Test: Cupra Formentor VZ5 – I expected something different

Cupra Formentor, “normal”, is the new hit of the Spanish brand. One look at this car is enough to understand why. Although brand representatives can sell stories about the emotions of sports to the public, they know very well what makes the hearts of modern drivers beat faster. And it’s not necessarily about performance, and certainly not about conventional sports cars. The Spaniards have dressed the SUV, or rather the crossover, in a bold style. And one that will appeal not only to fans of such cars.

When you look at the Formentor, it seems at first that we are dealing with a typical representative of the fashionable and popular type of SUV today. This is emphasized by the high hood, but after a while you notice that the Cupra hit is quite low for a crossover. The car measures 1,511 mm without rails, and if we include it, it is 1,528 mm. This means that in practice it is a hatchback disguised as an SUV with strong embossing and plastic covers on the bumpers, wheel arches and sills.

And that makes sense. Because on the one hand, it appeals to people who want a larger SUV, and on the other hand, the Cupra Formentor appeals to fans of classic hatchbacks like me.

Bodywork is a good first impression. The interior should be important, but more important – after all, it’s where you spend your time while traveling. And there, the Formentor combines the style and solutions of the entire VAG group with a touch of extra emotion to meet the expectations set for the Cupra. And it does very well – the design of the dashboard looks clean (German), but at the same time not boring (there is a Spanish element). Equally important, the materials used may not come from expensive cars, but They are very beautiful and pleasant to the touch. Two lines of stitching that run the full width of the top of the dashboard add style. The icing on the cake is the good fit of all components – something that can be a problem even in the most expensive cars.

What also attracts attention is the strip of light under the windshield, an extension that overlaps with the doors. Its color can, of course, be changed, but the most interesting thing is that its pieces on the doors warn about cars in the blind spot. Theoretically, a great idea – instead of additional lights above or near the mirrors, ambient lighting is used. However, as good as it looks, the warning light is very bright and even blinding at night. Moreover, you can see that it is done with three different diodes, which causes an uneven light.

Although everything is written about it, it is impossible to mention the multimedia system known from various cars of the Volkswagen Group. Although the Cupra version has beautiful graphics, the system is complex and learning where the options are located takes time. Fortunately, Apple CarPlay or Android Auto works very well and is an escape from what the car manufacturer has prepared. But anyway The worst thing is the light bar for setting the temperature and volume. Even during the day it is not very good and it takes getting used to (fortunately it can be done), but due to the lack of backlight it is impossible to see it at night. And just like you can adjust the volume with your finger, setting the temperature is an impossible task after dark.

The degree Celsius can also be set via the multimedia screen, but in this case it requires clicking through various menu levels. The volume is better because it can be adjusted using a knob on the steering wheel, which is much more convenient than having buttons placed there.

I complained, but the truth is that the Cupra Formentor cabin deserves recognition. First of all, it is not a typical C-segment hatchback, and even compared to compact SUVs, it is more spacious. This is truly a family car, as there is plenty of room in the second row. However, the trunk with a capacity of 435 liters may be large, but again – if we consider the hatchback nature of the Formentor, it is not bad.

When you open the door, your attention is drawn to the bucket seats. They look very nice, but the most important thing is that Both are smooth and comfortable, and hold well in fast corners. And (now let’s remember what kind of car we are dealing with) in the VZ5 version this is very important.

At the same time, although from behind the steering wheel you can see a long and flat hood with strong embossments, it sits completely high. Therefore, it is difficult to talk about the feeling of a sports car, but it has no disadvantages – visibility, also from the back, is very good.

I started the Formentor VZ5 test once from Warsaw to Wrocław using highways and expressways. After arriving at that place, I heard the questions “and how?”. The interest of this car is not surprising. After all, we are talking about something very rare today five cylinder engine and a truly impressive performance. In response, I began to lift my nose slightly. Why? My first car was a Volkswagen Corrado VR6 and to be honest, with an engine like the one in the VZ5, I expected a similar style car.

Whether it was the VW Corrado or the Opel Calibra, although they drew heavily from the Passat and Vectra, they (like the Japanese coupés of the period) were similar to their practical cousins. Despite their traditional origins, one can feel that these were more sports cars. And perhaps because of my interest in cars from that era, I expected the same from the Cupra Formentor VZ5. Since the engine is a bit from the old era (“the last of its kind”), the whole thing should be like that.

Instead of this the ride was comfortable, the Formentor seemed to have good soundproofing and even at highway speeds there was no noise in the cabin.. You don’t feel fast at all. Additionally, the exhaust sounds artificial, uninteresting, and the sound of the five-cylinder sounds more strained than I’d expect from a strong Cupra version. In short, although the method was correct, I found that the Formentor VZ5 did not give me the feeling I expected.

Fortunately, I drove longer than just this one way and realized that I approached it wrong. This is a very modern car. Yes, its engine is the pinnacle of a good old legend, but more than that it’s proof that a fast car can also be very civilized. Acceleration to 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds is impressive. In addition, the engine does not lose steam even after more than 100 km / h. The power and torque supply is endless. And acceleration itself is not brutal.

In addition, the Formentor VZ5 holds the horn very well, the body does not penetrate, the car runs as if it is on rails. It’s not SUV-like at all. Here, the lower height indicates that it is important. So there is no battle for life as in “cars like before”. Cupra has created a real scalpel that does its job precisely and quickly, and doesn’t leave any scars.

Although the five cylinder engine sounded old school to me, it was The Formentor VZ5 is not an old-fashioned car. Instead, we get a modern car that is very fast. What the engineers have created under the guise of a family crossover is very impressive. When I understood this and learned the purpose of the VZ5 difference, I completely changed my mind about it. No car from years past (even if it had the same power) would have had a chance to be as fast as the Cupra Formentor VZ5.

The engine itself also deserves praise. This is probably one of the last five-cylinder VAGs. Here it produces 390 HP at 5700 rpm and 480 Nm in the range of 2250-5700 rpm. What’s more – it likes high revs and is suitable to turn the engine up to 7000 rpm. On the other hand, the not very high body allows the VZ5 fermenter to use 10.5 l/100 km on the highway, 9.5 l/100 km on the highway, and when driving at a speed of 90 km / h it can. even going down to 5.7 l/100 km. Of course, in the city the 2.5 liter unit should drink, so a solid dozen or so liters per 100 kilometers is normal.