Cupra Formentor under the knife

Formentor

When you think of Cupra, you might still think of Seat or the Born, the Cupra based on the Volkswagen ID.3, but it is the Formentor that started it all for the brand. The model – and thus the brand – is now four years old and has now received a major update. The updated Formentor has a new nose, featuring a sharknose front with three triangular LED units per headlight. At the rear, LED lights across the entire width of the car stand out, incorporating an illuminated CUPRA emblem. The taillights also feature triangular shapes. A hefty diffuser is obviously not to be missed on the sporty SUV. The updated model rolls on 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, but 19-inch ones are also available. The updated color palette includes several matte colors.

Large screen

In the interior, we detect a new 12.9-inch screen, already familiar from several other Volkswagen Group products, such as the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Superb. The system is of course compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones, which can be wirelessly paired as well as charged. Also new is the Sennheiser audio system, available as an option. It includes 11 speakers, a subwoofer and a 390-watt amplifier combined with Sennheiser’s “AMBEO Concerto” software.

272 hp

The engine lineup is also shaking up. There is a new plug-in hybrid powertrain, with a 1.5 TSI gasoline engine and an electric motor, good for 150 kW/204 hp or 200 kW/272 hp. The PHEV’s battery has grown from about 12 kWh to 19.7 kWh, so the Formentor gets a lot farther on a full battery charge. According to the brand, over 100 kilometers should be possible on electric power. In addition, the PHEV can now recharge at a fast charger, up to 50 kW. Home landing can now be done with 11 kW, whereas previously it could have a maximum of 3.6 kW charging power.

This summer at the dealership

Each Formentor comes standard with the DSG dual-clutch automatic transmission. The Formentor VZ e-Hybrid (220 kW/272 hp) is optionally available with a Brembo braking system with perforated brake discs, and via Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), customers can significantly adjust the handling characteristics of their car. The updated CUPRA Formentor will be available starting this summer and will be on-tour along the Dutch CUPRA Garages from May 1.