At first glance, the Cupra Formentor is everything a modern motorist could want and more. Or is it secretly a driving compromise?
Actually, the idea of the sporty SUV is of course the ultimate example of a compromise. After all, mass that is higher in the car is more difficult to control and that usually does the cornering performance no good. And an SUV is by definition higher than a hatchback. If you are going to lower such a car, you always end up with a compromise: not as sharp as a hatchback and not as comfortable as a ‘normal’ SUV. Still, this type of car scores. It is even reason enough for the Cupra brand, which just got loose from Seat, to immediately introduce the first real model of its own, the Formentor, as a thick 310, with 310 hp and four-wheel drive clearly aimed at the somewhat sportier driver. The car tries to sell itself as Miss Universe. She can do everything, is good at everything and looks attractive. Especially the latter succeeds the Formentor well. The car has a sporty silhouette due to its considerable length. You often have to explain the enormous tribal on the grille, but most people are clearly positive about the appearance. And if you tell between nose and lips that there is 310 hp in that remarkably styled front part, the interest is already aroused. Thanks to that 310 horsepower and the four-wheel drive to get the power on the road, the Formentor is really crazy fast. The manufacturer’s data is barely credible 4.9 seconds; on very slightly damp asphalt we even get the Spaniard one tenth of a second faster to the limit value. With the launch control switched on, you can feel all systems in Formentor working to reach the limit. First let the front wheels do everything to spare the drivetrain and then quickly close the clutch of the four-wheel drive to maximize every horsepower. Perhaps more importantly, the 2.0-liter TSI and the DSG automatic transmission, especially in the sportier modes, react quickly and quickly. There is barely any turbo lag in the top half of the revs and although the engine flattens out at the top, it pays to go through to the rev limiter. With the gearbox in Manual, the transmission also reacts quickly and alertly to input from the flippers. In D the gearbox can be a bit too fanatic with upshifts, but that disappears in S like snow in the sun.
Willing and agile
Stepping into the Cupra almost feels like a beneficial bath of soothing comfort. The Formentor 310 has adaptive dampers as standard and certainly in the softer positions it is not in the least tiring to be on the road with the Spaniard. That does not mean that the car drops out in sportier cornering. Although the carriage rolls a bit and the tires have a not so sporty compound, the Formentor lasts a long time. It’s all pleasant, the masses work a bit through in the car, but it rarely works against you. By braking the nose a bit into the corner, the rear turns easily and although real oversteer rarely occurs, the Cupra feels willing and agile. Of course it can be more hardcore, but you can wonder whether that is decisive in a crossover. After all, a Leon goes even faster. In that respect, a sporty crossover always remains a compromise. The compromise that Cupra makes, however, combines high cornering potential with acceptable comfort for everyday use. While you’ll rarely be behind the wheel screaming with pleasure, it’s a surprisingly entertaining car on clover leaves. That is, if you’re not in the back. There it is much more pleasant if the driver holds back something. Despite the sloping roofline, the Formentor offers more than enough headroom for average adults and the legroom may well be called ample. The luggage compartment offers at least 420 liters, which is also more than enough for daily shopping. In the front, the Cupra can not hide the fact that the brand is closely related to Seat. In fact, those who switch from a Seat Leon regularly press the ESP instead of the engine, because the start button of the Leon is in the same place as the ESP button of the Formentor. It has its start button on the steering wheel and there are still some detail changes. In general, however, it remains very close to the new Leon and that means a neat, almost minimalist interior with a too slow and complicated, but very nice infotainment system. The sports seats get a big compliment. They are comfortable, provide good support and can be placed far down in the car if desired.