From Zero to Daycare in 4.89s

ACCELERATION – PUNCHES ABOVE ITS PRICE

Cupra claims 4.9 seconds to 100 km/h, and we matched that exactly with two on board and half a boot full of gear. This thing moves. Which you’d expect given it’s a Golf R under the hood. With 333 hp from a 2.0L turbo-four and less than 1.6 tonnes to carry, the VZ Sportstourer actually has a better power-to-weight ratio than the far more expensive new Audi S5 Avant. Throttle response is decent, and there’s a healthy torque surge available basically anywhere in the rev range. The only real complaint is the piped-in fake engine sound in Cupra mode which can sound overly artificial.

HANDLING – A HOT HATCH IN DAD SHOES

This isn’t just a straight-line hero. The chassis feels light, eager, and surprisingly communicative. Initial turn-in is sharp, and the car resists understeer far better than expected thanks to a torque-splitting rear diff shared with the RS3. Yep, even drift mode makes an appearance here. Grip levels are decent, the AWD system keeps things tidy, and there’s a playful edge when pushed. The ride is on the sporty side of comfortable, but never too harsh. It feels like a hot hatch in dad shoes.  

INTERIOR – BIG ON STYLE, BIGGER IN SPACE

Cupra’s interiors continue to stand out, even when materials aren’t class-leading. It’s the design cohesion that wins here: copper accents, consistent triangular and hexagonal motifs, and fonts with personality. Infotainment remains a sore point despite improvement. The screen itself looks tacked on, and the haptic slider controls for temperature are still a miss. Cabin and boot space is strong for the segment, eclipsing not just the Formentor but even the Terramar. You’ll bend more to load it, but you get more space in return.

EXTERIOR DESIGN – SHARP LINES CARRY THE TORCH

Talking about cohesion in the interior, it’s the same on the outside. The full-width light bar looks almost identical to that of its Cupra siblings (which is a good thing) as are the quad exhausts that hint at its sporting intent. The body lines are sharp without being fussy, and the whole thing looks especially sharp in this Enceladus Grey, which might be our favorite matte colour offered on a Cupra. It brings out the shapes, flatters the proportions, and gets noticed. 

COMPETITION – WHAT COMPETITION?

The VZ Sportstourer lives in a weird niche. It’s quicker than a Skoda Octavia RS while only being a bit more expensive, faster than a BMW 330i Touring or A5 Avant, and it gets dangerously close to an M340i or S5 Avant. But that’s the point: this Cupra either outperforms the competition easily, or it gives you 90% of the performance for 70% of the price. In a world increasingly full of SUVs, the Cupra Leon VZ Sportstourer feels like a genuine enthusiast's choice in a niche market. It’s a win for us.