Cupra Leon 245 eHybrid reliability and issues

[majky0411]

Hi folks,

I've been searching the internet for the past few hours and couldn't really find anything about the reliability and potential issues with the hybrid Leon version.

I've seen that some of you have this baby, can anyone answer what has it been living with this car? I really like it, interior looks nice, practical, have a hybrid now myself but would like to replace it probably very soon, and the hottest candidate is Leon eHybrid.

Has there been any issues, mainly with the 1.4 liter engine? Or are there any "known" faults that this engine has? Or any other faults with this whole drivetrain?

I've seen this cars selling on different websites most of the times cheaper than normal petrol versions (mainly 1.5s), which is confusing since most of the times plugins are more expensive...

If someone would be willing enough to post some insights I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

M

 

[chris_louk]

Formentor owner here with the vz eHybrid 245:

The exact same engine and gearbox have been used in the Golf GTE mk7 since 2015, so you can expect that any issues have been identified and fixed by now. I haven’t experienced any issues myself and neither have I seen people complaining online, which is a good sign.

The issues with these cars (both leon and formentor) all have to do with the infotainment system. It is full of bugs. It randomly freezes or restarts. But these issues concern all versions, regardless of engine. And software updates are released every few weeks, so there is hope that these issues will eventually disappear.

I would personally recommend you to go for the 245 hybrid.
The hybrid setup makes the car heavier and this has a negative impact on the handling in comparison with the petrol versions, but still handles nicely.
And the engine is superb. If you are driving to work, it can be extremely economical and silent. If you want to have some fun, it can provide loads of torque, and provides it instantly thanks to the electric motor.
Best of both worlds, a true jack-of-all-trades.

 

[majky0411]

Formentor owner here with the vz eHybrid 245:

The exact same engine and gearbox have been used in the Golf GTE mk7 since 2015, so you can expect that any issues have been identified and fixed by now. I haven’t experienced any issues myself and neither have I seen people complaining online, which is a good sign.

The issues with these cars (both leon and formentor) all have to do with the infotainment system. It is full of bugs. It randomly freezes or restarts. But these issues concern all versions, regardless of engine. And software updates are released every few weeks, so there is hope that these issues will eventually disappear.

I would personally recommend you to go for the 245 hybrid.
The hybrid setup makes the car heavier and this has a negative impact on the handling in comparison with the petrol versions, but still handles nicely.
And the engine is superb. If you are driving to work, it can be extremely economical and silent. If you want to have some fun, it can provide loads of torque, and provides it instantly thanks to the electric motor.
Best of both worlds, a true jack-of-all-trades.

Thanks Chris for the info.

I was browsing though the forum and yea, lots of people have been saying that there are a bunch of bugs happening with the infotainment + some traffic assistants, but as you've said, new updates are coming out regularly so hopefully in time it will get better and better.

Question: does Leon have Matrix functionality in headlights? Can't seem to find any exact info about that.

Yep, hybrid for us is the most sensible type of car, wife is driving everyday to work, maybe 10km though town in traffic jams and for the only petrol/diesel this is just a little bit of a torture..

Thank you again.

M

 

[Chrispy]

As above. Hybrid system has been fine in my car but the infotainment has been a complete disaster!

 

[Hitonthechin]

Thanks Chris for the info.

I was browsing though the forum and yea, lots of people have been saying that there are a bunch of bugs happening with the infotainment + some traffic assistants, but as you've said, new updates are coming out regularly so hopefully in time it will get better and better.

Question: does Leon have Matrix functionality in headlights? Can't seem to find any exact info about that.

Yep, hybrid for us is the most sensible type of car, wife is driving everyday to work, maybe 10km though town in traffic jams and for the only petrol/diesel this is just a little bit of a torture..

Thank you again.

M

I believe it's only the VZ3 that has the Matrix Headlights according to the latest pricelist!
Been waiting for mine since Oct2021 (all I have a potential July ETA), so good luck with purchasing unless you buy a pre built config!

 

[fpdave]

Does the complexity cause any issues with servicing etc? Afterall its got the complexity of both EV and petrol drivetrains combined.

I want to be env friendly and have some fun, and lug lots of stuff (eg camping gear) when needed. I have a petrol Leon Cupra R at the moment, and can manage a bit less fun than that maybe, but have to have most of my journeys being electric.

 

[Fergoo]

Does the complexity cause any issues with servicing etc? Afterall its got the complexity of both EV and petrol drivetrains combined.

I want to be env friendly and have some fun, and lug lots of stuff (eg camping gear) when needed. I have a petrol Leon Cupra R at the moment, and can manage a bit less fun than that maybe, but have to have most of my journeys being electric.

Being a HV hybrid some garages might not touch it. Although, annual service wise the EV elements don't need servicing, so it's just the ICE.

The DSG box is a wet clutch, so needs an oil change every 3/4 years but that's not unique to the hybrid and is the same for all high torque DSGs.

As posted in this thread, it's a long established, tried and tested drivetrain with overall very good reliability. However, if something major goes wrong (worse case gearbox) and it's out of warranty, you're going to be in a world of pain financially.

You definitely want to check out the boot before you buy though. The estate s much better than the hatch but with batteries in place of the fuel tank and the fuel tank moved to the boot floor, the floor is much higher.

 

[adrianator]

I have the Seat version which has 204hp instead of 245 (same engine, different software for the electric motor to sell the 245 with a higher price).

The battery doesn't last as long as they say and it's ever worse in the winter. I've had the car for the past 2.5 years and I'm pretty happy with it, no major issues. The infotainment used to be bad but since version 1940, it's pretty decent.