Cupra is supposed to be VW’s exciting mainstream brand, but the current Leon’s styling is so unmemorable it could give an insomniac a solid seven hours of rest with just once glimpse of its face. That’s something Cupra is changing for mid-2024 by giving its otherwise solid Golf-sized hatch and wagon a flavor of the brand’s new Tavascan.
The Tavascan is Cupra’s take on parent company VW’s ID.5, meaning it’s an electric SUV coupe built on the group’s MEB platform. And while the Leon won’t be doing anything as radical as hopping on the same architecture, because the 2024 update will only be a simple facelift of the current MQB Evo-based car, it will adopt some major Tavascan styling cues.
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Most of the big visual tweaks take place around the nose, where the Leon ditches its old fashioned and entirely forgettable conventional grille for a slimmer opening that stretches right across the bumper and is paired with a gaping intake mounted below. And you don’t need to take our word for it or to squint too hard at this camo-clad prototype for proof. Cupra gave us a sneak peek at the facelifted Leon way back in June 2022 when it rolled out the updated car as well as the refreshed Formentor, Born and the Tavascan at a public event.
Though the sheetmetal, including the hood and fenders appears unchanged, the shape of the headlight units and the design of the DRLs contained within them is new, and last June’s preview showed that the 2024 Cupra would feature a pair of body-color fangs pointing down from each lamp.
We can expect some handy upgrades to the tablet touchscreen inside the cabin that hopefully includes the bigger display seen on other new VW Group cars, but there probably won’t be a ton of changes in the engine bay. The current powertrain lineup is broad, starting with a simple 148 hp (150 PS) 1.5-liter inline four and stretching to a 2.0-liter four with 306 hp (310 PS), while a 1.4-liter PHEV with 242 hp (245 PS) is also on the menu.
