When SEAT's performance division Cupra broke away from its parent company and became a brand in their own right, they started by rebranding the Ateca Crossover, adding one more brand onto the successful platform, which has built the Skoda Karog and Volkswagen T-Roc. Cupra for the longest time was a blue-collar performance hero as an inexpensive version of Volkswagen's GTI lineup.
For the Spanish manufacturer to have broken away and leant into their niche within the Volkswagen Auto Group's market share made sense, although doing so with a crossover as opposed to a hot hatch made many pundits ask questions about the brand's necessity. However in the intervening years, Cupra has fleshed out their lineup and with the Born, Leon, Leon Estate and Formentor, a hybrid model launched in 2019.
Auto Evolution described the model as "Sporty design, strong lines and fine details, but with all-terrain attributes included", in other words, the Formentor is a sporty and aggressive looking model which looks unlike anything in the Volkswagen family's range. It shares the MQB Evo platform alongside models like the new Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Octavia but it looks unique and thus signifies Cupra's unique identity.
The 2022 Cupra Formentor is an exciting entry into a mundane market.
A Complicated Range
For 2022 the Cupra Formentor starts at just over £27,000/$36,000 which comes equipped with a 1.5-litre engine and the top specification car costs just shy of £43,000 which is around $53,000 with a 2.0-litre engine which produces just over 300 horsepower and all-wheel drive. A winning formula for the hot entries in the Volkswagen lineup.
With Cupra's strapline of "A passion for performance", this 2.0-litre car is definitely in line with Cupra's design philosophy catering for its unique audience however this isn't the most exciting model in the 2022 lineup, despite the top of the line VZ3's officially stated 4.9 second 0-60 time. Cupra's E-Hybrid range is highly appealing offering up to 235 miles per gallon from a 1.4-litre hybrid drivetrain which provides a total of either 204 PS or 245 PS.
The hybrid starts at £36,170 which is just over $41,000, which places it in a competitive part of the market with offerings like the T-Roc and Q2. Making matters more complicated is how Cupra have set up their trim levels. the V1 and V2 have what can be described as a more normal exterior, which in essence looks like many other Crossovers on the market. The VZ1 and VZ2 levels come with the aerodynamic bodywork that Cupra has marketed heavily.
V1 and V2 specifications, come less equipped with a 10-inch touchscreen display and the V2's stand out feature is a reversing camera. The VZ options all come with a 12-inch touch screen display as well as the seats get more sporting the higher up the range a customer goes. The most expensive VZ3 comes with three-zone climate control as well as the most sporty of modifications, Brembo brakes. After a few option packages, it would be possible to spend more than £50,000 or over $66,000 on the 2022 Cupra Formentor but even the less expensive options are well enough equipped for most drivers.
Putting The Sports In SUV
Auto Evolution writes that it "Sounds Like an ICE-Powered Fridge, Still Goes Like Stink", the Cupra Formentor is part of a generation of hot hatch derived cars that are quieter than ever with dull exhaust notes that have been restricted by legislation with many places limiting sound to 80 decibels.
With All-wheel drive, the car, like many Volkswagen Auto Group products has a somewhat numb driving experience however it will be reliable and be useable in slippier conditions. The motif of reliability with a hint of sporting potential continues into the cabin. The Formentor shares the same cabin as the new Leon, which makes sense seeing as they share the same platform, with a flat bottomed steering wheel and angular design which ushers the car forward.
However with the increased price tag which the Cupra name brings it comes with a more luxurious cabin with bold stitching and a start engine button on the steering wheel, just like an Audi R8, only a family SUV.
Additions For 2022
Before the 2022 model year, the Formentor was an excellent offering carving out Cupra as a new brand. According to the Drive, when they wrote about the limited run VZ5 which had a 2.5-litre engine, a drift mode and a 4.2 second 0-60 time, Cupra have been steadily increasing their sales numbers since 2019 up to 28,700 by the end of May 2021.
Hoping to continue this progress the manufacturer has added two colours as options on the Formentor, Nevada White and Asphalt Blue. Adding to all e-Hybrid models' desirability they now come equipped with faster-charging cables as well as the option of a Beats Audio speaker system.
The 2022 Cupra Formentor is more appealing than the last model year, like many Volkswagen products it can be incredibly expensive at a higher trim level. But most importantly it is a practical sporty car with 420 litres of boot space, an eye-catching aerodynamic design, the accoutrements that a modern luxury car provides and all this whilst catering to the ever-growing Crossover segment.