Starting a car brand from scratch is a tough task. Although, it helps when you're under one of the largest umbrellas in European motoring.
While Spanish-based car-maker Seat remains relatively unknown in New Zealand relative to its Volkswagen and Skoda sister-brand bretheren, it's a big player in Europe. And last year, it made the decision to separate its performance offerings into a secondary marque called Cupra.
Its first product sold in New Zealand was the Cupra Ateca, a racier version of the Seat Ateca featuring a 221kW/400Nm 2.0-litre engine derived from the Seat Leon Cupra hot hatch. It was one of Driven's most well liked SUVs of 2019, but Cupra's latest creation takes things to another level.
First revealed last February as a concept, the Formentor's dashing, sharp looks (how good are the copper highlights and sharp character lines?) give it an aggressive stance. But they only tell part of the story. The biggest thing about the Formenter is that, unlike everything else that sports a Cupra badge sold thus far, it was built specifically and exclusively for the new sub-brand.
Read more: Cupra unveils the sporty 2020 Leon hatch and wagon models
“The Cupra Formentor is destined to make Cupra an even more relevant brand in the market,” says Cupra CEO, Wayne Griffiths.
“With captivating design and high-performance powertrains, including a plug-in hybrid, the CUPRA Formentor will be a big step for Cupra. It will clearly show the potential of the brand.”
The introduction of a brand-exclusive vehicle is a major step for Cupra — particularly given that it's the right product at the right time. While the firm's name is more synonymous with hot hatches, the Formenter is set to land at a point where premium manufacturers can't get enough of zesty fast SUVs.
Before we get into performance, it's worth acknowleding the Formentor's other big features.
A 12-inch touchscreen sits proudly atop the dash, utilising voice activation and gesture control, while also including wireless Apple CarPlay (Android users will have to settle for their equivalent to be wired). There are also numerous drive modes, thanks to the addition of Dynamic Chassis Control. The system constantly monitors road surface and driver input, and can be configured to Comfort, Sport, Cupra, or Individual modes.
As you'd expect, safety tech like blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist are included, too, as is a radar cruise system that is predictive.
It's fractionally longer than the aforementioned Ateca, at 4450mm to the Ateca's 4363mm with an extra 42mm in wheelbase length. But, it's also narrower and shorter — measuring in at 1839mm wide and 1511mm tall to the Ateca's 1841mm by 1615mm.
Alright, performance. The Formentor will be available with the same aforementioned 221kW/400Nm turbocharged four cylinder petrol, as well as an eHybrid alternative which combines a 1.4-litre engine and a 13kWh lithium-ion battery. Together they produce 180kW of power and 400Nm of torque, with a supporting fully electric range of 50km according to Cupra.
While it's yet to be confirmed formally, it's expected that the Formentor will land in New Zealand in late 2020.
