Road tested By Hugh Maguire.
Cupra is the sub brand of Seat which most will know is part of the VW empire.
The Cupra brand hopes to offer buyers a more sporty driving experience than other offerings from VAG. It’s not a Seat with a sporty theme but rather a brand in itself that offers unique cars with sporting overtones.
To date the Formentor has been available as petrol, and e-hybrid and now also once again powered by diesel.
The Cupra Formentor is a car designed with driving pleasure in mind while retaining the practicalities of an SUV.
So has it any street cred?
Absolutely! Its a cracking looking car and if the amount of admiring looks it got from passers by is anything to go by its a winner in the beauty stakes. Lots of angles, an imposing big bonnet and front end with a raked roofline give it a purposeful stance. I love its distinctive styling.
What’s it like inside?
Slip inside and the spacious cabin impresses. The devil is in the detail with very comfortable Cupra seats, a 10.25 inch digital cockpit which has a variety of configurable views including an analogue style digital display which I like. There is also wireless charging, mood lighting, 3 zone climate control, sports suspension, heated front seats, heated steering wheel, wireless Android and Apple Car play, and a huge 12” central touchscreen. The central screen works well and is angled towards the driver. A few buttons would be better if even for the main functions. There is more to the standard kit but too much to list here as well as a host of safety equipment from blind spot warning to lane assist and so forth. There are some disappointing hard touch plastics on the door panels but otherwise it all feels of a good quality.
It is also quite roomy seating four adults in comfort and with a decent sized boot and an optional space saver wheel in this test car.
What’s under the bonnet?
So many of the cars I road test these days are either plug in hybrids or electric its an absolute joy to get back into a car with massive range, great torque and terrific efficiency such is the nature of the excellent 2.0 TDI diesel powering this Cupra Formentor. With some 150 bhp on tap and mated to a 7-speed auto gearbox driving the front wheels the Formentor TDI offers the perfect blend of economy, performance, and a range of almost 900km between refuels. Performance is good with loads of low down torque. I averaged 6.1 litres per 100km over mixed spirited driving so you can expect better. Road tax is €210.00 for the year. Overall then this is an excellent engine and proves frugal and efficient.
What’s it like to drive?
From the flat bottomed steering wheel to the selectable digital instrumentation display it all feels very much designed for the driver. I really like the start button and drive mode selector button on the steering wheel. It adds to the sporty theme. On the open road it does perform well. It handles better than you expect for most crossovers. However I found it always had a tendency to spin the front wheels very easily when pulling away on a wet surface. There’s quite a lot of tyre noise too I found it very surface sensitive, noisy on the course tarmac but better on the newest of motorway surfaces. The ride can feel a bit firm at times but the upside is terrific sporty handling. I really liked it!
My Verdict?
Overall I liked the diesel Cupra Formentor. I really think it looks fabulous and offers a great level of specification in a very well put together high quality package.
Its got great style, its practical and well equipped and it really does offer a rewarding driving experience. This Cupra lives up to the brands sporty overtones. Its a fun involving drive while being sensible in so many ways. Lets not forget diesel is not dead yet and this car is a great reminder of how a really good diesel engine can be so frugal and efficient without all the hassle and worry of range anxiety. The Cupra Formentor tested costs €55,765.