Five cylinders in the fastest Cupra Formentor

since Three years ago, Seat outsourced the sport from the core brand. In 2018, the term Cupra grows from a model name for particularly fast Seats to an independent brand. Initially, this changes little about the actual models: a car that was previously called the Seat Leon Cupra is now called the Cupra Leon, but basically remains the same model. However, the Spaniards in the Volkswagen Group do not leave it at that. At the beginning of 2020, the Cupra brand will present its first own car. There is no Seat equivalent to the sporty SUV Cupra Formentor. The transverse construction kit makes it possible.

The SUV coupé from Cupra is starting out with an independent focus and a new look. Only in terms of technology does the manufacturer initially refrain from underlining this special position. The petrol and diesel from the group shelf with four cylinders and 150 to 310 hp originate unchanged from the expanded Seat cosmos. That says yes to too much power, but no to bigger engines.

For the third brand anniversary, Cupra ends this modesty and finally gives its independent SUV what the Formentor has been missing so far: an emotionally charged and unmistakable drive. The fine sister company Audi donates its most iconic unit and gives Cupra the five-cylinder turbo engine from the TT RS and RS Q3 for a limited special series of the Formentor. With 390 hp and its legendary and unmistakable sound, the Audi drive ensures that the Formentor VZ5 will in future be one of the fastest compact SUVs on the market.

Cupra Formentor VZ5 with Audi five-cylinder

The turbocharged five-cylinder is actually firmly linked to the Audi DNA; Audi is reluctant to share this exclusive piece of technology. The engine concept dates back to the 1970s, originally the engine was developed by Ferdinand Piëch and Friedrich Indra. With its unusual sound and the desired sporty positioning, the drive once helped shake Audi’s staid image out of the metal seams. Audi always keeps the drive technically fresh. A modern version of the five-cylinder has been in the fastest derivatives of compact Audi models since 2009: it performs in RS3, TT RS and RS Q3 last 400 hp.

Usually, Audi does not allow this exclusivity to be shaken. Because in Ingolstadt this engine stands for the sporting tradition and is a unique selling point that is often presented to the outside world. Most of the competitors in the competition drive with four cylinders, very few with six pots. Sound and power delivery therefore clearly set the Audi solution apart from the competition. So far, the manufacturer has therefore kept its five-cylinder to itself.

Now Audi is still sharing its wildest drive with its sister company Cupra. Amazing, because this step makes the Formentor VZ5 a direct competitor of the Audi RS Q3 Sportback. Both cars share both the format and the platform. The Cupra is just a little flatter, but overall it is similarly dynamically aligned. A clear commitment from the VW Group that the young Spanish sub-brand is taken seriously internally.

Technical similarity to the Audi RS Q3

The Formentor VZ5 therefore only starts with a narrow respectable distance behind the RS Q3. He lacks ten PS for the Audi SUV. In addition, Cupra always caps the speed to 250 km / h. Audi opens the electronic lid for an extra charge and allows an optional speed of 280. In return, the Formentor sprints with a twinkle in the nimble: it reaches 100 km / h after 4.2 seconds (RS Q3: 4.5 s). This is probably less due to tangible dynamic advantages, but rather to measurement tolerances. Audi likes to stack deep at this point.

In addition to the engine, the Formentor takes over from the RS Q3 the seven-speed dual clutch transmission and the all-wheel drive based on the Haldex principle. An 18-inch brake system including discs with a “wave” profile catches the pace again. Compared to regular brake discs, the wavy shape of the brakes dissipates their heat better. The supplier Akebono builds the six-piston brake calipers for the Formentor.

Compared to the weaker derivatives of the Cupra Formentor, the body of the VZ5 is one centimeter lower. The adaptive shock absorbers can be adjusted in 15 steps between gentle and sport. A button on the steering wheel allows the driver to switch through the predefined driving modes.

Cupra Formentor VZ5: market launch and prices

And inside Cupra? Subtle visual changes set the new top model in the Formentor range apart from its siblings. Cupra is adding a new bonnet to the VZ5, redesigning the front apron for better air flow, painting the frame of the radiator grille in matt black and putting new 20-inch rims on the axles. In addition, the car gets diagonally arranged tailpipe trims. This shape is also used by the Toyota premium subsidiary Lexus for some sports models.

Cupra has not yet provided any information on the price of the Formentor VZ5. But there are clues: The currently most powerful version of the Formentor (310 hp) costs 45,090 euros. Audi is pricing the RS Q3 Sportback at 65,500 euros. We therefore assume that the top-of-the-line Cupra model will start at around 60,000 euros. That would make it the most expensive car in the Seat universe by some distance. There won’t be much discount, because Cupra wants to sell a maximum of 7,000 copies of the top model. Seat sets the market launch for the fourth quarter of 2021.