FEELING ALIVE IN THE CUPRA FORMENTOR
Join paramotor pilot Gilo Cardozo on a roadtrip unlike any other...
The CUPRA Formentor has been designed exclusively for the CUPRA brand, enabling you to discover new roads, fresh places, and exhilarating experiences. Equipped for the open road, the city, and even off the beaten track, the striking SUV coupe’s adventure-prepped abilities are always ready to explore. Are you?
It’s that very same spirit that inspires inventor and aviator Gilo Cardozo, founder of Gilo Industries, the Dorset-based aerospace start-up focused on paramotor flying machines that can be carried to some of the world’s most awe-inspiring spaces. With a 420-litre boot expandable with flat-folding seating and 4Drive all-wheel-drive traction, Formentor is the ideal twin machine to take on a feat of exploration. “As an outcome of wanting to follow our own paths,” Gilo says, “we need to build machines that allow us to do just that.”
When you need to come back down to earth, CUPRA’s interior innovations provide the welcoming, connected cabin you’d expect. From the immersive 12-inch touchscreen interface with in-built smartphone integration and voiceactivated assistant to the 10.2-inch digital cockpit display or driving profiles selected via a steering wheel-mounted selector at your fingertips, Formentor is ready to answer your pragmatic needs as well as your escapist streak. When night falls, standard all-LED lighting and a suite of driver assistance aids are on hand to guide you home.
Life revolves around our decisions, just as adventure is about forks in the road. Formentor offers a choice of powertrains to suit your desires. The most potent powerplant so far is the 310PS 2.0 TSI engine, well proven in CUPRA’s acclaimed Leon hot hatchback and the successful CUPRA Ateca family SUV. The turbocharged engine delivers scintillating performance to all four wheels via its seven-speed DSG dual-clutch transmission, accelerating from 0–62mph in just 4.9 seconds and capable of a top speed where legal of 155mph.
Or if you’re ready to plug in, Formentor e-HYBRID’s petrolelectric synergy offers the peace of mind of electrified, zerolocal emissions motoring with no range anxiety. eHybrid’s 115PS electric motor draws power from a 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack, mounted safely under the boot floor. It can be charged from a household socket in less than six hours or a dedicated
wallbox charger in just 3 hours and 33 minutes*, providing up to 34 miles of blissfully quiet electric-only running – handy if your daily adventure begins with navigating the urban jungle.
Always on demand is the powerful 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, ready to join forces with the electrified element to offer maximum combined power of 245PS, and 0–62mph in as little as 7.0 seconds. Meanwhile, CO2 emissions as low as 27g/km and WLTP fuel consumption rated at up to 188mpg demonstrate CUPRA’s commitment to enjoying our environment without impacting it. Because every adventure needs versatility to succeed. As Gilo agrees: “We all yearn for adventure, and we’ve got these machines that can do it for us.”
Meanwhile, a 150PS four-cylinder engine offered with six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic transmissions forms the foundation of the Formentor family, starting at just £27,400. It’s capable of up to 44.8mpg, CO2 emissions as low as 143g/km, the 12-inch media display, digital radio and ambient lighting all fitted as standard.
If you’ve an eye for seeking out the unusual, the daring, and the beautiful, Formentor’s crisp and unique design will satisfy your urge to stand out from the herd. From its finely toned haunches and powerful stance to the assertive front expression built around CUPRA’s exclusive insignia, each and every Formentor has an unmistakeable presence both on the street, or off-road altogether. It’s a mission statement the car pays tribute to with its very name: in homage to the stunning Cap de Formentor peninsula of eastern Majorca.
Nine colours including two striking matte surface options begin your journey of specifying your Formentor. You can optionally select a panoramic sunroof, choose between sultry black or welcoming blue nappa leather upholstery, and add a towbar if your flying machine of choice doesn’t fit in a rucksack.
Whether you’re taking to the skies or driving for the horizon, details matter. Formentor’s bespoke Brembo brakes lurk behind 19-inch machined alloy wheels. Its spacious cabin seats five occupants not just in comfort, but in safety.
As standard, all CUPRA Formentors boast side and curtain airbags, forward collision warning with braking reaction to vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, and tyre-pressure monitoring. Formentor has already been tested by Euro NCAP, scoring a five-star rating in the independent body’s crash simulation results. A car with such a repertoire of abilities is a car you’ll want to escape in all the more often.
Just like our friend Gilo in the air, soaring beneath a paraglider: “You’re in the moment entirely. You’re not thinking about things you’ve got to do – it’s an incredibly exhilarating experience.” And couldn’t we all benefit from feeling a little more alive, just a little more often?