SPANISH FLYER LEADS ASSAULT
High-performance Euro SUV delivers power and poise in equal measure
This is the car that will spearhead the launch of the Cupra brand in Australia next year. The sharply-styled Formentor crossover is the freshest model from a young European brand created only three years ago. Originally the racing arm for the Volkswagen Group-owned Spanish car maker Seat, the Cupra name began to appear on a series of hot hatches from the 1990s.
The first model from Cupra as a stand-alone brand was the Ateca small SUV in 2018. It was a go-fast version of an existing Seat model. The Ateca is a Skoda Karoq with some different exterior panels and is produced by the VW Group’s Czech brand. Cupra’s second model was the made-in-Spain Leon hatch, again based on an existing Seat model. The Leon is basically a slightly enlarged VW Golf with some Barcelona bling. The Cupra version launched in Europe early last year.
Both the Ateca and Leon are headed to Australia, along with the Formentor.
The Formentor is a big deal for Cupra. It’s the first car to be designed specifically for the brand. No Seat looks anything like it. Under the skin it has a lot in common with the current Leon, though you’d never guess from looking at them side by side.
Sharp and shapely, the Formentor makes a big first impression. It’s a good looking fivedoor hatch with a touch of coupe-ish elegance and a dash of extra ground clearance.
Though Cupra does produce the Formentor in front-drive and diesel-powered forms, petrol-burning all-wheel drive versions will make up most of the local line-up. There will be three of these, plus a front-drive plug-in hybrid.
Topping the line-up here will be the highpowered Formentor VZ 2.0 TSI. That VZ, by the way, hints at the Spanish word for speed, veloz.
Cupra plans to price its range in Australia from a little more than $40,000 to just above $60,000 and this model is sure to be the most expensive. It’s the one we focused on at Cupra’s recent meet-the-press event in Barcelona.
The VZ 2.0 TSI’s turbo 2.0-litre four is the same VW Group engine as used in the Golf GTI, but tuned to belt out an impressive 228kW of power. The fast Formentor’s transmission is a seven-speed double-clutch auto.
The interior of the Spanish crossover is classy and well equipped. In line with its sporty-driving mission, the front seats have deep bolsters for cornering support. The three-place rear seat is quite roomy, though the tapering side windows restrict vision.
There’s also an impressive amount of standard equipment. The central display is a big 12-inch touchscreen, which displays both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wirelessly. The driver’s display is another digital screen, with a range of layouts to choose from.
Cupra’s signature copper colour outlines the air vents of the layered instrument panel.
The Formentor’s overall interior quality appears as high and consistent as in any other VW Group car.
Likewise, the standard safety equipment list is impressive. The Cupra has seven airbags, auto emergency braking, blind-spot assist, rear cross-traffic alert and an exit assist system that warns against opening doors if someone or something is approaching.
Thumb the Formentor’s steering-wheel mounted starter button, tap the stumpy selector on the centre tunnel to “D” and it’s time to discover how the king Cupra drives.
It’s quick, that’s for certain. Cupra claims 0100km/h in 4.9 seconds, and the Formentor’s grunt and grip feel like they’ll easily better this snappy number.
The growly sound of the engine when revving hard adds aural drama to the experience of flooring the throttle.
The car’s character alters quite a bit according to which one of its five driving modes is chosen. These change engine response, gear shifting, steering assistance and, thanks to the top Formentor’s standard adaptive dampers, suspension stiffness.
Even in everyday driving Comfort mode, the Cupra’s ride is sportily firm. It gets even stiffer in Sport and the even sportier Cupra modes, which does nothing for ride comfort but lots for cornering ability.
It’s a genuinely quick and agile car, a crossover that drives just like a hot hatch.
The steering is fine and the big Brembo front calipers deliver great stopping power that never fades.
That unfamiliar name may sound funny, but the Formentor is actually very good fun. It needs to be, as Cupra will be counting on this car to establish itself in Australia. And, as past failures show, that won’t be an easy task.