Cupra Formentor: A Powerful Entry into the SUV Market
Not long ago, the SEAT Leon Cupra was the front-wheel-drive performance car to beat around Germany’s treacherous Nürburgring Nordschleife. Whether as a hatchback or wagon, the Spanish-built Leon Cupra could lap the famed track in just under eight minutes. Nothing moves slowly on the ‘Ring, however, and it didn’t take long for the likes of the Honda Civic Type R, Renault Mégane RS, and Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport to knock the Leon Cupra off its front-drive pedestal at the track. No matter, riding its Nürburgring record’s publicity wave, Seat broke out the Cupra name for a standalone performance brand in 2018—and the Formentor SUV is its first creation.
Okay, so technically the Cupra brand launched last year with a sportier creation of the Seat Ateca SUV, and just last week, Cupra revealed new warmed-over versions of the existing Leon hatchback and wagon. However, the Formentor is the first product designed from the ground up to be a Cupra. Named after a cape on the Spanish island of Mallorca, and not, as one might think, some kind of demonic spirit, the Formentor is about the same size as a Subaru Crosstrek (175.2 inches long and 72.4 inches wide) but decidedly more potent. Its top powertrain offering is a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. Consequently, this power gives the Formentor a competitive edge, particularly in the premium SUV market.
Cupra also will offer the Formentor with plug-in hybrid motivation, employing a 148-hp turbocharged 1.4-liter four and a 114-hp electric motor to make a combined total of 241 hp and 295 lb-ft. A 13-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack provides an all-electric driving range of roughly 31 miles, based on the European test cycle. Furthermore, the Cupra Formentor will feature level 2 semi-autonomous driving capability, enhancing its appeal for modern drivers.
Design-wise, the Formentor’s copper accents and angular LED light signature are in line with the Cupra brand’s established aesthetic. It shares stylistic elements with the Ateca and Leon, but stands out particularly from the profile view thanks to steeply raked glass on the liftgate and a daylight opening that kicks up sharply at the C-pillar. The first Cupra Formentor SUVs are anticipated to be delivered in the last quarter of 2020. Sadly for enthusiasts in the U.S., this model won’t be available for purchase, but the innovations introduced in the Formentor could very well trickle down to other Volkswagen Group products available in the American market.
