Skip advert
Advertisement

SEAT Leon Cupra (2014-2021) review - MPG and running costs

30-plus mpg in the real world. Expect to chew through consumables if you're partial to trackdays

Evo rating
  • Underlying technical make-up impressive; excellent engine, brakes and chassis tune
  • Feeling its age inside; still not the most playful of hot hatchbacks

Gone are the days when running a car that sprints to 62mph in under six seconds meant MPG figures in the teens – officially, SEAT’s hottest hatchback will cover 38.7 miles for every gallon of unleaded. CO2 emissions are correspondingly low, at 156g/km. These figures alter slightly depending on the model, and bottom out at 33.7mpg for the Abt-tuned Cupra R Estate

Advertisement - Article continues below

Realistically our Leon Cupra R Abt evo long-termer didn’t prove much less efficient than the official numbers, being relatively easy to keep above 30mpg in mixed driving. Drive it with more aggression and those numbers will fall below the 30mpg mark though.

Other running costs are par for the course too; SEAT’s warranty covers three years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), and service intervals are every year or 10,000 miles, again whichever is first.

Depending on your propensity for trackdays and hard use, tyres and brakes will be the main consumables.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Maserati GT2 Stradale review – can Modena best the Porsche 911 GT3 RS?
Maserati GT2 Stradale
Reviews

Maserati GT2 Stradale review – can Modena best the Porsche 911 GT3 RS?

Maserati’s GT2 Stradale might look like a race track refugee but this supercar is at its best on the road
20 Jan 2026
Caterham Project V is delayed, but a running prototype is finally here
Caterham Project V
News

Caterham Project V is delayed, but a running prototype is finally here

Caterham’s new age electric coupe is now officially behind schedule, but the first running prototype has now been unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Salon
13 Jan 2026
The anatomy of a top-class Dakar-winning racer: Dacia Sandrider
Dacia Sandrider
Features

The anatomy of a top-class Dakar-winning racer: Dacia Sandrider

The Dacia Sandrider is a £1million, Prodrive-built Rally-Raid special that now has an outright Dakar Rally win under its belt. We dissect it
19 Jan 2026