About the Cupra Formentor
Goorawin Peter purchased this Cupra Formentor new with additional options for $57,195 (including all on-road costs). Goorawin Peter would buy this car again because: “So far it has been a good car. It’s smooth, quiet and great to drive in urban areas as an electric SUV, while on the open road its sure footed and handles extremely well over most road surfaces. However I would not like to repeat the online purchasing and delivery experience which to me, left a lot to be desired. “
How reliable has your car been? Tell us about any issues.
There have been no major issues, however like most cars there are some design issues that should be addressed.
The centre infotainment system digital display is clear to read and provides lots of information, it’s just not logical in its functionality. This makes it difficult to find and access the various functions and settings. The voice control is average at best and gives the user very limited control.
The touchscreen does not always respond to touch and yet at other times it can be over sensitive and skip the desired function. As well this screen can get very messy with all the accumulated finger marks, which seem to be more noticeable than many other screens I’ve used. A few physical buttons in place of the software buttons would make the process a lot quicker and safer.
The time and date if set to auto does not keep the correct time. In my previous vehicle, which worked without issue, this was all updated using the GPS system which meant the time was always correct even after crossing time zones.
The inbuilt GPS navigation system is awkward to use and has limited functionality. Its slow to respond, and at times fails to zoom in when expected, so I would suggest a totally update.
The system software is just not good enough for a $60,000 car.
What do you think of the ownership experience with your car?
Now that I have owned the vehicle for several months I can say that its a very enjoyable car to drive and has some well designed features that does make it a standout product.
It’s certainly smooth, quiet and easy to drive in urban areas, while on the open road its sure footed and handles extremely well. An interesting aspect is that if you’re accustom to running-in new vehicles, a PHEV does take longer. As so much more of the driving is done in electric mode, the internal combustion engine will need more time to be fully bedded in.
The classy looking interior is generally very good, with ample room for most people both front and back, for what is really a smallish mid sized SUV. The front seats in particular are very comfortable, giving good support and hold the occupant well regardless of the terrain. Although for a car in this price category, the manually adjusted seats do let the feeling of luxury down some what.
The low driving position adds to the feeling of a very long bonnet in front of the driver, fortunately that does not seem to make it more difficult to position the car correctly on the road. All-round vision is generally good but the wide high-back front seats and a smallish rear window, does limit rear vision.
From the driver’s seat most controls are close at hand and the easy-to-read digital display is very well designed, allowing customised settings that would suit most drivers. The customisation is all done from steering wheel buttons, it’s just a brilliant system that gives the driver an incredible amount of information.
The rear seats are very comfortable with plenty of leg- and headroom for even tall people. However forward vision is restricted by the large front seat head rests. Although the boot is small at 345L, nevertheless it’s surprising what can be packed into it. It will even fit a full set of golf clubs without removing clubs or putting a seat down.
Sadly there is no spare tyre, only a tyre inflation kit, but that seems to be a common practice in today cars.
The Formentor exterior lines are somewhat different and yet pleasing to the eye, and that draws a lot of attention and favourable comments.
The Cupra logo is a notable feature that is highlighted in so many unique ways from the disc brakes to the badge on the front. Although it has quite a low profile, it still has a surprising amount of ground clearance, which is a positive attribute for Australian roads.
How has the purchase and aftercare experience been with your car?
I think Cupra’s online contract system has issues in regard to privacy, data security and the online integrity of contracts, which concerns me. The last car I purchased was done online and I had no issues and everything went smoothly, so it can be done.
The delivery was carried out in a very poorly lit area, which meant the embedded fine grit in the much of the paint work, no doubt from its transport from Spain to Australia, was not noticed. This had to be polished out prior to the car being treated with a ceramic exterior surface protection.
Several weeks after purchase I was asked to complete an online survey, which I did and raised my concerns. So far I have not had a reply, which is disappointing considering the only way a Company is going to improve is to address customers issues and after all they did the survey!
Are you happy with the price and features of your car?
The Cupra Formentor VZe is a very impressive SUV. It has very good economy, excellent handling and an above average ride.
The brakes are more than adequate for most situations, but can feel a little spongy at times. However like most vehicles today it’s impossible to come to a complete stop without that final jerk that occurs when the vehicle comes to a complete stop.
With 4200km now on the clock, the car has averaged just under 4.0L/100km with about 35 per cent of that distance driven as an EV.
What do you think of the performance and economy of your car?
In EV mode, the Formentor has plenty of power and torque for day to day driving. The instant and flat torque curve makes for very smooth, quiet and rapid progress, even up to the maximum freeway speeds.
As a general rule with a full charge it will travel between 40 and 50km in its default EV mode.
As an example of running costs for mostly daily commute driving, I was able to cover 1237km for a total fuel cost of $48, and electricity cost of less than $25.
That works out at an average consumption of 2.0L per 100km or a total cost of $5.90 per 100km. From my point of view that is a very impressive result, given that more than 20 years ago I thought I was doing very well if I could keep costs between $8 to $10 per100km.
Once the battery is depleted to a certain level, the car automatically switches to hybrid mode but will maintain sufficient battery power to supplement the internal-combustion engine when necessary.
The car will automatically revert to using the internal combustion engine after a certain time or distance of EV only use. This make sense, so as to keep the ICE in good working order. Home charging from a normal power point takes about five hours and works well.
Mind you even using the fastest AC charger takes about four hours, which is far too slow. It’s unfortunate that Cupra did not see fit to allow for much quicker charging rates from a Type 2 AC charging stations. A Type 2 setup could achieve a full charge in about 30 minutes, which is an acceptable period for either a driving break or shopping.
The 1.4L turbo motor does a really good job in its own right. It remains reasonably quiet in most situations, although can become a little vocal when pushed into its higher rev range. The boost from the EV motor, which happens when extra power is required, does make a huge difference, both to acceleration and hill climbing ability. That extra torque allows the car to accelerate more quickly and maintain speed up relatively steep hills.
After completing a 2200km round trip between Queensland and Sydney with very limited EV-only use, the car used 124 litres of fuel for a total fuel cost of $245. That worked out at 5.7L/100km while using the car as a normal hybrid on the open road.
What do you think of the technology in your car?
The different driver profiles, Comfort, Sport, Cupra, and Individual are selected on main infotainment screen. These profiles set the cars characteristics such as adaptive suspension, steering and throttle response.
The default mode is Comfort and unfortunately that can not be changed, which means every time the car is started the preferred setting needs to be re-entered.
However, the ability to dial in the various suspension and driving characteristics adds to the vehicles appeal.
Gear changes with the six-speed DSG transmission are almost undetectable in normal driving conditions.
The transition from EV to internal combustion engine power (ICE) is likewise, so smooth, and it’s only at very low speeds that there is any noticeable transition. The user adjustable regenerative braking is also effective at recovering most of the energy that is normally lost through deceleration and braking.
The integrated assistant systems like lane assist and travel assist which includes adaptive cruise control, are quite effective but can be over sensitive at times.
On that note we live in a gated community with entry and exit gates which can falsely trigger the braking system into action. When this happens the brakes are instantly applied which of course brings the car to an abrupt stop, a most unpleasant experience I can assure you.
What do you think of the ride comfort and handling of your car?
This is where the car really shines, it is such a joy to drive and so easy to place on the road.
The adjustable adaptive suspension works really well, providing a comfortable ride with above average handling over most road surfaces. Although the suspension can be caught out at times there is very little body roll and minimal torque steer.
Being front-wheel drive only, you could expect grip and torque steer issues, but they are seldom evident unless you really try pushing the car beyond normal driving limits.
Cupra has done really well at designing into the Formentor a good balance between very good handling and a high level of comfort.
Do you have any additional comments about your car?
So why did I buy a PHEV?
The idea I could drive an electric vehicle in regular day-to-day driving, while at the same time have the confidence to drive anywhere in Australia, was very appealing.
Because of Australia’s very poor EV charging infrastructure throughout most of the country at the moment, an EV’s point of no-return can happen at anytime. As many people may think, it’s not just off the beaten track journeys, it can happen through floods, fires, or even accidents blocking our more major roads.
PHEVs largely overcome this range anxiety, while still allowing most daily commutes in pure electric mode.
Keyword: 2023 Cupra Formentor VZe PHEV owner review