New CUPRA Leon VZ1 2026 Review | 300PS, FWD Fury & Real Driver Feel

Today on Buckle Up, Jasper drives a hot hatch, in the snow! The 2026 CUPRA Leon VZ1 is here flying the flag for proper petrol-powered performance in a world rapidly going hybrid and electric. With a punchy turbocharged engine, sharp front-wheel-drive chassis and CUPRA's aggressive styling, this is aimed squarely at UK hot hatch fans who still care about steering feel, throttle response and back-road thrills. In this review, we test the new Leon VZ1 where it really matters — British B-roads. How quick is it 0–60? Does the chassis still have that playful, adjustable edge? And is this one of the last truly engaging petrol hot hatches you can buy before everything goes fully electric? We also look at ride comfort, practicality, interior tech and everyday usability, because the best hot hatches still need to handle commuting, motorway miles and the weekly shop. Has CUPRA kept the Leon’s dual personality intact? Key rivals include the Volkswagen Golf GTI, Honda Civic Type R, Hyundai i30 N, BMW M135i and Audi S3, so the competition is fierce. Some offer more power, some more grip — but few bring the same mix of sharp design and driver-focused character. If you’re searching for a new hot hatch in 2026, wondering whether petrol performance cars still make sense, or deciding between the CUPRA Leon VZ1 and a Golf GTI, buckle up — this one’s for the enthusiasts. 🎵 Copyrighted music licensed from Lickd. https://lickd.co Humming Bird by Lawrence Curran, Jim Breese, Jamie Elder, https://t.lickd.co/l/4EyZlmXYRPe ----------------------------------- BUY OUR MERCH: https://shop.spreadshirt.co.uk/buckle-up-merch/all ----------------------------------- Join Channel Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQnCvi6zRZolQsxlIf6ePtQ/join ----------------------------------- Follow us on Social Media! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Buckle.Up.Official.Productions/ Threads: https://www.threads.net/@buckleup_show X: https://x.com/BuckleUp_Show Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/buckleupshow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/buckleup_show/ Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/buckleup_show TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMRy9erBk/ --------------------------------- Visit Our Website: https://buckleup-show.com/ --------------------------------- Follow the lads on Instagram Rob - https://www.instagram.com/the_rob_wilson_/ Harry - https://www.instagram.com/mccrazyfish/ Jasper - https://www.instagram.com/jbrucewright/ --------------------------------- #BuckleUp #cupra #automotive --------------------------------- Buckle Up is a channel that is only interested in one thing – cars! We upload a myriad of different content including car review videos, car challenge videos, car news videos and much, much more! Our videos are made in a similar style to that of Top Gear, Fifth Gear, Car Throttle, Doug DeMuro, carwow, Carfection, The Grand Tour, MotorTrend and many more. We would all thoroughly recommend their channels, so why not go and check them out.