Cupra has launched its first bespoke model, a sports SUV to sit above the Cupra with two high-output powertrains and - for now at least - brand exclusivity. Aside from extra flashes of bronze on the wheels, the production-ready car looks completely unchanged from the earlier Formentor concept. It's longer, wider and lower than the Ateca, and gets a 310hp top variant to make it very slightly more potent, too.
While the design is unique to Cupra for now, with its sloping roofline distinguishing it from the Ateca's more traditional SUV silhoutte, what lies beneath is familiar stuff. The base is MQB (what else?) with a choice of the VW Group's 245hp-producing electrified 1.4 four-cylinder, or the ubiquitous turbocharged 2.0-litre unit. Both get shift-by-wire seven-speed DSGs as standard.
The 2.0-litre provides Cupra with a new performance halo, but it's the plug-in hybrid Formentor that's expected to be the stronger seller. Its hybrid system is identical to that in the new Leon, mating the engine to a 115hp electric motor, powered by a 13kWh lithium-ion battery back and providing a combined 295lb ft of torque. When left in electric mode, the PHEV is capable of 31 miles, key for markets where urban transport must be tailpipe emission free.
If that all sounds a bit SEAT, Cupra has been keen to emphasise that the Formentor is a proper driver's machine with standard-fit Dynamic Chassis Control hardware tuned to befit a performance model. It gets the usual Comfort, Sport, Cupra and Individual modes - which also alter the powertrain's settings as normal - but across all parameters it remains active in adapting to present driving scenarios. Expect body-roll-cutting results and, with a wheelbase 50mm longer than the Ateca's, plenty of grip.
Despite the obvious parallels with other VW Group product, vice president for R&D Axel Andorff insists that there has been a focus on creating a unique experience for owners that goes further than just tweaking certain design elements. At the Leon launch he suggested that his engineers were pursuing a unique blend of plushness and performance from their models, and that products of the Volkswagen car brand were not untouchable. Strong sales for the Ateca - 10,000 were shifted in last year alone - has left Cupra confident that it's onto something with its current formula.
There may be more power to come from the Formentor, too, although not necessarily from the official line-up. VW Group partner ABT is almost certainly going to get to work on the upcoming model; its already working on the Leon and regularly tunes the 2.0-litre to produce more than 350hp, so we can confidently predict something similar here. It won't remain a brand-specific model for long, however, as SEAT is set to launch lower-powered versions in the near future, extending its own lineup. With that in mind, expect the Formentor to go on sale near the £40k mark. We'll know more closer to the car's late 2020 on-road date.
1 / 4
