Item: Cupra Formentor
Rating: 4

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Is it an SUV? Or a hatchback? There’s some estate about it as well. Or maybe it’s even a coupé? Okay, calling the Cupra Formentor a coupé is a step too far, but there’s no question that it’s an appealingly unusual shape that mixes lots of different themes.

It was the ideal car with which to launch the Cupra brand back in 2020, and it resonated with buyers, racking up tens of thousands of sales in its short lifespan.

Now the first Cupra model that wasn’t a go-faster Seat has received a mid-life update, which is quite a landmark moment for the brand. Does it still appeal?

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Cupra Formentor

A compelling car with genuine driver and technological appeal; an accomplished standalone product

Good

Convincing blend of style, practicality and driver appeal

Much improved infotainment

PHEVs have very long electric range

Bad

Fairly pricey

PHEVs can't make good on Cupra's promises of sportiness

Questionable added value over a hatchback or estate

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Still as eye-catching as it always was

Wide selection of powertrains

Cons

Functionally not that different to a Leon

Cupra’s 2024 facelifts for the Formentor and the Leon hatch/estate aimed to set Cupra further apart from Seat. To that end, the Formentor gained a new 'shark-nose' front end, triangular-shaped LED lights, a much wider and more prominent front grille, redesigned alloy wheels and, at the back, an illuminated Cupra logo.

Of course, the Formentor’s fundamental shape and stance remained largely unaltered, which means it’s a car that’s as intriguing as it is appealing to behold. This long, wide-arched, unexpectedly svelte and swooping family hatchback-cum-wagon has a sporting stance and visual purpose that’s rare in a high-riding car. Moreover, Cupra doesn’t seem to have allowed the brief for crossover versatility to corrupt the car’s skilfully crafted lines or proportions. Design-wise, this is quite the accomplished piece of work.

Size-wise, the car is just under 4.5m in length and a little over 1.5m in height. It rises higher than the Skoda Octavia Estate but is nearly a foot shorter for overall length, while also being notably longer than the Audi A3 Sportback. And for anyone wondering how close a match the Formentor might be for Subaru’s boxier but equally left-field mid-noughties sporty crossover, the Forester STi? Apart from a longer wheelbase and wider body and tracks for the newbie, the dimensions of the two cars are almost identical.

Unlike some of its MQB-platform relatives, the Formentor gets fully independent suspension and ‘progressive’ rising-rate steering irrespective of the engine fitted. Lowered sport suspension with adaptive damping is fitted on mid-level VZ1-trim cars and upwards, with four-wheel drive on the 329bhp 2.0-litre version.

The facelift also brought a few powertrain shake-ups. The first was that the plug-in hybrids got a significant upgrade. Out went the 1.4-litre engine and 12.8kWh battery and in went a 1.5 and a 25.8/19.7kWh (total/usable) one. This bumps the electric-only range to a very impressive 67-78 miles, depending on the version.

On the performance side, the facelift introduced a 262bhp front-wheel-drive version (effectively the Volkswagen Golf GTI powertrain) and uprated the four-wheel-drive range-topper: its power jumped from 306bhp to 329bhp and it got the rear torque-splitter from the Golf R.

Range at a glance

The range of powertrains available with the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform is very broad, and the Formentor gets almost all of them, except the diesels.

As with other Cupras, there are two sides to the range: the V cars are milder, while the VZ (for 'veloz', or fast in Spanish) have more power. The number behind it then indicates the trim level.

Engines are all four-cylinders and all versions most versions come with a dual-clutch automatic gearbox. The entry-level 1.5 TSI is the only one that’s available with a six-speed manual; when specified with the automatic, it becomes a mild hybrid.

Some versions come with 4Drive four-wheel drive and the eHybrid versions are PHEVs.

Version	Power
1.5 TSI manual	148bhp
1.5 ETSI (mild hybrid)	148bhp
1.5 ehybrid 204	201bhp
2.0TSI VZ 265	262bhp
1.5 ehybrid VZ 272	268bhp
2.0TSI VZ 4Drive 333	329bhp

Transmissions: 6-spd manual (1.5TSI only), 6-spd dual-clutch automatic (eHybrid only), 7-spd manual (1.5eTSI, 2.0TSI)

INTERIOR

Pros

Material quality is a step up from the Volkswagen Golf's

Very comfortable seats, even in the entry-level model

Good amount of space on offer

Multimedia has been significantly improved with the 2024 update

Cons

The touchscreen can still be a bit fiddly and lacks physical controls

High beltline and low driving position limit visibility and partially negate the point of a tall car

You get an abiding sense of a right-sized modern family car when you survey the passenger quarters and boot of the Formentor. As a big hatchback, it sits between the dimensional norms of the market’s C- and D-segments.

It’s roomier in the back than a typical hatchback and, although not quite rivalling the likes of the Octavia or Honda Civic for outright space, it has good everyday practicality and carrying versatility.

Unlike newer MQB cars, the Formentor sticks with a drive selector in the centre console. It takes up some space, but it's much easier to use than the twisty widget in the Terramar.
Illya Verpraet
Road Tester

When you step from a Leon hatchback into a Formentor, it’s remarkable how the ‘SUV’ doesn’t actually feel much higher. The driving position is very hatchback-like and the tall beltline even makes it feel as if you’re seated deeper in the car.

Perceived quality and material use are also a cut above the Golf's, with plenty of appealing matt surfaces and attractive stitchings. That hasn’t changed with the 2024 update, but returning customers might notice a change in the available seat upholstery.

Gone is the funky petrol blue leather, replaced with a more subdued choice of black leather or Alcantara. VZ3 trim now gets brand-new and very supportive bucket seats in a light grey fabric.

Like all recent Volkswagen Group products, the updated Formentor has also had a big multimedia upgrade. The new 12.9in touchscreen runs the MIB4 software, which operates much more smoothly and logically than the previous system and gives you a number of slots for shortcuts. Once you get used to it, it’s quite easy, even if some extra physical buttons would be useful. The touch-sensitive bar for the audio volume and cabin temperature is also now backlit, helpfully.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Engines are refined in daily driving

Entry-level engine is adequate

Plenty of performance available from the VZ versions

Cons

None of the engines sound particularly inspiring

PHEV powertrains can be quite quick but feel unwilling

We’ve so far driven three versions of the refreshed Formentor: the 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid, the 268bhp eHybrid and the 329bhp 2.0 TSI. All give the car quite a different character.

With 148bhp, the 1.5 is no fire-breather, but it pushes the 1407kg crossover along well enough for everyday traffic. On the open road, the dual-clutch gearbox can hold the revs a tad long, but the engine is nicely hushed at a cruise. The mild-hybrid system works well, shutting down and re-starting the engine in an instant, and even letting the engine shut off while coasting. The offputtingly touchy brake pedal that plagues the Golf with the same engine is thankfully absent here.

We’ve not yet tried the 201bhp PHEV, but we’ve reviewed the same powertrain extensively in the Volkswagen Passat eHybrid and Golf eHybrid. It’s smooth and quiet in gentle driving and musters decent performance when called upon, but because of the way the petrol engine can shut off at unexpected moments and its strained sound at high revs, it’s not sporty at all.

The 268bhp version of the same powertrain is literally more of the same, so we would avoid it and go with the 201bhp version if you must have a PHEV or choose one of the 2.0-litre petrols if you want something fast.

For the keen driver, the 329bhp petrol version is the Formentor to have. 4WD gives it outstanding traction off the mark and it romps through its seven gears unrelentingly thereafter. The EA888 engine can sound quite harsh at high revs, but Cupra’s digitally augmented engine noise is fairly well judged.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Entry-level car offers enough poise, feel and engagement to feel more dynamic than most hatchbacks

The 329bhp version now gets the rear torque-splitter from the VW Golf R

Ride remains very agreeable on adaptive dampers

Cons

Hybrid feels more ponderous

The Formentor handles like a fast crossover that knows what it’s for, which sounds straightforward enough but isn't as common as you might think. Instead of doing some doomed, jacked-up impression of a circuit-aspired hot hatchback, it has just the right amount of grip, agility and body control blended with a good dose of compliance, composure and drivability that would make the car a natural choice for the quicker, keener sort of everyday driving.

The variable-rate steering is usefully weighty in the sportier driving modes and doesn’t pick up pace so quickly off-centre as to suddenly become hyper-responsive. It filters quite a bit and some testers would have preferred more tactile feel, but the way it’s tuned nonetheless suits the brisk, compliant, easy-driving temperament of the car well.

In this respect, the entry-level 1.5, being that bit lighter and more modestly tyred, has more communicative steering than its range-mates. It’s clearly no hot hatch, but the basic Formentor turns in well and tucks in neatly on a trailing throttle. It’s a very enjoyable steer.

The hybrids are the least appealing in the corners. With front-wheel drive and a bunch more weight, they feel more ponderous and liable to understeer than the pure-petrol models.

Keen drivers will gravitate to the range-topping 4WD petrol model, particularly as it has gained a new party trick with the 2024 update. The pre-facelift model’s clutch-based 4WD system made it stable and sure-footed over bumps and on slippery surfaces, but it did feel natively FWD ultimately, gently washing wide to signal its limits if you opened the throttle early.

As well as gaining 23bhp, it got the Golf R’s rear torque-splitter, a device that can vector torque to the outside rear wheel when you're exiting bends. This gives it a useful dose of agility and potential to entertain.

Comfort and Isolation

Both wind and road noise are kept reasonably low, with the suspension only protesting slightly over sharper edges because of those big 19in wheels. Even so, the ride can be made surprisingly comfortable.

Higher-end Formentors get adaptive dampers as standard, and they come with the same 15-stage adjustment slider. The Formentor’s ride really can be made as supple and absorptive as you’re likely to want it to be by sliding that bar and softening the dampers beyond where they might be set even in Comfort mode.

This car clearly needn’t ride like something tall and firm with lots of lateral stiffness, then. It deals well with asymmetrical inputs and doesn’t shimmy around its roll axis too much over camber changes, while those decent isolation levels and medium-weighted controls decline to become wearing, even on longer journeys.

The 1.5 clearly has less breadth, on its smaller wheels and passive dampers, but nevertheless strikes a balance that’s well judged.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Pros

PHEVs have long EV range

Cons

All versions are quite expensive

Prices in the UK start from £33,450, for the unhybridised 1.5 with a manual gearbox, rising to £35,475 for the mild-hybrid automatic. That’s quite pricy when compared with rivals. The Mini Countryman is a little cheaper, the Mazda CX-30 quite a lot cheaper.

The 201bhp hybrid starts from £41,510, which is a big price premium compared with the petrol, but for company car buyers benefiting from the 70-plus miles of electric range and resulting 5% BIK tax rate, that might be worth it.

This hybrid powertrain has proven to be very economical when running it with a flat battery as well.

The full-fat 329bhp 2.0-litre petrol commands at least £45,685, which is hard to compare, since most of the Formentor’s crossover rivals don’t offer a fast engine option. The closest rivals are the Mini Countryman JCW and the Volkswagen T-Roc R. Both of those are slightly cheaper but aren’t endowed with quite as much firepower or chassis tech.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 8

Cupra Formentor

A compelling car with genuine driver and technological appeal; an accomplished standalone product

Good

Convincing blend of style, practicality and driver appeal

Much improved infotainment

PHEVs have very long electric range

Bad

Fairly pricey

PHEVs can't make good on Cupra's promises of sportiness

Questionable added value over a hatchback or estate

When it was launched, the Formentor set out the path for Cupra to follow. It was fresh and interesting car that offered something totally different to a whole range of would-be buyers. This update, while not taking anything to a whole new level, brings the car a well-resolved, refreshed appeal.

There's abundant real-world practicality, as well as some great material richness, a striking sense of style and an appealingly pragmatic but still compelling driving experience.

The facelift keeps the style fresh, fixes some of the original infotainment and usability misses and updates the powertrains for better economy in the case of the entry-level 1.5, competitive EV range in the case of the PHEV and better chassis tech in the case of the 329bhp 2.0-litre range-topper.

As updates go, this is a very effective one, keeping the Formentor’s core appeal intact while polishing some of the rough edges. As it ages, the question does rise whether it offers enough added value over the Leon hatchback/estate to justify its price premium.

But given that it has been quite comfortably outselling the Leon (Seat and Cupra versions combined), clearly the Formentor’s unusual style is worth a lot, and that says plenty about how well Cupra is doing as a brand.

TECHNICAL SPECS

Model tested:

Formentor

Price:

£49,900

Engine:

4cyls, 1984cc, turbocharged, petrol

Transmission:

7-spd dual-clutch automatic

Driveline layout:

front-engine, four-wheel drive

Model tested

Formentor

Price

£49,900

Engine

4cyls, 1984cc, turbocharged, petrol

View all specs and rivals

Transmission

7-spd dual-clutch automatic

Driveline layout

front-engine, four-wheel drive

Power

329bhp at 5450-6000rpm

Torque

310lb ft at 2100-5450rpm

0-62mph

4.8sec

Top speed

155mph

Kerb weight (DIN)

1570kg

CO2

193g/km

BIK tax band

37%

Electric range

71 miles

Rivals Ford Focus ST estate Hyundai i30 Fastback N Volkswagen T-Roc R

Power

329bhp at 5450-6000rpm

Torque

310lb ft at 2100-5450rpm

0-62mph

4.8sec

Top speed

155mph

Kerb weight (DIN)

1570kg

CO2

193g/km

BIK tax band

37%

Electric range

71 miles

Rivals Ford Focus ST estate Hyundai i30 Fastback N Volkswagen T-Roc R

Jonathan Bryce

Title: Editorial Assistant

Jonathan is an editorial assistant working with Autocar. He has held this position since March 2024, having previously studied at the University of Glasgow before moving to London to become an editorial apprentice and pursue a career in motoring journalism.

His role at work involves running Autocar's sister title Move Electric, which is most notably concerned with electric cars. His other roles include writing new and updating existing new car reviews, and appearing on Autocar's social media channels including Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.

Illya Verpraet

Title: Road Tester

As part of Autocar’s road test team, Illya drives everything from superminis to supercars, and writes reviews, comparison tests, as well as the odd feature and news story.

Much of his time is spent wrangling the data logger and wielding the tape measure to gather the data for Autocar’s eight-page road tests, which are the most rigorous in the business thanks to independent performance, fuel consumption and noise figures.