Can the new direction for Cupra help them succeed?
Exterior – Front
So, starting with the front of the new Formentor and we can see straight away that Cupra have moved away from the Seat styling. To start with we get a new set of headlights which have 3 triangles in for the daytime running lights. In the middle the grill has gone and has been replaced with this big central air vent and little upper vent giving it an aggressive look. We also get some sporty side vents and some cornering lights too all together giving it a strong road presence.
Exterior – Side
Moving along the side of the Cupra Formentor facelift and there is no surprise that there aren’t any changes apart for some new colour and wheel options which makes the Formentor look more modern.
Exterior – Rear
Moving round to the back and we get some big updates. To start with we get a new set of taillights which has the 3-triangle signature in them, and these are connected with a light bar and the light up Cupra badge. Because of this we get a slightly differently styled boot opening. The bumper is also more aggressive too which helps give the car an aggressive rear end. Right, lets have a look and see what engine and gearbox options you can have with the new Cupra Formentor.
Car and engine specs and price
So, in the new Cupra Formentor lineup you can get 6 different engines. Lets start with the base model. This is the tried and tested 1.5 litre turbo petrol TSI engine which has 148 bhp. this can do 0-60 in 9 seconds and is front wheel drive. This can be only had with a 6-speed manual though. Now if you want to have it with an automatic gearbox then this engine becomes a mild Hybrid called eTSI. This keeps the same 0-60 time, but you get a 7-speed dual cutch automatic DSG gearbox. The next engine is a plug-in hybrid engine, and this uses the new 1.5 litre Turbo engine and an electric motor with a combined output of 204 bhp. this reduces a 0-60 time down to 7.9 seconds and is mated to a 6 speed Automatic DSG gearbox. Now in terms of battery you now get a 19.8 kWh battery pack which has been upgraded from the 12.8 kWh from before. this now gives you a combined figure of 70 miles electric only driving which is very good for the Plug in Hybrid market. It is also front wheel drive too. the next plug-in hybrid engine is the same as the previous one, but it increases the power to 272 bhp and reduces the 0-62 time down to 7.2 seconds. The final engine that you can have with the new Cupra Formentor is the 2.0 litre Turbo engine taken from the Golf GTI. With this engine you get 265 bhp. and a 6.5 second 0-60 time. This is mated to a 7-speed automatic dual clutch DSG gearbox and powers the front wheels. Now this engine can be had with a 4-wheel drive system and with this it increases the power output to 333 bhp. this also reduces the 0-62 time down to 4.8 seconds which is very quick. The price of the new Cupra Formentor starts at £33,450 so it isn’t that bad then in terms of what you get. Right, lets have a look at the interior and see what is new inside.
Interior – Design
So, climbing inside the new Cupra Formentor and we do get some changes. so, the overall dashboard design is the same as before, but we do get a new infotainment system based on Volkswagen’s latest MiB4 software. If you want to watch a review on that then click on the top right-hand banner now. With this new infotainment system, we get the climate controls that stay in the same place and the touch sensitive buttons are now backlit. With this we now have slightly different instrument cluster which has a more modern design which I quite like. It just feels a bit more personal to the brand as opposed to it being like a Seat design. The steering wheel is the same as before which is good as it is a nice feeling one. Now what is new is that the centre console has a new design which makes it feel like it is more sectioned and better designed than before. we also still get a decent amount of storage too. the seats are the same as before and you can now have some sports seats too which is nice. Right, lets have a look and see what the rear seats are like.
Practicality
So, getting into the back of the new Formentor and we get a decent amount of headroom and legroom considering the size of car. You also get your own USB C ports, climate controls and rear arm rest. Lets have a look and see what the boot is like.
Boot Size
Opening the boot to the Cupra Formentor and you are welcomed with 450 litres with the seats up. Bear in mind though that if you go for a 4-wheel drive version this does decrease down to 420 litres but if you have a plug-in hybrid version then this is decreased even further to 345 litres.
Summary
So, in summary then, what do I think of the new Cupra Formentor Facelift. well the new design language makes the Formentor a lot more distinctive than before and really cements the Cupra brand and separates it from the Seat brand making it feel like a true car company. Like I said in the beginning of the video this is just the start of Cupra’s transition. We will see more with the Seat Leon Facelift in the next video so keep an eye out for that one.
Exterior 5/5
Interior 4/5
Practicality 4/5
Total 13/15
Model | Cupra Formentor V3 eTSI 150 |
Engine | 1.5l Turbo, 148bhp, 0-62 = 9.0 Seconds, Front Wheel Drive |
Transmission | 7 Speed Automatic |
Price | £40,830 |
On Sale | Now |
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