Cupra Formentor: Orders open for entry-level petrol model

Cupra has further detailed the full range for its Formentor crossover, with the first UK deliveries commencing this month and prices starting from £27,395.

Orders began in October for the top-rung 306bhp, four-wheel-drive version, which begins at £39,830 for the VZ2 trim level and rise to £43,840 for the VZ Edition model. That's the first variant to be deliveried to UK buyers. 

This month orders for the base 148bhp 1.5 TSI petrol model are available to order, with pricing from £27,395 for the base V1 variant. That comes equipped with 18in alloys, ambient lighting, LED head and tail-lights with dynamic indicators and electric heated door mirrors with puddle lights. A 12in touchscreen navigation system with wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, a 10.25in digital cockpit display and a wireless phone charger also feature, as do rear parking sensors, three-zone climate control, keyless entry and start and adaptive cruise control.

V2 trim is also available offering further kit upgrades, but the VZ2, VZ3 and VZ edition models are currently reserved for the 306bhp model. First deliveries of the 1.5 TSI begin in the first quarter of 2021. 

A 1.4-litre plug-in hybrid with either 201bhp or 242bhp will go on sale in the first quarter of next year. A 187bhp 2.0 TSI petrol will also become available. The firm eventually plans to offer seven different engine options for the Formentor, although availability will vary by market.

The new coupé-SUV is the first stand-alone model from Seat's premium spin-off brand, and joins reworked versions of the Ateca and Leon in Cupra’s line-up.

The Formentor will be built on line two of Seat's Martorell factory, with 160 cars per day initially being produced - although the firm says it will account for around 10% of the plant's output once production reaches full capacity.

Speaking at the start of Formentor production, Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths - who was recently named head of the overall Seat brand – said that the model marked "the biggest step in our brand's history.

"It's the first car 100% developed as a Cupra, and has all the DNA of the brand. This will help Cupra not only in terms of sales, but also to attract new customers."

Griffiths added that the Formentor will play a key role in the target to double Cupra's sales from around 50,000 next year, with the crossover anticipated to account for more than half of the brand's volume in 2021. 

As Cupra’s first stand-alone model, the Formentor was shown as a concept at the Geneva motor show last year and the design is largely unchanged in production form. Griffiths said that "at the moment we don't foresee" a Seat-badged version of the Formentor being offered.

Griffiths said the Formentor “is destined to make Cupra an even more relevant brand in the market”.

Built on the same version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform as the Ateca, the Formentor is 4450mm long, 1839mm wide and 1511mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2680mm. It sports more aggressive styling than the Ateca, with a long bonnet, sharp side sculpting and a steeply raked, coupé roofline. It sits on 19in wheels as standard, with 18in brakes.

The Formentor will be offered with two powertrains, including the 242bhp and 295lb ft eHybrid plug-in unit that featured in the concept. Used in other VW Group performance models, including the Cupra Leon, it mates a 148bhp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with a 114bhp electric motor. A 13kWh lithium ion battery gives the Formentor a 31-mile electric-only range.

The 306bhp range-topper comprises a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit, which produces 295lb ft and sends power to all four wheels.

Both powertrains use a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The Formentor is also fitted with the VW Group’s Dynamic Chassis Control.

Inside, the Formentor’s dashboard is built around a 12.0in infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument display. The dash also features a horizontal LED light strip, which runs into the front doors. Those lights are used for safety functions, such as blind-spot detection.

The interior has bucket seats as standard, with a flat-bottomed sports-style steering wheel that features the engine start and drive mode buttons.