Whenever I compare the Aston Martin DBX and the Cupra Formentor VZ5, it reminds me of a match between England and Spain in a certain finals match where one point will determine the winner, minus the post-game you-know-what.
England and Spain are itching for a rematch, this time as crossovers at Horizon Mexico. The Aston Martin DBX and the Cupra Formentor are ready to play ball and determine which crossover is the winner. But first, some introductions...
The DBX is Aston Martin's first-ever sports utility vehicle that competes with the Porsche Cayenne and the Lamborghini Urus. With styling heavily inspired by the Vantage sports car, this luxury five-seater SUV is powered by an AMG-derived 4.0L V8 BiTurbo engine mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox. With a power output of 542BHP and 700Nm of torque, it goes 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds and a top speed of 181mph. The DBX was produced in Aston Martin's Wales plant.
The Cupra Formentor VZ5 is a limited-edition model, limited to 7000 units worldwide. Under the hood, the VZ5 is powered by a 2.5L 5-cylinder turbocharged engine with a power output of 390PS. Mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch DSG and 4Drive all-wheel-drive, the Formentor VZ5 goes 0-100kph in 4.2 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250kph.
Shucks, the DBX is Welsh-made, and England and Wales are different even though they're part of the UK. But anyway, with their quick introduction done, both the DBX and the Formentor VZ5 are ready for a one-lap duel worthy of being called a rematch between England and Spain.
This should be interesting because, like the teams themselves, the DBX takes pride in its raw power while the lightness of the Formentor VZ5 is its trump card. Yes, the DBX is more powerful than the Formentor VZ5 but the latter is lighter and easy to get through than the bulky British crossover. Anyway, no time for jibber-jabber because as the whistle blows, the action begins.
Roll the tape.
And now the results...
DBX - 1m09.002s
Formentor - 1m08.018s
Like the finals, it's a point victory for Spain against England. I guess the Formentor VZ5 proved its worth against the more powerful DBX by a razor-thin margin.
There you have it. England vs. Spain but crossovers. The Formentor VZ5 defeats the V8-powered DBX just like Spain beats England by a point. It's a victory for Spain minus the you-know-what. The folks from Cupra should really be proud of their instant classic that pushed the Formentor to ascension. Those 7000 drivers who drove the Formentor VZ5 weren't wrong about its all-around performance that won the day in style and comfort, no doubt.
Still, having respect to these two crossovers, it's time for a little epilogue to spice things up.
With a little "mirror in", the DBX crossover is getting its Horoscope vibes because, you guessed it, it's festooned with Q-Pit respect all over the bodywork. Thanks, Q-Pit. Hope I can look forward to today's horoscope.
The Formentor VZ5, meanwhile, has 765 million reasons to be idolized because the face of Million Live's Kaori Sakuramori took center stage in my latest makeover for Cupra's instant classic.
With their crossovers becoming "people's idols" for the day, it's time for their moment of fame with these two crossovers as the DBX tackles a somewhat re-enactment of a sprint race from a certain 90s racing game while the Formentor VZ5 takes on a near re-enactment of Sydney Motorsport Park envisioned by a certain game master. That's the magic of EventLab to you. Roll the tapes.
Who says crossovers can't race?
Having enjoyed our little epilogue with the DBX and the Formentor VZ5, these crossovers proved to me that they've proven to be as much as enjoyable as sports cars, like it or not. I know, most people don't agree, but this is the new normal. In the new normal, crossovers and SUVs are like Hollywood superheroes. The more heroic they are, the more sales will generate and that's how crossovers rule the motoring world by a firestorm.
With the whole England v Spain behind me, it's time to do some more Horizon stuff as the adventure continues...
Last December, Forza Horizon 5 welcomed players to the world of Cupra by letting them sample the racing version of the UrbanRebel concept. With Cupra gaining exclusivity to the world of Forza, the partnership continues with the arrival of two Cupra crossovers in the game.
Those who logged in before the end of the Explore the Horizon series update will receive not one but two Cupra crossovers in the game. These Cupra crossovers are the Formentor VZ5 and the Tavascan Concept.
Let's begin with the Formentor, the Cupra original crossover that blends practicality and performance at its pace. With the design inspired by the 2019 concept car, the Formentor boasts a diverse choice of powertrains ranging from 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 the range-topping VZ 2.0L TSi with 310PS of power. Following the Formentor's success, a special-edition VZ5 was launched. Limited to 7,000 units, it features an upgraded 2.5L 5-cylinder turbocharged engine with 390PS of power.
Next up, the Tavascan Concept, and don't worry, it's not the 2019 concept car. It's the pre-production prototype that spawned the real deal that is set to go on sale next year. Running on the same MEB platform as its Volkswagen ID.5 equivalent, the Tavascan will feature two different variants to choose from such as the rear-wheel-drive Endurance variant with up to 547km of driving range and the flagship VZ variant with a four-wheel-drive system that produces 250kw of power output and 517km of driving range. Both variants are fitted with a 77kWh battery pack.
With the Cupra crossovers' introduction done, it's time for me to give these two Cupra crossovers a one-lap time attack to find out which Cupra crossover is the best. Will it be the most powerful Cupra to date or the electric CUV? Formentor or Tavascan? Let's find out as I pit these two Cupra crossovers around the stadium, real and emotional. VTR, start!
And now, the results...
Formentor - 1m06.633s
Tavascan - 1m14.591s
No hard feelings, right? The most powerful Cupra to date, the Formentor VZ5, has mullered the electric-powered Tavascan by nearly eight seconds. Guess it will take a lifetime for electric cars to be as quick as the prehistoric ICE-powered machines. Oh well, this is the new normal.
Both the Formentor and the Tavascan are proven to be a welcoming addition to the Forza Horizon 5 car roster and here's hoping for more in this future partnership between the Forza franchise and Cupra. They may be two different sides of the same coin but these two are a blast to drive and I'm looking forward to digging deeper with these Cupra crossovers.
Volkswagen Group's high-performance Spanish brand, which used to be part of Seat's lineup for high-performance versions, Cupra, made its video game debut via the recent series update of Forza Horizon 5.
The Cupra mark finally made its way to the world of gaming and the first Cupra vehicle to be featured in a video game is by shock, a concept car of some sort. Specifically, the Cupra UrbanRebel Concept.
So, what's it all about the Cupra UrbanRebel Concept? Unveiled at last year's Munich Motor Show, the UrbanRebel Concept is an all-electric race car with a rebellious spirit, as Cupra claims, which mixes pure electrification, sustainability, and performance with the thrilling aesthetics of the virtual world. It previews Cupra's newest electric urban vehicle that will be launched in 2025.
The concept car's electric motor generates 250kw of continuous power and up to 320kw at its peak, capable of hitting a 0-100kph time in 3.2 seconds.
This race-spec UrbanRebel Concept will serve as a run-off to Cupra's newest city car which will be based on the Volkswagen Group's MEB short platform and although the future city car may be toned down for like most concept-turned-production vehicles, it will inherit the rebellious character the concept car possesses.
Having my first dibs on the UrbanRebel Concept, I had a blast driving this electric race car in the game. It feels somewhat mild and menacing in various ways but the more I get to know about the UrbanRebel, the more enjoyable the driving experience will be, and being a lab rat for Cupra's UrbanRebel development, I feel like I'm contributing something for them.
Speaking of contributions, let's have a real experiment by taking the UrbanRebel on a dirt track. You may remember that today's World Rallycross Championship now uses electric race cars which are toughened up for rallycross duty. With the concept being 4WD, it's time to give it a little modern rallycross twist against a dozen of dummy drivers standing in its way, just to showcase the UrbanRebel's true final form. Experiment start.
Cupra, if you're seeing this, your electric car is dope. You should use it on your Rallycross campaigns if you are interested.
An all-electric race car with a rebellious spirit. This is what the Cupra UrbanRebel Concept's all about. No wait, it's an all-rounder, all-electric, race car with a rebellious spirit to take on everything. Circuits, scrambles, asphalts, dirt, whatever life throws at it, it truly fights back like a street fighter and this is what I'm hoping for when its production equivalent arrives in 2025. In the meantime, let's enjoy the concept car to the fullest while we still can, sending Cupra a letter regarding its progress.
After the Formentor crossover, the Cupra brand unleashed another beast of their own and it's an electric hatchback known as the Born. So, what's it all about the Cupra Born? Let's investigate.
Priced at 37,400 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever Cupra Born is basically a Volkswagen ID.3 that consumed too much Sangria Rosa and then turned into its Spanish equivalent. Unlike the ID.3 it was based on, the Born's styling is surprisingly wild and tangy for an electric hatchback. There is a well-known tidbit that it was heavily inspired from the Seat el-Born Concept but because Cupra is now a brand and part of the Volkswagen Group, the el-Born Concept from Seat became known today as the Cupra Born, much like when the Volvo 40.2 Concept turned into a Polestar 2 without the Volvo connection.
While the exterior is cyberpunk-esque for a hatchback, the interior is like a darker version of the ID.3, although the minimalist interior only appeals to Gen Z customers because of its touch-screen setup and lack of buttons. Futuristic indeed but still, it fits up to five people and the boot space is from 385L to 1267L, which is similar to the Volkswagen ID.3 of course.
At launch, the Born is equipped with a 58kWh battery pack that produces 204PS of power, 310Nm of torque, a 0-100kph time of 7.3 seconds, and 160kph of top speed. Slower than Japanese cars but it fits well to the high-performance car class. As for range, it's good for 424km in one full charge based on WLTP standards and it will take about 6 1/4 hours to fully charge at home or 80% in 35 minutes while charged at public. By 2022, the Born will be joined by the lesser 45 kWh variant and the more powerful 77kWh with e-Boost Pack. Engage the e-Boost button and it will produce 231PS of power. Simple.
In terms of dynamics, being a rear-wheel-drive car that weighs almost two and a half tons, the Born behaves like a hot hatch but in a mild and tangy way as expected. It has spartan driving manners just like a normal Porsche 911 as such and believe it or not, driving one is a piece of cake, thank you MEB platform and aluminum bodywork.
In terms of safety, the Born features a wide array of safety features such as Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Side and Exit Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Emergency Assist, and Pre-Crash Assist.
The Cupra Born truly is a Volkswagen ID.3 that consumed too much Sangria Rosa and with its cyberpunk-esque exterior design, minimalist interior fit for Gen Z, space, electric powertrain, and spartan driving manners, the Born is the go-to electric hatchback you want to drive.
Having nearly satisfied with their works such as the Cupra Ateca, and the Cupra original vehicle, the Formentor coupe-crossover, it's about time Cupra made a hot hatch by taking the fourth-generation Seat Leon as their base for their latest masterpiece, the Cupra Leon, and by the looks and feels of it, this could be the Cupra car speedo boys are waiting for, well almost.
2021 Cupra Leon
2021 Cupra Leon Sportstourer
The first-ever Cupra Leon range follows the footsteps of the previous Seat Leon Cupra and by turning the fourth-generation Seat Leon into a Cupra-fied hot hatch, this is what the Cupra fans are demanding since the beginning of the Cupra brand. It's available in either a five-door hatchback, priced at 40,480 Euros plus additional costs, and the more spacious Sportstourer, priced at 41,080 Euros plus additional costs.
Those who are familiar with the fourth-generation Leon should have no problem about how they worked. The Tarraco-styled nose, stylish side view, rear lamps that look like it came from the Kia Sportage, minimalist interior that spells utter nonsense for speedo boys behind the wheel, seating for five people, more boot space for the Sportstourer, and wide array of ADAS such as DCC, ACC, Emergency Assist, Travel Assist, Side and Exit assist, and more.
Yes, it's those familiar stuff that kept us familiarized with the fourth-generation Leon but since this is the Cupra Leon, the differences are all over. From its Cupra logo, wheels, and interior accents finished in its copper glory, beefed up exterior design, additional drive modes on the sat-nav for when you need it, and pretty much anything to differentiate it from the normal Seat Leon.
At the start, the Cupra Leon range features a modest e-Hybrid powertrain which combines the 150PS, 250Nm 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine and a 85kW electric motor with 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack, making it capable of producing a total output of around 245PS of peak power and 400Nm of torque. That's about more power than a Toyota Altezza RS200 and by a long shot but now's not the time for comparison because with this PHEV powetrain mated to a DSG, it does 6.7 seconds and onwards to 225kph. That's modest performance for an eco car as well as its fuel efficiency which returns to about 1.4 l/100km on the combined WLTP scale.
The PHEV variant sounds nice but those who are demanding for the ultimate hot hatch should wait later this 2021 for the 2.0L TSi engine which produces 300PS of power (10PS more on Sportstourer 4Drive variant) and with the DSG mated, it can get out at 100kph in 5.7 seconds and electronically limited to 250kph.
Of course, being the Spanish answer to the Golf GTi, the Cupra Leon is as close to the hot hatch poster boy as you can get thanks to its enhanced chassis setup, the DCC, front MacPherson struts and rear multilink setup on the suspension, and Brembo brakes. For a front-wheel drive hot hatch, the Cupra Leon is as breathable to drive as breathable underwear you bought at the mall and then soiled by the time you had a blast with this Spanish GTi.
With the choice of a e-Hybrid and 2.0L TSi with over 300PS of power, not to mention the reworked dynamics that makes it hot hatch material, the Cupra Leon is the Cupra fans are waiting for, almost. Will you have one rather than Cupra's crossover siblings?
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.
The Ateca, the first SUV from SEAT, and its Cupra equivalent, the crossover that started the Cupra brand by itself, have received their slightly big facelifts for the 2021 model year. What changed for the first of their kinds?
Starting with the Ateca's minor change, which starts at around 21,160 Euros plus additional costs, you will notice the new front lamps, the new Tarraco-style front grille, slightly refreshed rear lamps, and then there's the creepy new logo of the Ateca which dons the creepy new font first seen on the new Leon. The Cupra Ateca facelift (priced at 43,471 euros), meanwhile, dons the similar looking cosmetic updates but with even more muscle to make it more macho than when it was born.
While the exterior refresh is anything but dramatic, the refreshed interior still works like the pre-facelifted one, although the new model now boasts an updated SEAT Digital Cockpit with an even bigger sat-nav, smartphone connectivity, voice recognition, and other gadgets to toy with. Same goes to the Cupra version, too. Despite some subtle changes, it still fits up to five people and still fits up to 510-litres of boot space, making it perfect for all drives of life for drivers of all kinds.
Under the hood, the normal Seat Cupra offers a wide range of petrol and diesel engines (the one to avoid), with the range-topper 2.0L petrol bears 190PS of power and mated to a DSG gearbox and 4Drive. Yes, most variants can be fitted to either a manual gearbox (thank SEAT for that) or a DSG. The Cupra Ateca, meanwhile, is still armed with the 2.0L TSi engine producing 300PS of power and 400Nm of torque. Mated to a 7-speed DSG, it's capable of 0-100kph sprint in 4.9 seconds and onwards to 247kph.
Yes, despite their new looks, they still behave on and slightly off the road just like the previous models, but to scare speedo boys straight behind the wheel, they've added the most sophisticated advanced driver assistance systems ranging from Pre-Crash Assist, Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Travel Assist, Emergency Assist and Side and Exit Assist, among many others.
Seat has made the CUPRA into a high-performance sub-brand in the way Fiat did theirs to Abarth, meaning they really know how to separate the real men from the big boys when it comes to cars and just like Fiat's Abarth, the CUPRA brand from Seat will venture deep to their motorsport involvement and use all of the racing know-how to their new breed of vehicles. Their first outing wasn't what we're expecting for because they've used the Seat Ateca compact crossover as their guinea pig to mutate into their maiden mutant on the road.
2019 SEAT Cupra Ateca
The Cupra Ateca will be the first to don the terrifying copper-colored CUPRA emblem all over and when they see a SEAT like this donning this emblem of doom, they'd better hide themselves because staring at the copper-colored CUPRA emblem is a thousand times scarier than the sequential turn signals from today's Ford Mustang. Scary-looking the emblem is, the Cupra Ateca is basically your basic Seat Ateca crossover mutated with a striking exterior design that sets the new standards of the new CUPRA brand.
On the inside, it still works like the normal Ateca does. It has decent space at the back for some fireworks on New Year's Eve, room for your friends to tag along on a road trip, connectivity features to toy around with, it's everything except for one major difference to the Ateca's interior. Since this is the balls-out CUPRA Ateca, the seats are donned in Alcantara so it's surprisingly smooth and comfortable to relax with.
Under the hood, the CUPRA Ateca is powered by a high-performance 2.0L 4-cylinder direct injection turbo engine producing 300PS of power and 400Nm of torque. That's about as much as what the Subaru WRX STi carries but this is no Subie, you know, because even though this comes with 4Drive four-wheel drive system that behaves like that Subie I've mentioned earlier, the Cupra Ateca is mated to a 7-speed DSG and if you are new to driving, you might be having a hard time starting this car with such gearbox. Come back if you have ample vehicular experience.
Those who have familiarity with how things work, it's good to know that the Cupra Ateca can get through 100kph in 5.2 seconds and onwards to just 247kph. If speed doesn't matter, how about dynamics? Sure, it maybe a crossover but the way the CUPRA Ateca handles is WRX STi-quality behind the wheel. It's pretty good on a weekend drive but when taken to track days and engaged the CUPRA mode, it's crunch time! When engaged, the mild-but-menacing character the CUPRA Ateca comes alive, meaning that its grippy nature makes it more hot hatch-ish for a crossover of this size but be careful though, when the struggle gets all to real, better be prepared with your health insurance.
Should you buy it? The Cupra Ateca starts at 46,044 Euros, which is surprisingly expensive but it's a start. The Cupra Ateca is not the welcoming salvo we're expecting for Seat's new CUPRA brand but as a sports utility hero, it's not half bad to toy around with everyday. With the CUPRA brand introduced to the world with the Ateca, expect jealousy in store for those who want to drive one because in that case, we are jealous to drive one right now.
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