What is it?

If you’re a regular reader you’ll have read my past Cupra reviews and be aware that the Cupra brand is the high-performance arm of Spanish car manufacturer SEAT, and has produced some very hot variants of the Ibiza, Leon and the Ateca.

Then, back in 2018, Cupra was separated to become its own sub-brand, with all future models from the marque wearing Cupra’s arrow-shaped emblem.

At this point you maybe thinking that SEAT don’t make a Formentor.  That’s correct, the Formentor is the company’s first standalone model, and because I’ve enjoyed their other models so much, I was pretty excited to get behind the wheel of their new SUV.

On the road

With the familiar 310PS 2.0 litre engine mated to a seven-speed DSG gearbox, you can expect a 0-62mph time of just 4.9 seconds and a top speed of 155mph.  And with all-wheel drive it isn’t just quick in a straight line, it can handles corners too.

I can’t remember how many miles I put on the Formentor during our week together, but it was a lot, it’s such a joyous car to drive around in.  Around town and on the commute the Formentor ambles along quite nicely in Comfort mode, but that’s not the way I roll, dear reader! 

In Sport mode the Formentor comes alive.  The flappy paddles work a treat, the steering firms up, and for a practical 4 door hatch that’s capable of transporting 5 people and their luggage, it becomes one of the most fun and engaging SUVs I’ve driven in a long time.

Alongside Comfort and Sport modes, there are Individual and Cupra modes.  Select the latter and you get a lovely rumbling soundtrack, but because both the suspension becomes even harder and steering heavier, it isn’t really suited for our roads, save it for track days where it’ll shine.

Fuel-wise I was seeing figures around the 31mpg mark, which is pretty good, considering.

Off road

Despite not having bad approach and departures angles, I decided not to venture too far off road, and instead drove around the tracks of Llyn Brenig.  I know from previous SEATs and Cupras that their ‘off-road’ capabilities are good enough to get you in and out of trouble, I just didn’t fancy scraping the very expensive rims!

Interior

As soon as I jumped inside I was enveloped by the snug, yet comfy seats.  You’re then confronted with the usual and easily readable binnacle and a large 12.3” touchscreen that dominates the dash and is home for all the usual stuff.  The quality of the materials used is good and there are some nice touches, such as the bronze stitching for the leather seats and the bronze lines adorning the dash. 

My only complaint here are the heating controls, which are thin, touch-sensitive pads that are difficult to see and awkward to use.  I know fitting these things are a cost cutting exercise, but proper buttons or dials are a far better alternative - safer, too.

The gear lever is basically a switch that protrudes slightly from the centre console, which is easy to use, but for most of the time I enjoyed using the flappy paddles that sit neatly behind the steering wheel.  

What makes the Formentor such a balanced SUV is that there’s ample space inside for five adults to travel in a good deal of comfort, and with the rear seats offering plenty of head and legroom, passengers slow enough to shout ‘shotgun’ will be pleasantly surprised.

With a low loading sill, the boot is big enough to accommodate most loads and swallowed my huge Peli 1650 Protector case with ease.

Engine ’n’ transmission

You have a good selection of options to choose from.  The cheapest Formentor is the V1 TSI 150, with the 1.5 litre motor at £27,745, and add £1,535 if you want the auto gearbox.

There’s also a 2.0 litre 186bhp model in V1 guise that will cost £32,440, and the 201bhp version of the PHEV that starts at £36,170 in the same spec.  

If you want a full fat version, the 242bhp plug-in electric car is £38,915 in VZ1 spec and the 306bhp engine starts at £40,620 in VZ2 guise, rising up to £42,990 in VZ3’s top spec. 

Of course, the PHEV is best for tax bills, with emissions ranging from 27-33g/km CO2, with an electric range of up to 37 miles

Conclusion

The Formentor looks great, but the primer grey paint job doesn’t do it any favours and just screams “I couldn’t afford to tick a decent colour from the options list!”

Being honest, I could wax lyrical about the Formentor all day long, it’s such an engaging drivers car, and as I’ve already mentioned, there’s ample space inside for five to travel in a good deal of comfort, with a boot that’s large enough to accommodate most loads. 

Above all else, the Formentor finds itself in an exclusive club here at Muddy Towers, it’s one of the few cars that, given a lottery win, I’d probably buy.  As I was saying to the Cupra PR team, if the Formentor doesn’t sell by the bucket load, it won’t be the cars fault, it’s down to the lack of marketing.  Simply put, the Formentor is one of the better SUVs that I’ve driven, period.