Cupra Formentor review

The Formentor is where the Cupra brand and its tribal tattoo logo come into their own. It’s sleek, stylish, sporty and very well-equipped, not to mention practical enough for a family. The excellent driving experience is complemented by a wide range of engines, while the plug-in hybrid models make a compelling case for business users.

It’s not perfect – the entry-level models feel a little at odds with the brand’s sporty ethos and some of the interior trim perhaps isn’t up to par, but the Cupra Formentor coupe-SUV manages to be a desirable and premium product, and it’s worth a place on your shortlist if you’re also looking at cars like the Mercedes GLA, BMW X2 or Peugeot 408.

About the Cupra Formentor

The Cupra Formentor is the first model that’s exclusive to the Spanish spin-off brand, rather than being a hotted-up version of an existing SEAT. It’s Cupra’s first stepping stone to having its own identity, but the Formentor is still heavily influenced by other SEAT models – and the bigger Volkswagen Group empire.

That’s not a bad thing for the most part, as we like the latest SEAT Leon and Volkswagen Golf. Our criticisms of the Leon are that it’s not particularly exciting to look at and doesn’t have a massive boot, but the Formentor addresses both of those with cool copper styling touches and a bigger SUV-ish body.

The Formentor slots between the Cupra Leon and the Cupra Ateca, and we’d argue its sleek looks suit the X-shaped Cupra badge better than the square Ateca. As mentioned above, key rivals come from upmarket manufacturers such as the Mercedes GLA, Audi Q2 and BMW X2, as well as some of other coupe-SUVs launched recently like the Peugeot 408 and Renault Arakana. All trade heavily on their individual kerb appeal, so the Formentor will have its work cut out luring customers away from these established marques.

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While the Cupra Ateca only comes with one brawny petrol engine, the Formentor engine range is a lot broader. There’s no diesels, but the ranger-topping 306bhp 2.0-litre petrol engine is joined by two plug-in hybrids, two more 2.0-litre petrols and even an entry-level 1.5-litre petrol. That means the starting price is much lower than the Cupra Ateca, but we wonder if the 148bhp entry point dilutes the Cupra branding and positioning a little.

You might see it as a good-value way into Cupra ownership, and all are great to drive and offer at least decent performance. There’s plenty to like inside as well, with a digital dashboard and a 12-inch sat nav screen coming as standard. In fact, standard equipment is very generous, with all cars getting adaptive cruise control, LED lights all-round and high-beam assist, plus wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

With a much lower roofline than the Ateca, the Formentor can’t match that car for headroom or boot space. The Formentor is quite long though, so it’s still a practical car with a decent amount of space in the back and up to 450 litres of cargo space, if you pick the right running gear.

For an alternative review of the Cupra Formentor, visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk...