 3 to 15 hours, depending on the size of the EV battery and the type of charge point or 3-PIN plug engaged for charging. Home charging is AC charging, and in most cases up to 7.4 kW, as most homes, to include, India, are singe-phase.

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Charging Times (Overview)
Slow charging AC (3 kW – 3.6 kW):	6 – 12 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SOC)
Fast charging AC (7 kW – 22 kW):	3 – 8 hours (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging AC (43 kW):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Rapid charging DC (50 kW+):	0-80%: 20 mins to 60 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Ultra rapid charging DC (150 kW+):	0-80% : 20 mins to 40 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)
Tesla Supercharger (120 kW – 250 kW):	0-80%: up to 25 mins (dependent on size of EV battery & SoC)

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• Public charging, to include workplace charging, is quite similar to home charging, except, the charging stations are faster and sometimes more expensive to charge per kWh. Public charging stations are both AC and DC charging, however, the AC charging is at a much faster rate (22 kW). DC charging, is the fastest way to charge an EV and depending on the EV battery size, DC charging can fully charge an EV battery in less than 40 minutes. In general, plug-in hybrid cars do not use DC charging i.e. DC charging is mostly used by pure electric cars. DC charging stations can range between 50 kW to 300 kW.

• We always encourage EV owners to carry an EV cable in the car, as not all public charging points are tethered (attached cable). We recommend the use of a 5m EV charging cable, and preferably a high visibility colour. Of course, you can buy high quality EV charging cables and EV charging stations via e-zoomed.

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While e-zoomed uses reasonable efforts to provide accurate and up-to-date information, some of the information provided is gathered from third parties and has not been independently verified by e-zoomed. While the information from the third party sources is believed to be reliable, no warranty, express or implied, is made by e-zoomed regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of any information. This disclaimer applies to both isolated and aggregate uses of this information.

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