Cupra Formentor - TopCarNews

Cupra Formentor (2020 – present) | Expert Rating [hide]

Summary

The Cupra Formentor is a mid-sized SUV/crossover, and the first model from the new Spanish performance brand not to be based on an existing SEAT model, unlike the Cupra Ateca and Cupra Leon. The Formentor went on sale in the UK in late 2020.

Size-wize, the Formentor is broadly similar to the other two models in the Cupra family, but it sits lower to the ground – roughly halfway between the Leon and the Ateca. Being its own distinctive model also helps avoid it looking like a go-faster SEAT.

The Cupra Formentor has received positive reviews from the UK motoring media, with an overall Expert Rating of 74% based on 26 reviews as of December 2021. It has been praised for its styling, comfort and technology, with the only criticisms really being that it’s not quite as sporty as the styling or Cupra name suggest.

– Advertisement –

Formentor highlights

High standard of interior comfort
Attractive exterior looks
Roomy and practical
Impressive tech features and infotainment
Wide range of models to choose from

Formentor lowlights

Sporty exterior not really matched under the bonnet
Influence from cheaper SEAT models remains
Engine gets noisy above 70mph
Fiddly dashboard controls

Key specifications

Body style: Medium SUV/crossoverEngines: petrol, plug-in hybrid
Price: From £27,400 on-road

Launched: Winter 2020/21Last updated: N/A
Replacement due: TBA

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road test and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

Auto Express

Model reviewed: Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid 2021Score: 7 / 10“The Formentor is a great calling card for the Cupra brand – it’s stylish, drives well, comes well-equipped and with plenty of space.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“Cupra’s first stand-alone model is a handsome SUV that drives every bit as good as it looks. It’s well specified and roomy on the inside and features as much new safety tech you could wish for beneath the skin, much of it fitted as standard. Just as well given that even the cheapest versions cost £40k.”
Read review

Auto Trader

Score: 9 / 10“Fast, stylish inside and out and packed with the latest tech, the Cupra Formentor is an impressive machine that is both more desirable and better value than more established premium rivals.”
Read review

Autocar

Model reviewed: e-Hybrid VZ2 245PS DSG 2021Score: 8 / 10“Standalone Cupra Formentor SUV gets front-drive and electrically assisted power. Prepare for a wild ride.”
Read review

Score: 9 / 10“Versatile, interesting, rewarding; the Cupra Formentor is one of the best fast crossovers yet.”
Read review

Score: 8 / 10“The Cupra Formentor isn’t a wildly exciting drive, then, but it’s a well-rounded one and rewarding, given this is a tall, relatively practical fast car. Its character isn’t unlike that of an old Forester in that it’s surefooted and a useful few centimetres taller than average yet resists being either floaty or crash.”
Read review

Car

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic 4Drive VZ EditionScore: 8 / 10“The Cupra Formentor 310PS 4Drive VZ Edition is great fun, and a true appetite-whetter. But the make-or-break for Cupra’s future will be the more populist versions: bring them on.”
Read review

Car Keys

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automaticScore: 9 / 10“Cupra has really done well with the Formentor, as it has utilised tried-and-tested technology and powertrains from the VW Group, but has created a truly unique and interesting car from it. It brings plenty of style and sportiness to this SUV class, while still being practical and easy to live with.”
Read review

Carbuyer

Score: 8 / 10“The Cupra Formentor is a quick and fun-to-drive SUV, but it’s still heavily influenced by cheaper SEAT models”
Read review

Carwow

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8 / 10“The Cupra Formentor is the first model from SEAT’s off-shoot performance brand. It looks great inside and out and is fun on the right road, but there are bigger boots and higher driving positions available.”
Read review

Daily Mail

Model reviewed: VZ2 310PS 4Drive DSG“The Cupra Formentor would be perfect for Darth Vader or Batman’s off-duty runaround.”
Read review

Daily Mirror

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre perol automatic VZ2Score: 8 / 10“It might not be as fast as Lamborghini’s Urus SUV, but to my eye it looks better and is £120,000 cheaper.”
Read review

Evo

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic 310 TSIScore: 8 / 10“The best take on the performance crossover at its size and price point so far, and with genuine charisma and style to boot.”
Read review

Honest John

Model reviewed: Range overview“The interior is typical Volkswagen Group, aside from the leather-clad bucket seats and new 10-inch floating navigation system, the cabin is filled with dark plastics. Cupra is intended to provide a mix of premium and sportiness, and the Formentor’s cabin reflects this.”
Read review

Parkers

Model reviewed: Range overviewScore: 8.2 / 10“Distinctive crossover blurs the lines between sports and utility.”
Read review

The Sun

Model reviewed: 2.0-litre petrol automatic“The Cupra Formentor looks as mean as a Lamborghini Urus and drives like a Porsche Macan – and is way cheaper than both.”
Read review

The Sunday Times

Model reviewed: “I drove it back from London one afternoon and even though lockdown restrictions meant traffic was so light I did the journey in just 75 minutes, it felt as if I’d been at the wheel for a week. It was – and this is harsh – boring.” (Jeremy Clarkson)
Read review

The Telegraph

Model reviewed: 1.4-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid e-Hybrid VZ2Score: 8 / 10“It’s a parts-bin special, that’s undeniable, but this front-drive PHEV Cupra Formentor brings genuine design virtuosity and driver appeal to a part of the market that is usually characterised by its dull but worthy appeal. For company car drivers looking for a 10% benefit-in-kind car that might leave a smile on their faces, look no further.”
Read review

Score: 8 / 10“Using the Cupra name for a range of go-faster regular SEATs might cause some confusion, but this machine is a credible product all the same. Quick, quite good to drive, spacious and reasonably comfortable, the Cupra Formentor is much more than a parts-bin special.”
Read review

Top Gear

Score: 8 / 10“Cupra’s first standalone model is a handsome crossover with decent road manners and plenty of space.”
Read review

What Car?

Model reviewed: Score: 8 / 10“The Cupra Formentor doesn’t feel as playful as the closely related Volkswagen T-Roc R, but it’s every bit as fast in its similarly priced, range-topping form, plus it handles with composure and has a much nicer interior.”
Read review

Score: 10 / 10“Having driven the most powerful version, we can say that the Cupra Formentor offers the firepower and handling prowess to keep pace with its sports SUV rivals, and also offers decent practicality and a nicer interior for the money.”
Read review

Which?

Model reviewed: 1.4-litre petrol/electric plug-in hybrid“Cupra’s first own-brand car may not set your world on fire in PHEV form, but it’s still an engaging and fun car to drive. It mixes a good driving experience with a high standard of interior comfort and space to create a car you would happily live with.”
Read review

Safety rating

Overall rating: 5 stars
Date tested: March 2021

93%

ADULT OCCUPANT

88%

CHILD OCCUPANT

68%

VULNERABLE ROAD USERS

80%

SAFETY ASSIST

Read full Euro NCAP review

Eco rating

No eco rating

The Cupra Formentor has not yet been lab tested by Green NCAP. This is a new initiative, launched in 2018 as a sister organisation to Euro NCAP. As yet, very few new cars have been tested for environmental impact by Green NCAP, and the testing programme was halted in early 2020 by the coronavirus pandemic.

If the Formentor is put through the Green NCAP lab testing programme, we will publish the results here.

Awards

Trophies, prizes and awards that the [Make and Model name] has received

2021

Carbuyer Awards – Best Hot SUV

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Cupra Formentor, you might also be interested in these alternatives

Buy or lease a Cupra Formentor

Regardless of whether you’re looking for a new or used Formentor, The Car Expert’s partners have thousands of cars to choose from

The UK’s automotive search engine. All the cars in one place.

We only have the best used cars for sale from selected dealers.

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing.

Personal contract hire deals from Rivervale Leasing.

Personal contract hire deals from Moneyshake.

Personal contract hire deals from Pink Car Leasing.

Personal contract hire deals from Hippo Leasing.

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com.

Keyword: Cupra Formentor