Cupra was first used by Spanish brand SEAT in the early 2000s to denote the most sporting models in their range of stylish hatchbacks, being applied to both the Ibiza and the Leon. These were great cars, looking good, especially when finished in bright vibrant colours such as yellow or highlighter-pen green, which combined sound engineering from parent company VAG Group with some Latin pizzaz for a price somewhat lower than the equivalent GTi model VW. Someone then had an idea. The same sort of idea that must have occurred to the marketeers at Volvo, Hyundai and Citroen, that they could spin this new and well received model name into a whole brand. So just as Volvo begat Polestar, Hyundai launched Genesis and Citroen created DS Automobiles, so SEAT decided to create Cupra as a separate entity. Initially, all the cars had a SEAT equivalent, but it was only a matter of time before that changed. First clues that this was coming were around 2019, when, with the acclaimed Cupra Ateca recently added to the range, joining Ibiza and Leon based models, Cupra showcased a hybrid concept SUV at the 2019 Geneva Show, which looked almost production ready. Named after a Spanish peninsula, Cupra insisted at the time that its Formentor was definitely just a concept car. As it looked to be pretty much production-ready though, and it adopted the sort of popular coupe/crossover styling that the market seems to lap up, no-one really believed that this would remain just a concept and sure enough, a little-changed production version was announced in March 2020. This is the first Cupra-only car with no SEAT equivalent. It arrived at a difficult time, as the world battled Covid and lockdowns, and so production was slow to ramp up and initial sales were slow, but when the first reviews came in, the ever-critical press suggested that this was an excellent product. It was certainly one I was eager to try, as I have always had a soft spot for SEAT and have enjoyed my time with their cars over the years.

The Formentor has been on sale in the UK for nearly three years now. It has changed very little in that time, with the most notable news being the availability of additional models from the launch range, which started to appear during 2021. There have been minor adjustments to the trim and spec levels, but in essence, the Formentor of 2023 is pretty much the same as the car I’ve been wanting to try for a good couple of years now. My chance to get behind the wheel came when I arrived at the Hertz counter at Heathrow airport having just flown back from my autumn 2023 US trip. The initial allocation wasn’t this, but when I went to the counter to ask what else they might have, I was pleasantly surprised not just to be offered a Formentor but also to find that it was actually categorised in the same Group C that I had booked so there wasn’t even an upgrade fee. Even better was that the car allocated was painted a glorious shade of red which really looks at its best in strong sunshine, much like my own Abarth, this is a richer shade of red than that is. Visually, if nothing else, I think the Formentor scores high marks, with well resolved styling that looks distinctive in a good way. Clearly what really matters, though, is what the car is like to drive and to be in. Time to find out:

There is no external badging to tell you which version you have got, and Hertz’ paperwork provided no clues either so having adjusted seats and mirrors and everything else need to make the car how I wanted to drive it, I pressed the centre console mounted start button, with foot on the clutch and set off. First impressions were that once you got underway, this Cupra was quite lively, so it was a bit of a surprise to discover later on that in fact I had the entry level car which has “just” 150 bhp, in this case coupled to a six speed manual transmission. A seven speed DSG automatic is an option. More testing, in a variety of different driving conditions confirmed that even this entry level car does have decent performance, but you do need to use the gears a lot to get the best out of it. It can feel quite hesitant when moving off, but once underway, and the turbo has woken up, then acceleration is quite strong. Using the gears is no real hardship as with the exception of reverse which could baulk a bit, the gearchange is good, with the level moving readily and with just the right amount of resistance between the six ratios. The engine is quite refined with low noise levels especially when cruising on the motorway but there is more road noise than ideal. Fuel economy is good and that also means there is a useful range on the car. In total I covered 577 miles and I put 41 litres in the car, which works out at a staggeringly good 63.9 mpg. Most of the miles were conducted at steady speed on the motorway, but even so that is a very impressive result indeed.

The Formentor fulfils the Cupra promise of being genuinely good to drive. For sure the steering initially feels a bit lighter than ideal, but it does gain weight as you turn the wheel, so it is actually easy to manoeuvre but also pretty decent out on the open road. Despite the raised ride height, this really does feel like a car with sporting intent. The handling is well judged with ample grip and body roll kept in check, thanks no doubt to the fact that this is more car-like than true cross-over. The slightly penalty is that the ride, on the 265/40 R19 wheels of the test car, is a bit on the firm side, but it proved far from uncomfortable. VZ models get Dynamic Chassis Control adjustable suspension as standard, but that did not feature on my V2 test car. The brakes were good with a nice feel to the pedal. You get an electronic handbrake, of course, but it disengaged when you needed it to do so, so was not a real concern. Visibility is about as good as you get these days and there are rear-parking sensors to help when reversing. More aids are available on higher spec models. There are plenty of other ADAS features, of course, and I found that the Lane Keep Assist, as is often the way, was rather over zealous.

Cupra have tried to create an Interior that is distinctive and that bit different from increasingly standardised approaches and I would say that they have succeeded. There is quite an edgy design to it all, but the materials used are of good quality and mostly soft to the touch. You get a leather-wrapped steering wheel. The electronic instrument display is configurable with several different options, so you will have to cycle through these to see which appeals the most. The other switchgear is from the corporate VAG parts bin, and that includes the latest design column stalks which are rather hard-edged and do not feel like the quality items you used to get. Lights operate from a series of touch pad lights on the dash, like the latest Golf, an approach I think is not as good as the simple rotary dial they used to use. Pretty much everything else is operated through the 12.5 inch touchscreen which occupies the centre of the dash. Without doubt this is the weakest point of the car as it has the same usability challenges as I found in the Golf I drove earlier in the year. Functions it certainly does not lack, but usability it most definitely does. Furthermore, it was quite slow to load when you started up. There is a standard navigation system here and speed limit recognition which made many mistakes as such systems all seem to do. From an audio perspective there is DAB radio and you get standard wireless Apple Car Play and wired Android Auto. The climate controls are all in the screen, as are audio functions, with the cursed unlit sliders at the base of the display unit that are almost impossible to operate with any precision whilst on the move.

The interior of the Formentor looks quite inviting with quilting of the Nappa leather seats. These are high backed incorporating the headrest, which features Cupra brand embossing.  The driver’s seat gets electric adjustment. With the steering wheel telescoping in/out and up/down, it was easy to get the right riving position to suit my proportions. The seat – which features heating elements – proved very comfortable.

Space in the back of the Formentor should prove sufficient for most people, though it is certainly not the roomiest car of its class. There is just about enough legroom event with the front seats set well back, and headroom should not prove a problem. The centre console unit does not come as far back as on some cars and there is only a very modest central tunnel, so a middle seat occupant probably would not feel that they had too bad a deal.  Occupants here get the benefit of a drop-down central armrest with cupholders in the upper surface, pockets on the doors and there are 2 USB ports and separate air vents.

Designed as a ‘coupe SUV’, if such a thing exists, you may think practicality wouldn’t be the Cupra Formentor’s strong point. But it’s actually pretty good when it comes to boot space. True that coupe-esque profile means there’s not as much cargo space as in a Cupra Ateca, but the Formentor still has 450 litres of carrying space (420 litres for 4Drive models and only 345 litres for the e-Hybrids) with 1475 litres when the rear seats are folded down. A Cupra Ateca has 485 litres. Electrically assisted in the V2 trim of the test car, the tailgate extends down quite low but there is still a bit of a sill over which luggage must be lifted as opposed to being just slid into place, but the space is wide and would easily accommodate something like a large push chair. There are useful wells on either side of the boot and there is a much deeper area under the boot floor. More space can be created either by using the ski flap or by dropping the asymmetrically split rear seat backrests. The resulting load area is nice and flat. Inside the cabin there is good provision for odds and ends with a generously sized glovebox, bins on the doors, a small central armrest cubby behind the two cupholders and a recess in front of the gearlever.

There is quite a wide range of Cupra Formentor models. The engine line-up is comprised of five outputs, all of which are RDE2 certified. The 1.5-litre TSI engine is available as a 150PS, with either a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG automatic transmission while the 2.0-litre TSI delivers 90PS. For drivers that want the dramatic design of a Cupra with eco-conscious performance, there is a Plug-in Hybrid Variant, where a 1.4-litre TSI 150PS petrol engine is paired to a 115PS electric motor, powered by a 13kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which can be tuned to either 204PS or 245PS. The eHybrid has a predicted electric-only range of 31miles. At the top of the range is the 2.0-litre TSI DSG-auto 4Drive model, generating 310PS of peak power and 400Nm of torque. The Formentor is offered in six trim levels, named V1, V2, VZ1, VZ2, VZ3 and VZ Edition. The name VZ comes from the word ‘Veloz’ in Spanish, translating as ‘Speed’ or ‘Fast’. Equipment  levels on the Formentor are good, even in the entry level V1 version which includes as standard: 18″ ‘Performance’ machined sport black / silver alloy wheels; Interior ambient lighting;  Auto-dimming rear view mirror; Tinted rear windows; LED Headlights and taillights, with dynamic indicator and Dynamic Range Control; Electrically adjustable, folding and heated door mirrors with welcome light; Rain sensing wipers; Front fog lamps with cornering function; Rear diffuser with black simulated exhaust pipes;  Digital Cockpit (10.25-inch (1280×480 pixel) digital driver binnacle, fully customisable with additional ‘Sport View’); 12-inch Navigation System with voice control, Full Link integration (wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto) and DAB radio; Two front and two rear USB type C sockets and wireless phone charging; CUPRA Connect: Safety, Service, Remote & Online, comprising 10-year Safety and Service subscription including Private emergency call, Breakdown call, Service scheduling; 12-month Remote Access subscription including Driving data, Parking position, Remote lock and unlock, Anti-theft/area/speed alert; and 12-month Online infotainment subscription included: Online map update, Online traffic information, Online route calculation, Parking and petrol stations;  Copper and aluminium interior detailing;  Black adjustable sports seats, part PVC part cloth with copper stitching; Leather multi-function steering wheel (with gear shift paddles on DSG);  Rear parking sensors; 3-Zone climate control with rear control panel; Electronic locking differential with dynamic traction support; Predictive Adaptive Cruise control with speed limiter; Keyless entry and start (KESSY); Tyre pressure monitoring; Lane Assist; Forward collision warning with automatic braking; and a Safety and Driving Pack, comprising Dynamic road sign display and High Beam Assist. On top of or in place of, the Formentor V2 includes: 19″ ‘Exclusive’ machined sport matte black / silver alloy wheels; Virtual pedal and electric tailgate; Electrically-adjustable with memory function Black Nappa leather heated bucket seats with copper stitching and embroidered CUPRA logo in headrest; Leather dashboard, door insert and side trim panel; Heated steering wheel; Park assist (includes front and rear sensors) and a Rear view camera. On top of or in place of, the Formentor VZ1 includes: 19″ ‘Exclusive’ machined sport matte black / silver alloy wheels; Black bucket seats part PVC part cloth with copper stitching; Manually adjustable height and lumbar support for front seats; Rear diffuser with single exhaust pipe on each side; Dynamic chassis control; Sports suspension; Front and rear parking sensors;  Rear view camera; and a Safety and Driving Pack comprising Dynamic road sign display, High Beam Assist, Side Assist (blind spot monitor) and Exit Assist (audible and visual warnings of approaching traffic when opening doors). The Formentor VZ2 trim includes: Electrically-adjustable with memory function Black Nappa leather heated bucket seats with copper stitching and embroidered CUPRA logo in headrest;  Leather dashboard, door insert and side trim panel; Heated, leather multi-function sports steering wheel with start stop, CUPRA mode button and gear shift paddles; Safety and Driving Pack, comprising Dynamic road sign display, High Beam Assist, Side Assist (blind spot monitor), Exit Assist (audible and visual warnings of approaching traffic when opening doors), Lane Change Assist and Emergency Assist. The Formentor VZ3 includes 19″ ‘Exclusive’ copper / black alloy wheels and Brembo brakes whilst the top spec Formentor VZ Edition has 19″ ‘Sport’ copper / black alloy wheels and a Panoramic sunroof

There is much to like about the Formentor. It’s not perfect, that wretched touch screen, the scourge of almost all new cars, sees to that, and the ride may be a bit too firm for some tastes, but other than that, this Cupra pretty much hits the spot. I think it looks good, especially in the Desire Red paint of the test car, even with the entry level engine it goes well enough and is impressively economical, is good to drive, and has plenty of space for a family of four and their luggage. Equipment levels are generous, too.  If I were in the market for a family-sized car of this type, the Formentor would definitely be on my short list.