How intense the Cupra Formentor can be: the VZ5 next to the e-Hybrid

Looking out over the meadows, you can hardly imagine that once every year around 40,000 spectators went wild when ‘our’ Boet van Dulmen, Wil Hartog and Jack Middelburg competed against Barry Sheene, Marco Lucchinelli, Kenny Roberts and other international motorsport heroes . We’re on the Luttenberg ring, about 9 kilometers east of Raalte, where serious racing took place on two-wheelers between 1971 and 1989. As a rule, the races took place a few weeks before the Assen TT, which resulted in allure starting fields under the heading ‘nice warm-up’. At one point, the Raalte races even counted as a mini-Grand Prix.

1.4 E-Hybrid is fast but Cupra Formentor VZ5 has 390 hp

In 2023, only a few cows look disturbed when the engines of two Cupras Formentor are started. One car recognizes the loyal reader as our endurance tester, a 1.4 E-Hybrid VZ Performance, the other is a VZ5 not available in the Netherlands – because without a plug -. We have come to know the former as a pretty fast car, which also wants to turn the corner very willingly. Yet we have always wondered what exactly we are missing compared to the upper Cupra, the VZ5, which instead of a 245 hp hybrid powertrain has the fierce, 390 hp five-cylinder of the Audi RS3 under the hood. Yes, of course it is faster and louder, but the former street circuit of Luttenberg should provide a more profound answer.

The Cupra Formentor VZ5 is no different from the endurance tester inside.

Exotic VZ5 for sale in Losser

It is no coincidence that we ended up in the east of the country; we found the VZ5 a bit further on, at Auto Reuvers in Losser. This company specializes in tracking down ‘nice stuff’ in Germany and the VZ5 with less than six thousand kilometers on the clock was a godsend. After all, there are only a few of them in our country and in any case a maximum of seven thousand pieces roll off the production line.

VZ5 especially behind different from our Formentor

At first glance, the differences between fraternal twins are negligible. If you look a little closer, you will notice the larger diffuser of the VZ5, which is also finished with carbon, just like the more pronounced lip under the front bumper. In addition, the fastest Formentor is on a size larger light metal (20 inches instead of 19 inches) and we note two double exhausts placed one above the other. Inside, the difference is even smaller: we have nothing to complain about the sports seats in the endurance test, but those in the VZ5 form even better around your body and are covered with leather. The finish of the dashboard and the doors is identical, as are the possibilities of the multimedia system in general.

Formentor 1.4 E-Hybrid has powertrain Volkswagen Golf GTE

No, you have to get under the skin to get to the real differences. Unfortunately, the 1.4-liter hybrid does not bring anything extra under the Cupra heading, the powertrain can be found in the same configuration in several models of the Volkswagen Group, such as the Volkswagen Golf GTE. In that respect, the VZ5 with its ‘old-fashioned’ 2.5-liter five-cylinder is a lot more exotic. More Cupra worthy, if you will. Not only that, it also inherits the active all-wheel drive with torque splitter from the RS3. In addition, it is a fraction closer to the asphalt and the track width is a few millimeters wider. Unfortunately, all this technology comes with a price tag. At the time of writing, Auto Reuvers has the VZ5 in the showroom for €84,500, thirty grand more than our endurance tester costs.

The five-cylinder turbo of the Audi RS3, by the way, Audi also offers it in the RS Q3. Also an SUV.

Formentor VZ5 in 4.2 from 0 to 100

That’s how you impress your friends. The Formentor VZ5 accelerates to 100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds, almost three full seconds less than its brother. And if it were not limited to 250 km / h, the difference in top speed would also be huge. The difference in power naturally translates into the feeling behind the wheel, as we experience when we chase the two back-to-back over the 3.2 kilometer long Luttenbergring. The highest top speeds used to be clocked on the southern and eastern leg of the triangular circuit, consisting of the largely straight Hellendoornseweg and Buurtschapsweg. In the 500 cc class it must have just gone towards 270, 280 km / h. Of course we have to stick to the prescribed speed a bit, but we still have enough space to experience that the 1.4 E-Hybrid is no match for intermediate sprints either. The turbo of the VZ5 has to gasp for breath when you step on the gas, but then the car blasts forward so incredibly fast that it seems as if it is alone in the world. The loud rumble of the odd number of pistons adds to the fun.

Torque not much higher but VZ5 delivers it over wider range

The torque of 480 Nm is not even that much higher than that of the Hybrid, but the big difference is in the wide rev range. The five-cylinder delivers the maximum torque from 2,250 to no less than 5,700 rpm, after which the 390 hp take over seamlessly. They then continue to drag one by one until the needle of the rev counter has reached 7,000. It provides great linear acceleration, even at speeds above 160 km / h, as a short trip to Germany earlier today showed. Wonderful how that power is available on demand.

The endurance tester also looks pretty good with its matt paint.

Difference in DSG

In the E-Hybrid, the output delivered is much more dependent on the driving mode and the position of the right foot, which together determine the extent to which the maximum 115 hp electric horsepower participates. In themselves, the two engines work well together; if there is enough power available and everything peaks optimally together, things move forward convincingly. If the relatively modest four-cylinder, on the other hand, is more alone, it sometimes feels a bit more viscous. You also never know exactly what to expect when you accelerate. That produces a much more inconsistent feel to the VZ5’s always-ready horses. This also applies to the DSG transmission, which works significantly faster and more alert in the most muscular Formentor. Bonus when downshifting is sputtering and rumbling from the exhaust. Speaking of (in)consistency: it seems that the brake pedal in the E-Hybrid sometimes drops a fraction when the electric motor is regenerating. In other words, the pedal in the VZ5 simply feels ‘harder’ and more consistent. This cannot be seen separately from the brake discs in paella pan format, at the front with a diameter of no less than 375 mm.

Also matte, but then gray. The VZ5.

Cupra Formentor 1.4 E-Hybrid also feels enthusiastic

The Cupras are now being put to the test at the Luttenbergring. We know the 1.4 E-Hybrid as a car that manages to hide its weight of 1,604 kg with perfectly calibrated adaptive shock absorbers and a balanced steering with a nice response. The Formentor turns enthusiastically into the corner and is able to change direction quickly, a welcome feature on this part of the circuit.

The VZ5 doesn’t feel very different at first. His 255 millimeter wide Goodyears Eagle F1 Super Sport offer slightly more grip and sharpness than the Bridgestones Turanza T005 (245 mm) of the endurance test, but that is not a big difference on the slightly damp asphalt. If we drive up and down the Blikweg a few times, at pace, then the true nature of the duo emerges. The front-wheel drive Hybrid can be played by going off the throttle; aided by the inhibiting effect of the energy regeneration, the nose then pulls in and sometimes the back even slightly perishes. The four-wheel drive VZ5, on the other hand, likes it if you press the right pedal further into the corner. It is comparable in weight to the Hybrid, but has more weight in the nose. When braking into the corners, those kilos sometimes push through on the front wheels, something to take into account. Once settled, however, the upper Cupra claws itself more convincingly into the asphalt. Where the nose of the Hybrid sometimes wants to ‘sniff’, the ‘5’ remains on the road like a block and holds its course. In fact, accelerate and the outer rear wheel pushes the nose in a little extra, after which you are shot out of the corner like a cannon, again leaving the 1.4 E-Hybrid in despair. As similar as the two Formentors may seem at first glance, it is abundantly clear that only one may bear the title of Lord of the Ring.

Technical data Cupra Formentor VZ5

Powertrain: plug-in hybrid petrol

Engine: 5-cyl in line, turbo

Cylinder capacity: 2,480 cc

max. power: 286 kW/390 hp at 5,700-7,000 rpm

max. torque: 480 Nm at 2,250-5,700 rpm

Drive: four wheels

Top speed: 250 km/h

0-100 km/h: 4.2 sec

50-80 km/h in D: 1.4 sec

80-100 km/h in D: 2.8 seconds

The technical data of the 1.4 E-Hybrid can be found below.