2025 Cupra Formentor and Leon facelifts unveiled, still a while away from Australia

The facelifted 2025 Cupra Formentor compact SUV – and 2025 Cupra Leon small car – have been unveiled, ahead of Australian showroom arrivals due in April next year.

While Cupra has been in Australia for less than two years, the Formentor and Leon were shown in Europe about four years ago, and are due for their mid-life updates.

Both models introduce updated styling, improved interior technology, more powerful engines – across petrol-only and plug-in hybrid variants – and new chassis technology including a Drift mode.

New for Australia is the Sportstourer variant of the Leon hatch, previously restricted to Europe – which fills the role of the Volkswagen Golf R wagon axed last year.

Australia will have to wait until April 2025 for petrol versions of the updated Formentor and Leon, followed by the Leon wagon, and plug-in hybrid versions of the Leon and Formentor in July or August next year.

The cars arrive in European showrooms between July and September this year, however Cupra Australia says the two to three month delay in starting production for Australia – and two or three months of shipping time – is behind the delay.

New for the 2025 Formentor and Leon is a restyled front fascia inspired by the latest Tavascan and Terramar SUVs, with distinctive new LED headlight signatures using three triangular elements.

There are new alloy wheel designs – up to 19 inches on both vehicles – plus a revised rear end with tweaked lower bumpers, and new full-width LED tail-lights incorporating triangular elements and illuminated Cupra logos.

Inside, the Formentor and Leon adopt the VW Group's latest 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen – up from 12 inches across – running new software claimed to be faster and more responsive.

The illuminated slider controls under the touchscreen for volume and air temperature are now illuminated, following criticism from customers and media.

The nine-speaker Beats sound system in top-of-the-range models has been scrapped in favour of 12-speaker, 425-watt Sennheiser audio, while there is a new 15-watt wireless phone charger with a cooling function.

Optional in Europe is microfibre upholstery made from 73 per cent recycled materials, while the Leon is available with 'Cup' bucket front seats.

In Australia, the Formentor and Leon ranges will expand with a new 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder mild-hybrid engine, developing 110kW and 250Nm.

The plug-in hybrids now combine a new 1.5-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder – replacing the previous 1.4-litre engine – with a more powerful electric motor, and larger 19.7kWh battery pack (up from 12.8kWh).

The combined power output is now 200kW – up from 180kW – and the VZe system remains front-wheel drive.

Claimed electric driving range has been boosted to about 100km on a charge, while the battery can now be topped up on a 50kW DC fast charger.

The Formentor VZx and European-market Leon VZx wagon receive a boost from 228kW/400Nm to 245kW/420Nm – to match the latest VW Golf R and Audi S3, each featuring all-wheel drive – while the front-wheel-drive Leon VZx remains at 221kW/400Nm.

The all-wheel-drive cars adopt the 'torque splitter' rear differential from their Audi and VW twins, which can send the full power directed to the rear axle to either of the rear wheels – and enables a Drift mode.

Optional on the flagship models are Akebono performance brakes, replacing the previous Brembo units.

The entry-level V variants are unchanged at 140kW and 320Nm, with front-wheel drive in the Leon and all-wheel drive in the Formentor.

All models use a dual-clutch automatic transmission, with six speeds in the hybrids and seven speeds in the petrols.

In Europe, there is a broader range of engines, from a 110kW 1.5-litre turbo-petrol base model with a six-speed manual transmission, to a mid-grade 195kW 2.0-litre turbo engine with front-wheel drive in the Formentor.

The 2025 Cupra Formentor and Leon are due in European showrooms later this year.