Facelift for the Cupra Leon and the Formentor crossover: More aggressive design and more power

Cupra has officially presented the updates for the Leon and Formentor models. Both models benefit from a more aggressive design and now offer more power.

The Cupra Leon and Formentor have had an aggressive presence on the road from the very beginning, regardless of whether we are talking about the basic models or the high-performance versions. However, to make sure that sales remain as strong as before, the Spanish manufacturer is launching facelifts for the two models.

The designers took a bold approach and completely redesigned the front of the two models. Thus, Leon and Formentor facelift can be easily recognized with the help of the new front spoiler, which resembles a shark’s nose, inspired by the new Terramar. The updates brought new optical blocks, new logos and a large front grille to both models. There have also been changes to the rear, where the logo is now incorporated into the LED light strip.

The Cupra Leon and Formentor have undergone a major update

The interiors of the two models benefit from changes that are not as obvious as those on the outside, but they should improve the comfort on board the cars. These include a redesigned center console, new materials and clamshell seats covered in 73% recycled microfiber or eco-leather. The Cupra also revised the digital instrument cluster and fitted a larger 12.9-inch central screen. The Leon – Formentor pair also gets a 12-speaker audio system from Sennheiser.

Although the architecture remains the same, namely the MQB Evo platform, the high-performance versions now have more power. Thus, the 2.0-liter engine now produces 333 hp. It is only available on the Leon Sportstourer and Formentor and comes with a torque splitter, as we also saw on the Audi S3 facelift, but also with a braking system from Akebono. The 2.0-liter, 333 hp engine is mated exclusively to a 7-speed automatic transmission and benefits from all-wheel drive.

If you are not looking for maximum performance, in the engine range you will also find the 1.5-liter TSI engine with 150 HP and mild-hybrid technology, as well as two plug-in hybrid engines. They are also based on a 1.5 liter engine and come in two power versions: 204 HP or 272 HP. Thanks to the 19.7 kWh battery, the PHEV versions can travel over 100 km on a single charge. Cupra says it’s keeping the diesel engines for this update, a decision we’ve seen for all new cars built on the MQB Evo platform.