IT’S the final piece of its three-pronged launch puzzle, the CUPRA Formentor – set to land in Australia in July, the crossover line-up is unique in both its performance focus and stylised design. There’s even a plug-in hybrid.
Designation of the four variants mirrors those of the Leon range announced recently, with two Formentor variants offering all-wheel drive. It will be offered as the V 4Drive; VZ; VZe and VZx 4Drive.
“While the Formentor is clearly related to the Leon and Ateca in a technical sense, visually it is also the ‘most CUPRA’ of the conventional CUPRAS,” CUPRA Australia head of product and planning Jeff Shafer said.
“This has in no small way contributed to the Formentor comprising almost two-thirds of total CUPRA sales,” he added. “As with the Leon and Ateca, the highest feasible level of standard specification has been our objective.”
The CUPRA Formentor V kicks off the range with a 2.0-litre turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine generating 140kW/320Nm under the hood, paired with a 7-speed wet clutch DSG and 4Drive AWD. It rides on 18-inch Sport Black and Silver alloy wheels.
It’s available in Nevada White, Magnetic Tech, Magic Black, Asphalt Blue, Desire Red, Dark Camouflage, and Graphene Grey, and comes with tyre pressure monitoring, heated power folding mirrors covered in dark chrome.
There’s full LED headlights, DRLs and taillights, fog lamps with cornering and auto high beam, rear tinted windows, a rear spoiler, glossy black roof rails, front and rear parking sensors, and dynamic chassis control.
You’ll also find a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster and 12.0-inch infotainment system, and wireless phone charging, as well as wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB-C ports, a reversing camera, and cloth sports bucket seats.
The Formentor V also sports 3-zone climate control air-conditioning, a leather heated multifunction steering wheel with paddle shift, and keyless entry and start.
On the safety front, it has front assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane assist, park assist, side assist with exit assist, emergency assist, adaptive cruise control, traffic jam assist and a pre-crash warning system.
An optional leather and power package adds leather seating (heated up front), driver power adjustment and memory, mirror memory and a hands free powered tailgate.
The Formentor VZ features the same specs as the V, but adds a more powerful 2.0-litre turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine pushing out 180kW/370Nm, with a 7-speed wet clutch DSG. It’s front-wheel drive and rides on 19-inch Sport Black and Silver alloy wheels.
The Formentor VZe is the range’s hybrid offering, powered by a 1.4-litre turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine delivering 110kW/250Nm, which is paired with an 85kW/300Nm electric motor for a combined system output of 180kW/400Nm.
That’s married to a 6-speed wet clutch DSG. Like the VZ and V, it has the optional leather and power package, as well as the option of a panoramic glass sunroof. The performance oriented Formentor VZx adds plenty to this already solid spec sheet.
It gets a 2.0-litre turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine pushing out 228kW/400Nm, an optional Brembo brake package, 19-inch Performance Sport black and copper alloy wheels, a hands free power tailgate, quad exhaust system, and leather bucket seats in Petrol Blue.
Up front, those seats are heated, have driver power adjustment and memory, and there’s also a Beats audio sound system with 9-speakers, a subwoofer and 340W amp, a super sports leather steering wheel with satellite buttons, and some additional paint colours.
These include Petrol Blue Matte and Magnetic Tech Matte. All CUPRA models come with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty. Pricing will be confirmed shortly.
