Cupra Formentor VZ5 2.5 TFSI R5 390 HP DSG7 4Drive

Many car enthusiasts associate the name Cupra with sporty versions of the Viti. For many years, Leon Cupra and Ibiza Cupra have been fast mixing between the powerful hatchbacks of groups C and B. In 2018, the decision was made to separate Cupra from Kiti to create a separate brand. Since then, Seat produces cars for the people, and Cupra produces cars under its own name.

The offer still includes models such as the Cupra Leon or Cupra Ateca, but the Seat badge on these cars is no longer there. The first model of the Cupra series that did not have a companion in the Seat is the Formentor. A car that started 3 years ago.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 picture. Pawel Kaczor

Between classes

The Cupra Formentor is actually a slightly lifted hatchback. It’s not a typical compact, but it doesn’t have much for a crossover or SUV. Cupra has created a car that plays between classes. There is no denying that the exterior design of the presented car is its strong point. The car looks very messy. It is immediately obvious that we are dealing with a powerful player.

The basic type of Formentor can have a 150-horsepower 1.5 engine under the hood, which has nothing to do with sports. Surprisingly, even the weak version, in terms of external design, is almost no different from the top type and looks quite combative.

The fact that you are looking at the most powerful Cupry available (VZ and VZ5) says a lot already the tips of the exhaust system and the brake system emerging from behind the aluminum rims. Fans of the model will notice a bonnet with a slightly different profile and carbon fiber front extensions and rear bumper.

With character

Similar feelings can be when looking inside the car cabin. Here, too, the difference between high and weak types is practically non-existent. However, the Formenta cabin has its own unique atmosphere.

It’s no secret that Cupra, like Seat, belongs to the Volkswagen group. However, the environment of vehicles with the VW logo on the Formentor cabin is unheard of. It’s true that the tactile light switch, the equally tactile climate panel, or the automatic transmission’s little stick bring to mind the Golf, but everything else emphasizes that we’re sitting in a Cupra, not a Volkswagen.

The bronze colored inserts are seen here and there is a characteristic feature for this Spanish brand. A steering wheel with a built-in engine starter and a button to control the driving modes is in a class of its own. Digital clocks have several graphic motifs and allow for a lot of customization. The touchscreen of the multimedia system has good colors and high contrast as well. However, its menu is so extensive that reaching our favorite choice requires time and patience.

The build quality is unquestionable. Many features have a pleasant tactile texture. Hard plastic is in the minority here. A different theme is sports seats. They look great and are just great when driving. They have sides with a very strong profile, you sit deep inside and make it clear that the car they ride is no joke.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 picture. Pawel Kaczor

The practical side

All sporting features and high expectations aside, the Cupra Formentor VZ5 also has a lot to offer in more casual terms. The interior is really spacious. Both front and back, everyone will feel interested. OK, it’s not a small car, but if you’re not a basketball player, you won’t complain.

Trunk? 450 liters of capacity is a respectable result. Visibility from the inside is more than respect. The slightly raised body did its job. Although the seats can be lowered quite low, enjoying the driving position of a sports car.

Driving only in comfort is not fatigue. It’s practical and quite…a quiet car that will easily function as an everyday car. There is even an off-road scene in the scene, which probably got here by accident. Although, on the other hand, the AWD drive in the VZ5 variant is standard and can be used off-road. In such cases, unfortunately, it will be easy to damage large and at the same time attractive rims.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 picture. Pawel Kaczor

Cupra!

Certainly the most tempting situation is Cupra! Its activation makes the vehicle ready to attack. All components are raised, the adaptive suspension becomes stiff, the gearbox goes into sport mode, where it vibrates and kicks back hard, and the accelerator pedal is sensitive to the movement of the driver’s foot like a dragonfly in the wind.

There is a power of 390 hp and 480 Nm. Such numbers are provided by a 2.5-liter gasoline engine with five cylinders arranged in a row! Yes, no joke! Such drive units are still being produced. It can be found in Audi and Cupra. It’s no secret that the same engine powers the RS3 and RS Q3. It is true that in the models from Ingolstadt it has less power (400 HP), but the character and sound have remained unchanged.

The five-cylinder unit has a unique revving characteristic. Up to 2 thousand revolutions per minute not much happens, but between 2 and 3 thousand. you can feel the approaching hurricane. However, it is only when the tachometer pointer exceeds the number 4 that the Formentor VZ5 shows its full power. Acceleration pushes you into the seat, and the tachometer runs out very quickly. Just in a hurry, the gearbox changes into another gear, and the body is constantly hit on the back of the seat. According to factory data, the car accelerates to 100 km / h in 4.2 seconds. According to independent tests, it is possible to get a result of 0.2 seconds better! It’s interesting.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 2.5 TFSI R5 390 HP DSG7 4Drive picture. Pawel Kaczor

To say that the style described is fast is like saying nothing. In addition, the Cupra Formentor VZ5 not only shows its dynamic characteristics in a straight line. The 4Drive four-wheel drive makes the traction in all conditions very good. Pressing the accelerator on corner exit does not take the steering wheel out of your hands. The rear axle tries to stabilize the corner, and the understeer is greatly reduced. Although the big and very heavy engine resting near the front axle makes itself felt in bad conditions.

An interesting fact is the Drift mode, the name of which probably does not need to be explained to anyone. After its activation, the car throws the rear end out of the corner more often and more willingly after pressing more gas. It is true that the feeling is different than in the case of a regular RWD car, but the fun in safe conditions, on a large enough square, is good.

I will also mention the moderate appetite for fat. The lowest score I managed to get was in borders 7.4-7.7 l/100 km when I was following a truck on a provincial road. In the low economy of nature, you should consider the consumption of 10-11 liters per hundred kilometers. The sharp edge makes a real vortex appear in the tank.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 2.5 TFSI R5 390 HP DSG7 4Drive picture. Pawel Kaczor

Cupra more expensive than Audi

Cupra Formentor prices start at a reasonable PLN 127,800. For this amount, we will get the basic variant with front-wheel drive, manual gearbox and a 150-horsepower engine. The top version of the VZ5 is more than twice as expensive. The price list opens with the amount of PLN 324,600. That’s more than 30,000. PLN more than the “twin” Audi RS Q3. However, the top Cupra, unlike the Audi, is fully equipped. Only bucket seats, custom paint colors and the extended service package require an additional charge. Everything else is standard. To equip the RS Q3 as well, tens of thousands have to be added to the starting price. zlotys. In that case, the price of Formentor VZ5 will be more attractive.

The car presented is a crazy car. Going against the current in times when the current counts more and more. It looks good, has a modern and refined interior and runs thanks to its different engine. There are fewer and fewer of these cars. Both BMW and Mercedes are incompatible with engines with more than four cylinders for their small crossovers. The Fromentor VZ5 is a unique car that will become a cult car in the future. However, it is worth considering the slightly weaker, 310-horsepower variant of the VZ, which has a similar appearance. It is true that the four-cylinder engine does not work under its hood, but it is difficult not to care about the price, which is more than PLN 100,000 less.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 picture. Pawel Kaczor