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Apr 15, 2026 15:00
Not everyone knows Cupra yet. Yet the brand has rapidly established itself in the market, even surpassing its parent company. It's now totally different from Seat, despite their respective León models. On our parking lot in February 2026, there was the Formentor. A Cupra SUV. I tested it for you in its VZ Extreme e-Hybrid version!
There's a Spanish expression that goes: "¡La cara es el espejo del alma!" It can be translated into English as "the face is the mirror of the soul!" A fitting expression for the Cupra Formentor. This model, the brand's first that doesn't derive from a Seat, was redesigned in the summer of 2024. A restyling of the catalog's best-seller to show itself as more carnivorous. What's for more, in 2026, it hasn't lost any of its cachet, especially with a matte-tinted body. From the outside, the SUV coupé is no slouch, even with its triangular light signature. Not forgetting, however, the coppery touches that are the hallmark of the Iberian brand, with its tribal logo featuring 2 intertwined C's designed by Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. On board, the dynamism and aggressiveness of the VZ (for Veloz) variant are enhanced by bucket seats upholstered in 73% recycled microfiber.
Cavalry
Mind you, this isn't the Formentor VZ5 with Audi's famous 5-cylinder engine. No, it's the VZ e-Hybrid with a 150 hp 1.5 TSI 4-cylinder combined with an 85 kW electric motor integrated into the DSG 6 dual-clutch robotized gearbox. The duo develops a combined power output of 272hp (200kW) and maximum torque of 400Nm. The 19.7kWh battery allows all-electric journeys of up to 119km according to the WLTP standard. In real life, during my test drive, the range was 85km, or even 90km if you were a little more precious with the machine. But then, this kind of car is sinful. And even if you respect the speed limits, the desire to reach the speed limit quickly always remains in the back of your mind and heart. The 0 to 100km/h time of 7.2s is hard to achieve on wet or greasy roads. In "Drive Profile Cupra" mode, the 19-inch wheels all too often wax at the green light, Grand Prix-style. The sportiest of driving modes.
Asphalt grip on 19-inch Performance tires (Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport 245/40/ZR19) is supposed to be optimal on dry roads. Especially for track use. Bingo, with our legendary bowl, we were instead treated to dampness and winter cold. Which explains the slippage described above. These rubber compounds also had an impact on the driving feel. The car tended to wobble at times. It would have been wiser to fit 4-season or high-performance winter tires. In short! However, the tires weren't too hard to fit. All the more so as the VZ Extreme badge comes with Brembo front brakes. Efficient discs to avoid turning flat.
What's for more, Formentor's plug-in hybrid variants, like our VZ e-Hybrid, benefit from DCC-controlled suspension as standard. Even though I was sitting rather low for an SUV - for the record, in bucket seats - the car showed a certain aptitude for swallowing the twists and turns of the tarmac. A slightly sunken manhole cover didn't faze the Spaniard. The dynamic chassis reactions can be adapted to driving style with the available modes, in order of flexibility: Comfort, Performance, VZ and Individual. After all, the Cupra can be firm and direct on demand. For everyday driving, Comfort mode is already energetic enough to make the most of the engine, while keeping the spine safe. Some do less well with sponge-like damping.
Lack of trunk space
The secret of the Cupra Formentor VZ is its astonishing blend of rebellious spirit and noble soul. The steering wheel with its copper logo is well padded, with a hoop that's a hair too thick to engage in academic convolutions. It remains to be seen how many wacky people will say to themselves that their Formentor VZ Extreme should be driven on the racetrack with its teeth firmly in its mouth. No !
This Cupra's main purpose is to eat up the miles on roads and freeways. So it's all about comfort and luxury. In a interior with shades between light and dark gray, with well-crafted materials, technology is on display with a 12.9-inch central touchscreen. Even with Android Auto or Apple Car Play projection, the line of customizable shortcuts remains accessible at all times. A tab allows you to slide down to a quick menu, including turning off ISA speed limit alerts. The heart of the multimedia system, it broadcasts audio via a 12-speaker Sennheiser Mobility system.
The car is 4.45m long and 1.51m high, with a 2.68m wheelbase. The long hood takes up a lot of space. What's for more, since the seats can be positioned so low in the cabin, I could see the hood in my field of vision from the driver's seat. I also noticed that water could sometimes accumulate on its folds. Slam on the brakes and the overflow drains out towards the grille. Two adults can sit comfortably in the rear. The 5th seat is not entirely useless. But only for short trips. Behind the bench seat, the trunk has a volume of 345 l. Not a huge amount. With the seats folded down, it's around 1400 l.
All at the wheel
Ergonomics tend to draw the fingers too much to this touch-sensitive interface. This is especially true of the air-conditioning and defrost functions. Fortunately, for lighting and fog lights, there's a button pad between the steering wheel and the door. For volume, on the other hand, you have to use a haptic system in the form of a touch-sensitive bar. So it's best to use the steering wheel to control the audio. The cruise control is very easy to use, with buttons on the right, including for the safety distance.
However, the knob next to the cruise control controls is the volume knob. A far cry from the radio and telephone controls. This steering wheel is also home to the start button and the driving mode button. The same goes for the heater. Paddles allow you to manually shift the engine's gears without too much difficulty.
The ICE (internal combustion) block can emit a lovely murmur or an engaging scream via its redesigned tailpipes. To do this, you need to juggle the Drive Mode Individual customization menus. The Pure setting, for example, will amplify the symphony of the 1.5 TSI. Passers-by, however, are not entitled to the same level of decibels. When the pace gets more frenzied, we mustn't lose sight of the fact that hybridization has made the vehicle heavier (total weight 1.7 tonnes). As a result, in addition to tires that are not very comfortable on wet surfaces, cornering at high speeds requires a good dose of braking and/or regeneration (which can be modulated). Occasionally, the switch between internal combustion and electric power is a little jerky, proof of algorithmic stress.
Budget and price
This plug-in hybrid can be plugged into a CSS Combo socket at a fast terminal. But the charge won't exceed 50kW. We got 32kW at peak! A charge from 0% to 100%, while squatting in the places cherished by EVs, will take between 40 and 50 minutes. However, it is possible to force the hybrid mode to preserve the battery, during a motorway journey, for example. Once at home, the car accepts 11kWh of AC power.
In any case, average fuel consumption will depend not only on driving style, but also on the frequency of limit-setting. Over the whole of my test drive, with 700km covered, I obtained an average of 6.0 l/100km and 5.8 kWh/100km. On a 50km journey where the car could juggle between electricity and petrol, with a motorway section, I was at 3.9 l/100km and 14.1kWh/100 km. And the next day, with an empty battery, it was 8.3 l/100km in town!
At the start of 2026, the price list of the 204 hp Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid is €51,870 in Belgium. The 272 hp VZ Extreme version in this test drive starts at €64,555, excluding special offers. If you add, as on our test model, an Enceladus Mat gray paint (€2,345), 19" Artic Silver wheels (€530), Performance tires (€545) and sunroof (€1,175), the bill comes to €69,150, excluding discounts. And excluding registration tax. In the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with navigation (€765) added to the equipment, the final price is €64,310.
In France, this Cupra Formentor VZ in matt Encelade grey, with the €805 navigation system, costs €62,735. In Switzerland, the receipt will show CHF 69,050 excluding discounts. In the Netherlands, this sporty plug-in hybrid is not available as a VZ Extreme. In the Netherlands, this sporty plug-in hybrid is not available in the VZ Extreme version, but in the VZ Performance version, without Performance tires, for a final price of €59,000. In the UK, the Formentor VZ3 is the right choice. With options similar to those on our example, but without Performance tires, the price is £54,705.
Verdict
The Cupra Formentor VZ's styling really hits the mark, especially in this copper-accented VZ Extreme livery. It may be aggressive, but it knows how to look after its occupants. Behind its looks and bucket seats, the PHEV plug-in hybrid powertrain offers a fine duality: a real-world electric range of around 90km for daily commuting, a cumulative power output of 272bhp when the going gets tough, and a range of around 600km on 40 l of petrol alone. However, this temperament is hampered by its considerable weight. The front axle, poorly shod in winter with the Performance Tyre option, struggles to cope with torque on wet roads.
On a daily basis, this SUV coupe imposes a few concessions, notably a trunk volume nibbled away by the batteries (-75 l). Ergonomics have sacrificed a few physical buttons in favor of touch-screen controls, notably for the air conditioning. Controlled damping preserves comfort despite the 19-inch wheels. To keep this Spanish car sober, you'll need to think about plugging it into an outlet, which could be a fast terminal. In any case, the Cupra Formentor VZ Extreme e-Hybrid is a versatile and pleasant car with character.
(Text and photos: © Olivier Duquesne)
Olivier Duquesne with Malvina Parker
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