A fun and sporty drive and surprisingly practical for the kids too!
By Tace Clifford
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The 2023 Cupra Leon is a sporty five-seater hatch from Spain; let's jump straight in and see how this stacks up as a BabyDrive…
BabyDrive Verdict
Small sporty hatchbacks like the Cupra Leon may not be the most obvious choice as a family car; however, this type of vehicle can often be surprisingly practical, as well as fuel-efficient and fun to drive. Or perhaps you're considering a hatchback for your own enjoyment and want to see how practical it will be with the kids as well… This is the review for you!
Straight into the back seats for the parenting stuff. When it comes to installing child seats, there are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats; they are not within plastic guides but behind a discrete slit in the fabric of the seat. Despite the subtle design, I found them nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the backrests of the two outer rear seats and the central top tether anchorage is behind the central headrest.
Two Infasecure child seats fit really easily in the rear seats of the 2023 Cupra Leon. I installed the Infasecure Attain More behind the front passenger and the Adapt More infant capsule rear-facing behind the driver.
Legroom is surprisingly good in the Cupra Leon, and a 186cm driver can fit in front of a forward-facing Infasecure Achieve More child seat. I could sit comfortably in front of the Adapt More infant capsule with room to space (I'm 162cm).
Rear passengers are very well catered to, with cup holders in the central seat fold-down armrest. Reusable or disposable coffee cups fit for older passengers, or a child's cup will fit in them too.
Map pockets on the back of both front seats will hold an iPad or book but not conceal it, and there are USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box for charging devices.
The rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle.
In the front, the storage is quite minimal. In the central console, there are two cup holders that will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup but not two at the same time. In front of the gear lever is a phone charging well.
The central console box under the armrest is compact in size and houses a 12V socket.
The glove box is a good size and will hold my wallet and iPad with the manual.
There is no glasses case in the ceiling but the front door bins will hold a refillable water bottle and an iPad fits in them too.
The cabin of the 2023 Cupra Leon is minimal, with the usual array of buttons and dials housed within the media screen instead.
Around in the boot, the 2023 Cupra Leon will hold ten shopping bags. That's comparable to the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and the Peugeot 308 which all hold ten shopping bags. If you want more boot space in your hatchback, a Honda Civic will hold 12 or Kia Cerato 13.
The Jiffle Wagon versatile 6-in-1 pram with its seat fits nicely in the boot of the 2023 Cupra Leon with room for a shopping bag. The Jiffle wagon holds up to 60kg of cargo inside the wagon, too, so you have heaps of extra storage, and you don't have to unload it to put it into the boot.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram, fully folded, with its bassinet, fits nicely in the boot of the Cupra Leon, with room for four bags of shopping.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram with its cart fits nicely in the boot of the 2023 Cupra Leon, with lots of room for two bags of shopping.
And with its compatible Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the 2023 Cupra Leon…
…the Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram fits nicely in the boot of the Cupra Leon, with room for two bags of shopping.
If your family has a fur baby, you can transport a small dog in the boot of the 2023 Cupra Leon.
There are aircon vents in the back of the central console box in the 2023 Cupra Leon, perfect for keeping little rear passengers at the right temperature while driving along. You can control the climate through the front media screen.
The media system in the 2023 Cupra Leon is modern, and I found it a little impenetrable to use. I am sure given more time with the car you will work out how to use it easily.
You control the climate through the media system for the front…
…and for the rear of the car. You can lock the rear climate, too, which is great, so little kids in the back can't fiddle with it. I find using the climate through the media screen a little tricky sometimes while driving and miss manual dials.
I did find that the iClimate function has good shortcuts for easy use while driving. There are also simple press button controls below the media screen; unfortunately, I found the display in them difficult to use at night.
The media system in the Cupra Leon has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone's music, podcast, messaging and navigaiton apps while driving.
In reverse the camera images are lovely and crisp and clear, you have multiple viewing angles and you can turn the parking sensors on and off on the screen easily.
The 2023 Cupra Leon is a lovely car to drive. It is fast and fun, so once you've dropped the kids off, you can have a bit of a blast in it! Visibility is very good out of the rear windscreen, even with two child seats in the back, the steering is incredibly light, and the turning circle is very small, so it is easy to park and maneuver in tight spaces.
Dual frontal, side chest, side head, and a driver knee airbag are standard. A centre airbag which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes is also standard on all variants.
BabyDrive Indepth
BabyDrive Indepth - Storage
How big is the boot of the new 2023 Cupra Leon?
The 2023 Cupra Leon will hold ten shopping bags. That's comparable to the Volkswagen Golf, Audi A3 and the Peugeot 308 which all hold ten shopping bags. If you want more boot space in your hatchback, a Honda Civic will hold 12 or Kia Cerato 13.
The Jiffle Wagon versatile 6-in-1 pram with its seat fits nicely in the boot of the Cupra Leon with room for a shopping bag. The Jiffle wagon holds up to 60kg of cargo inside the wagon, too, so you have heaps of extra storage, and you don't have to unload it to put it into the boot.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram, fully folded, with its bassinet fits nicely in the boot of the Leon, with room for four bags of shopping.
The Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram with its cart fits nicely in the boot of the Cupra Leon, with lots of room for two bags of shopping.
And with its compatible Infasecure Adapt More Infant capsule installed into the Cupra Leon…
…the Jiffle Wagon 6-in-1 pram fits nicely in the boot of the Cupra Leon, with room for two bags of shopping.
If your family has a fur baby, you can transport a small dog in the boot of the Cupra Leon.
The boot space and its functionality are really important. I like to have a big boot space and little side wells or areas I can divide things into. So something I don’t want to move around while I’m driving such as the kids lunch bag or her wet swimming gear can be sectioned off in a little well where it’s not going to spill or get squashed by the rest of the things in the boot.
Hooks for securing shopping bags to are also favourites of mine, I like being able to secure the bag containing more fragile things like eggs so they don’t move around on the journey.
I measure the boot space in freezer shopping bags, prams and dogs. Not because I think all there is to a mum’s life is food shopping, prams and dogs. (Although it can feel like it sometimes!!) But because these are visually mesurable items we can all associate with. For me, the car company boot measurement of litres is not an amount I can easily visualise and 400L in one car may differ in usability to that in another due to the configuration or shape of the space.
The twin side-by-side stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 Cupra Leon with two shopping bags beside it.
A compact stroller fits in the boot of the 2023 Cupra Leon with eight bags beside it.
How good is storage inside the 2023 Cupra Leon?
In the cabin of the 2023 Cupra Leon, storage in the front is quite minimal. In the central console, two cup holders will hold a reusable or disposable coffee cup, but I found not two cups at the same time. In front of the gear lever is a phone charging well.
The central console box under the armrest is compact in size and houses a 12V socket.
The glove box is a good size and will hold my wallet and iPad with the manual.
There is no glasses case in the ceiling of the 2023 Cupra Leon. The front door bins will hold a refillable water bottle, and an iPad fits in them too.
Rear passengers are well catered for, with cup holders in the central seat fold-down armrest. Reusable or disposable coffee cups fit for older passengers, or a child's cup will fit in them too.
Map pockets on the back of both front seats will hold an iPad or book but not conceal it, and there are USB-C sockets in the back of the central console box for rear passengers to charge their devices.
The rear door bins will hold a refillable water bottle.
BabyDrive Indepth - Noise
How noisy is the 2023 Cupra Leon? How good is the media system in the 2023 Cupra Leon?
The 2023 Cupra Leon does not have alarms and warnings constantly going off and disturbing your family's enjoyment of the drive.
The media system in the 2023 Cupra Leon is modern, and I found it a little tricky to navigate and get used to. I only drove the Cupra Leon for a week with my family, so I am sure that given more time with the vehicle, you would learn to use the system efficiently.
You control the climate through the media system for the front…
…and for the rear of the car. You can lock the rear climate, too, which is great, so little kids in the back can't fiddle with it. I find using the climate through the media screen a little tricky sometimes while driving and miss manual dials. There are touch-sensitive slider type controls beneath the screen but they are tricky to use while driving, especially at night.
That said, the iClimate function has good shortcuts for easy use while driving.
The media system in the Cupra Leon has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, so you can easily access your phone and Apps while driving.
In reverse the camera images are lovely and crisp and clear, you have multiple viewing angles and you can turn the parking sensors on and off on the screen easily.
Becoming a parent I soon realised there are some noises and sounds I feel are unnecessary and I could happily live without if it meant my baby stayed asleep!!
That often the distraction of my screaming, distressed baby is more dangerous when driving than not having a lane departure warning for example.
If it is the lane departure warning beeping that creates distress with my baby then which is safest?
It’s where I think we need to be able to strike a balance and choose when we can mute the warnings or swap them to a vibration in the steering wheel or flashing light perhaps?
A lot of these noises come with the increase in technology and especially linked to safety features and alerts. For me these all have their place.
Another thing I have realised is I spend my time in a lot more places where small children roam, parks, beaches, play gyms, swimming lessons, daycare centre etc. I have become more aware that when I’m reversing or manouvering in the car parks I have to tripple check for small children running around behind me or being in my blind spot when reversing. For this I LOVE reversing cameras, I just don’t like their beeping sounds!!
I have become so much more aware of safety and potential accidents or hazards since having a child and so I love the peace of mind that I get from the cameras and sensors combined with my own vision from windows and mirrors as I don’t trust cameras alone.
The indicators are not too loud in the Cupra Leon and you can lock the windows using the buttons in the driver's door…
… and lock the doors with a button in the central console below the gear knob.
BabyDrive Indepth - Car Seats
How many child seats fit in the 2023 Cupra Leon?
There are ISOFix points in the two outer rear seats, in the 2023 Cupra Leon; they are not within plastic guides but behind a slit in the fabric of the seat that is super subtle but despite this they are nice and easy to connect to.
There are top tether anchorages on the backrests of the two outer rear seats, and the central top tether anchorage sticks up behind the central headrest.
Two Infasecure child seats fit really easily in the rear seats of the 2023 Cupra Leon. I installed the Infaecure Achieve More and the Adapt More infant capsule rear-facing behind the driver.
Legroom is surprisingly good in the Cupra Leon, and a 186cm driver can fit in front of a forward-facing Infasecure Achieve More child seat. At 162cm I had room to spare in my driving position in front of the Adapt More infant capsule but drivers taller than around 170cm would struggle.
Posting Bub into their child seats in the back from inside and outside the car is relatively easy. The door openings are large enough, and with only one child seat installed, there is plenty of interior space.
Australia being a country of weather extremes; blazing sun and torrential rain, mean you may find it easier to put Bub into their seat from inside the car sometimes. If it’s hot you can get the air-con going, cool the car down and not stand out in the sun while you fasten them in or shelter from the rain and not get soaked yourself whilst you’re doing it. So it is important to test whether Bub can be easily installed from either direction!
I found there is room to feed Bub in the back with a child seat installed.
BabyDrive Indepth - Drive & Comfort
How comfortable is the 2023 Cupra Leon? And How good is the 2023 Cupra Leon to drive?
The front seats of the Cupra Leon are sporty in design and nice and comfortable. The headrests are not adjustable they are part of the backrest.
For a mum travelling in the back with one Bub, the seats are very comfortable too.
If you sit in the central rear seat, there is a hump in the footwell, so you have to put your feet up on there or straddle it.
I found I could not sit between the two child seats in the back.
The seats in the model I tested have woven upholstered central panels with stitch details which could prove harder to clean kids' crumbs and spills than an easy wipe-clean leather seat.
For the first year of my first daughters life when we would go out as a family, if I wasn’t driving, I would travel in the back with her so it’s important to check the back seat comfort as you may be spending a lot of time in them! They were never something I gave any thought to before but I definitely notice a good or bad back seat now!
The steering wheel is fully adjustable in/out and up/down.
The cruise controls are on the left set of controls on the steering wheel and are easy to use. I found the cruise control to be accurate on both motorways and at lower speeds on undulating roads.
The gear lever is a small knob down in the central console.
There are four air-conditioning vents in the front of the 2023 Cupra Leon. Four across the front dashboard, two below the media screen, and one at either end of the dash…
… and air-conditioning vents in the back of the central console box for rear passengers.
You can control the airconditioning through the media screen for the front…
…as well as the rear climate. You can also lock the rear climate controls so little fingers can't fiddle with it!
I particularly like the iClimate screen, which allows you to quickly adjust the climate without having to go through changing lots of settings.
There are simple swipe/slide controls for the aircon below the media screen; unfortunately, I found them so fiddly that I didn't use them while driving along.
Visibility is good in the 2023 Cupra Leon, even with two child seats installed in the back, and it is improved even more by the rearview camera…
One thing I have noticed since being a mum is I hate it when I reach a destination or get home from being out and my daughter has either done really well in the car or she is screaming her head off and I have done really well to keep it together for the entire journey (usually the latter!!) and it takes 10 minutes to park the car! It can be really stressful. Usually I dread parking new cars as they take longer in our tight apartment block carpark, but the Cupra Leon was simple to park as its footprint is small and the visibility and cameras are very good!
BabyDrive Indepth - Safety
How safe is the 2023 Cupra Leon?
The 2023 Cupra Leon has been given a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. It comes with eight airbags as standard including dual frontal, side chest, side head, and a driver knee airbag are standard. A centre airbag, which provides added protection to front seat occupants in side impact crashes, is also standard on all variants.
The 2023 Cupra Leon scored 91% for adult occupancy protection and 88% for child occupancy protection in the ANCAP crash testing.
Of the child occupancy testing, ANCAP said;
In the frontal offset test, protection of the neck of the 10 year dummy was ADEQUATE, while the protection offered to all other critical body regions of both child dummies was GOOD. In the side impact test, protection of all critical body areas was GOOD for both child dummies. Vehicles in Australia and New Zealand are fitted with lower ISOFix and top tether anchorages on all second row rear outboard seating positions. Only Australian variants are fitted with a top tether anchorage on the centre seating position in the second row. New Zealand variants of the Cupra Leon are fitted with a lower ISOFix anchorage and top tether anchorage suitable for the installation of forward-facing child restraints to the front passenger seat. Rearward-facing child restraints however must not be installed in the front passenger seating position. Installation of typical child restraints available in Australia and New Zealand showed most child restraints could be accommodated in most rear seating positions, however, for variants with a top tether in the second row centre seat, one of the selected booster seats could not be correctly installed in the centre rear seating position.
Some of these safety features are also features that drive me crazy as a mum! Like the lane departure and forward collision alert or the parking sensor beeping sound. I want all the safety technology AND to be able to mute the sound when my daughters are asleep!
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About Tace Clifford
Tace Clifford founded BabyDrive in 2017 after discovering a huge information gap in mainstream car reviews that left new parents and expanding families in the dark when it came to one of the biggest purchasing decisions of their lives.
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