Cupra Formentor KM Petrol VZx (2022-2026)

An SUV Golf R power, Audi brakes and a unique driving experience – It’s the hottest Formentor you can buy. What’s a Formentor you ask? And what’s a Cupra? Well, Cupra is a spin-off brand from SEAT which is a Spanish subsidiary of Volkswagen. Try explaining that everywhere you go. The Formentor is one of two SUVs offered by the brand here in Australia. This is the VZx, meaning it has the most powerful motor and it’s all-wheel drive.

I was curious to see whether or not it's worthwhile to throw your cash at a Cupra car and if your cash is going to buy you a fast SUV for less money than the European alternatives.

Similar to Skoda, the Cupra brand doesn’t get quite the full Volkswagen treatment. There are plenty of nice materials and trim used throughout the Formentor, but there are also some rough edges.

It was mostly the overuse of cheaper plastic and questionable plastic faux wood trim that let this car down for me. As for construction, it feels like a European car in every way you'd expect from a brand under Volkswagen.

Even after a weekend away with the car, I heard nothing out of place, so it doesn’t feel like you’re compromising entirely on build quality.

This range-topping Formentor will cost you $64,990 driveaway. That’s a bit of a steal compared to cars like the Tiguan R and even the Audi S3 which are similarly underneath the metal.

Our test car was fitted with some pricey options, including Brembo brakes ($4150) sourced from Audi and matte paint ($2300). This quickly brings the total price up to $71,440 driveaway. That’s still a decent deal for a performance European SUV.

Cupra’s warranty is 5 years/unlimited kilometres. You’ll need to bring your car in for service every 12 months/15,000km, whichever comes first.

You get a complimentary 3 years of servicing with the purchase of your new Cupra, and can choose to extend this to 5 years by paying $1200. That isn't too bad at all, leaving enough wiggle room to tick some of those expensive options.

Personally, I found the cabin of the Formentor to be just a little unrefined for the price.

There was a bit more road noise for my liking bleeding into the cabin from those large tyres, so I just didn’t feel isolated enough from the outside world.

The sound system in here offers a bit more punch and is an easy way to distract yourself from this noise, which quickly fades to background sound.

What I did love was the sound generated by those quad pipes at the rear when you start to drive this as Cupra intended.

Now I haven’t tested this car without the Brembo brakes, but I can’t imagine you’d want to after experiencing these.

They’re absolute overkill for daily driving; you need to know that you'll have to do some track days to make the most of these Audi-sourced brakes. I loved the look and feel of these, and would be tempted to opt for them just for the cool factor alone.

You get 228kW (305hp) and 400Nm from this familiar 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder unit. Power is sent to all four wheels, and you can bet this thing feels quick.

I’m not sure if it's thanks to the lifted ride, but it didn't feel as mind-numbing as the VW Golf R Wagon could feel at times. That’s because without launch control, the engine tune is a little dull. With launch control, you’re hitting 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds.

I just wish there was a little more excitement in driving this thing off the line, without having to stress this car to its max.

This Cupra uses a 7-speed automatic dual-clutch, which can feel a little rough at low speeds. You really can feel that clutch engagement, but it's something you get used to quickly. It’s a lot smoother than previous Volkswagen dual-clutch gearboxes, and I found it to be pretty pleasant to live with.

It makes for a fantastically engaging gearbox if you choose to use the neatly presented paddles on the wheel. It’s not as snappy as you’d hope, but it is responsive to input, depending on your driving style.

The adjustable dampers on this car were a lifesaver. If you had to ride around in ‘Cupra’ mode all the time, you might just reconsider why you opted for an SUV over a lower riding hatchback.

In Comfort mode, the suspension lets up and coasts wonderfully over uneven sections of road. But you’ll wish for Cupra mode - the most aggressive setting - when you finally get a moment to exploit the natural talent this chassis has.

I found the seating position to emulate a traditional sedan. There’s a large bonnet ahead of your low-down seating position, making it extremely easy to place the car on the road and have it in full control.

The claimed fuel consumption is 7.7L per 100km. This car only accepts 98 octane for its 55L tank. I found my consumption figures to vary between 8L through to 12L per 100km.

I adored the execution of this car's interior. The blue leather and interior complemented by bronze accents felt just that much more premium than other fast SUVs.

Although, I can’t get past that massive stuck on centre touch screen. It’s easy to use, but gosh it's ugly. I just wish there was a better way to integrate that screen, like the one used for the driver’s display.

There’s 420L of boot space with all the seats up, which is nothing more than a traditional hatch.

Don’t be fooled by pictures, this is a small SUV.

I found sitting in the back to be really quite nice, as the roofline doesn't really impact my headroom all that much. Although, that middle seat is just a jump seat; it’s far from ideal for long trips thanks to the complete lack of foot room.

Of course, those front bucket seats offer lots of support, so your back isn’t going to be screaming in pain.

This goes under the 'Consider' list for me.. I loved how this thing drove, performed and looked, but I’d look left and right with competitors to see what else is out there for the price.

It’s a great way to get a Euro SUV without breaking the bank, but if you don’t need the body style of an SUV, I’d be hopping into a similarly priced VW Golf R hatch.

*Disclaimer - I work for ProductReview as their independent car and motorbike expert. I borrow new cars and motorbikes from manufacturers and owners to review. I am not paid or incentivised by these brands to post reviews. I write and create content to provide insight and information about any new or used vehicle I can get my hands on.

Cupra- When you want a spirited drive with that luxury feeling without breaking the bank – I am not one of those guys that walks into a dealership not knowing anything about the vehicle i am about to test drive, normally there is a lot of online research, looking at recalls, issues and professional road test, professional opinions, Facebook groups of enthusiasts and the tire kickers, I take video reviews with a pinch of salt as they are paid reviews normally by the motoring company. Also is have to appease the wife’s tastes so no Aston or Bentley Bentayga this year. The car also has to suit our life style, these are the boxes we needed to tick. • Large luggage area, • Auto tail gate, • Leather seats, • Enjoyable/spirited drive and handling • 4wd or all-wheel drive for safety • 5 star ANCAP • Heated sets • Premium sound system • Sat Navigation (we go where there is no phone coverage occasionally) • Stylish/functional interior We are quiet fussy owners but if you’re paying 70k for a car it has to tick the boxes. These are the cars that were on our short list, Audi S3, VW Tiguan R, Volvo XC40, Jaguar E Pace and the Range Rover Evoque. This is why we disregarded them Audi S3, boot to small boring interior, VW Tiguan R, VW interior Styling and hasn’t moved for years, Volvo XC40 under powered kept looking for a boost button, Jaguar E Pace OMG price then options and the same for the Range Rover (I did own series 1 Evoque). Our current car was a Renault Koleos Diesel 2019 never had an issue great car but time for an upgrade. We did our test drive for the CUPRA at the Perth CUPRA garage the basically gave us the keys, some general instructions on the driving modes and controls and we were off. We spit the driving but both my wife and myself are have very simular driving styles and like a car that is stable under braking, cornering and no slouch. The Cupra Formentor is built in Martorell in Spain, Cupra used to be the Sports wing of SEAT and part of the VW Group, Cupra became their own brand in 2018. Cupra is not a new brand and sales started in 2022 in here in Australia. At this time servicing and repairs are done thought the current VW network. The Cupra Formentor we added the moon roof and opted out of the Bremdo brakes package. The car ticked all the previous wants and more. Cupra Interior- Almost bucket racing seats in Petrol blue leather, very supportive and comfortable I am in my 50’s and there are so many adjustments in the electric seats I could not imagine anyone not finding there perfect setting, they are heated and the steering wheel is also heated awesome in winter. The driver’s seat has 3 memory so 3 drivers don’t have to fiddle to get the perfect setting. The centre mounted large touch screen controls most features in the car and takes a while to get used too as there are so many combinations for media, mood lighting and climate control at first it can quiet overwhelming . There are a lot of touch buttons (Haptic) and it takes a while to get used to also especially the air conditioning and media volume (there is a volume button/wheel on the left of the steering wheel). There are plenty of USB-C two next to the wireless charging pad and two for the rear passengers next to their air conditioning temperature controls. Car has wireless Android Auto and Apple car play, also fitted a USB-C thumb drive 128 GB with all my music for those journeys without radio/phone reception. The Beats sound system is 340 Watt 9 speakers, you will have to play with the settings as I like a lot of base, when set correctly it sounds awesome. Just In case you haven't found the easy way to turn on your heated seats, just press and hold the temperature + & - buttons simultaneously for your side. The drivers display can be customised, I like mine with the satellite navigation map so if the phone goes I can still see my next turn, the navigation voice is terrible at pronouncing street names and towns, but can be quiet amusing. The back seats have plenty of leg room and cup holders in the pull down centre arm rest. There is also a ski hatch to put your skis in from the rear hatch, not a huge call for this in WA but may be handy for long items without lowering the rear seats. Boot space is 420 lts and 1475 with the rear seats down. Safety features are extensive, parking assist, parking sensors front and rear, auto wipers, auto main beam, cruise control with adaptive, lane assist, traction control and stability control and emergency breaking, there is more but I don’t want to sound like the brochure. I saved the best to last in a nut shell the Audi S3 and the Formentor share the same engine and transmission 7 speed DSG gearbox, 228kw 0-100 in 4.8 seconds, so no slouch. The different driving modes that adjust the ride, handling and engine performance. Comfort mode is what I normally drive around in most economical but still plenty of power in reserve, fuel consumption is controlled by your hunger for speed and acceleration I am getting about 9lts per 100kms on my well behaved days. Sports mode the sound increases in the cabin and the car is far more eager a slightly stiffer on the suspension. Cupra mode is insane engine revs lift, it pops, bangs and crackles when slowing and a little engine rev on the down shift, stiffened suspension but handling is go kart-ish, the next level is to select sports mode on traction control system (button in front of the gear selector) and then you have launch control and the car is very eager as the throttle pedal becomes instantaneous. The is an individual driving mode where you can customise your own settings and a 4wd mode but there is a warning about ground clearance (170mm) on the 19” wheels. My likes- Handling is amazing feels well connected and plenty of power on tap when needed. Night driving lights LED are great as I live semi remote with Kangaroos around at night and early mornings. The interior and themed lighting in fact the whole cabin feels far more expensive than I paid for the vehicle. I now like the touch screen but I did take a few weeks to learn its quirks. The puddle lights are so cute didn’t even know it had them. Dislikes- Small cup holders in the front. Some road noise on country roads. VW finance department is hideous to deal with their remote office and does not breed confidence.

Conclusion- We are both in our 50‘s and drive the car mostly in comfort mode, but when you want to have fun you can and a great price. Golf R, Audi S3 are no slouches and share the same drive components Cupra just made them fun, funky and something a little less mainstream, which I like.