Volkswagen Group’s newest car brand stepped up with its first stand-alone model
The Cupra Formentor is both a brawny-looking crossover and a brilliant all-rounder with the taut handling of a well-sorted hatchback and the practicality of a crossover. The segment-blending family hauler – updated recently but we’re focusing on the pre-facelift car here – had a stuttering start due to its arrival during the 2020 pandemic.But the Formentor has become Cupra’s best-selling model, with so many finding homes that the used market now provides rich pickings, with prices starting from £13,000. There’s an array of engines to consider: pick from a BIK-swerving plug-in hybrid or a pseudo-hot hatch with more than 300bhp. Or keep things simple by opting for the widely available 148bhp 1.5-litre or 187bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrols. The 1.5 TSI isn’t the most exciting powerplant, but it will easily return 45mpg.If you want a bit more poke, the 2.0 TSI is a solid choice and it sends its power to both axles, which is good news for dynamics and all-weather traction. For spicing up the commute or school run in the snow, it’s the better all-rounder.The 201bhp 1.4-litre plug-in hybrid isn’t short on appeal, with 37 miles of claimed EV range still looking pretty competitive against newer rivals. Daily driving is a doddle on electric power, but even with a drained battery it should do 40-50mpg. They’re easy to find and rather good value: you’ll pay around £17k-£18k for a tidy PHEV with about 60,000 miles on the clock.The 1.5-litre cars cost about the same, but you’ll have to dig deeper for a 2.0 TSI, which are priced from around £20,000. It’s worth bearing in mind that all three powertrains are tied to entry- and mid-level V1 and V2 trims, but neither of these feels spartan.V1 cars get 18in wheels, LED headlights and a 10in infotainment screen, while V2s have heated seats, larger wheels and a rear-view camera.Inside, the Formentor offers good practicality. Despite the rakish roofline, there’s enough head and leg room in the back for adults, although three on the rear bench can be a squeeze. You’ll have no trouble carrying suitcases, buggies or pets in the 420-litre boot – although this drops to 345 litres on the plug-in hybrid because of the battery in the boot floor.Interior quality is strong with plush leather and copper trim upping the ambience. All versions get the same crisp 10.3in driver display, while the infotainment screen is a trim-dependent 10in or 12in. The central display is user-friendly and well configured, but the slider controls for volume and temperature aren’t backlit and thus all but useless at night.VZI trim and above gets you the EA888 turbo four-pot that powers the Volkswagen Golf GTI and R. The 242bhp version has serious pace, but it’s the 306bhp, four-wheel-drive model that cements the Formentor’s high-riding hot hatch billing. It isn’t quite as engaging as a fast Golf, but while many hot crossovers suffer for their jacked-up suspension and extra weight, the Formentor delivers just the right amount of grip, agility and body control to satisfy keen drivers.You’ll need about £23k for a clean example with a reasonable mileage, and it’s worth stumping up for VZ2 spec, which gets adaptive dampers. Then you’ll have one of the best-riding, best-looking and best all-round crossovers, and all for less than the price of a new Golf.
