Cupra Formentor

Since the Cupra brand was launched in 2018, their initial offering was a pumped-up version of the first Seat SUV, the Ateca, but the brand has gained potential about their ambitious motorsport plans as demonstrated by their WTCR progress and their hopes of taking on the Extreme E someday. The Spanish equivalent of Abarth's got their decks full with their high performance and sensibly electric ambitions that will change the performance landscape once and for all. With the arrival of the Cupra original vehicle, which is of course another crossover (yawn), the Formentor tries to be the fermenter of things to come for Cupra.

Costing 29,670 Euros plus additional costs, the Formentor is a Cupra original vehicle that is dead serious about going places any way it can, whether you like it or not.

Starting with the design, fans are thankful to the design team because nearly every inch of detail first seen in the 2019 concept car remained in the production version because the design team really liked the way the Formentor looks from concept to production. Although robust in spirit, the Formenter likes to call itself balanced rather than being a powerful crossover because, by the looks of it, it delivers a healthy balance of performance, technology, style, and comfort the Cupra way.

The interior of the Formentor is a different experience because the big sat-nav that controls the audio, the climate, and the drive modes, is a next-level challenge for speedo boys who deemed this tech pointless and I somewhat agree with them because with more and more cars are approaching the minimalist approach on their interiors, the Formentor is somewhat plagued by such and while some speedo boys are lamenting about the pointless and buttonless approach to its dashboard, the comfort part packs a charm to those getting inside. It fits up to five people and despite having lesser boot space compared to the Cupra Ateca (even lesser with 4Drive and e-Hybrid variants on board), it still has ample room for groceries, junior-sized balikbayan boxes, and others.

As a jack-of-all-trades or a jack-of-all-tirades, if you may, the Formentor boasts a diverse choice of powertrains. There's the 1.5L TSi engine mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed DSG with 150PS of power, a 1.4L e-HYBRID PHEV with up to 245PS of power while mated to a 6-speed DSG, and then there's the range-topping VZ 2.0L TSi with 310PS of power. Mated to a 7-speed DSG and 4Drive, it accelerates from 0-100kph in 4.9 seconds, and its top speed is electronically limited to 250kph.

In its entry-level, front-wheel drive guise, the Formentor is as stable and as subtle as a commoner's city car but with the 4Drive applied, not to mention the one with the 2.0L TSi engine on the front, the Formentor delivers the hype that drivers are looking for. On the normal road and on the track if you like, it really kicks in like a Honda on steroids but still delivers the balance of right and wrong for all the wrong barrels. When taken to anything related to dirt, be it gravel or snow, the Formentor's 4Drive system works its charms rather well as long as this crossover's not stuck in the middle of nowhere.

In partial terms of enjoyment, the Formentor really works well but what will keep them in shock is the range of ADAS ranging from Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Side and Exit Assist, and Emergency Assist. Like I always said, these semi-autonomous driving techs can really scare speedo boys straight.

Yes, we may be moaning because Cupra made another crossover rather than a hot hatch that we want from them, be it a Leon perhaps, but the Formentor is all about getting the job done from start to finish. The one with the 310PS 2.0L TSi and 4Drive is the alpha male of the range because of its relatively superior performance that will leave anyone wishing to have one driven in tears of jealousy, but the e-HYBRID variants are making the case of themselves because of the efficiency it delivers. Because it's the cheapest Cupra crossover you can buy, that makes it great value for the whole family, although I wouldn't like calling the Formentor the ideal family car, still the Cupra original's on the roll now.

Photo: SEAT, S.A.