The Formentor was the first model designed exclusively for the Cupra brand, and now the sporty crossover has received a major midlife update. Chief among the changes to the exterior is a reshaped front end that shares its ‘shark nose’ look with the forthcoming Cupra Tavascan electric SUV.
As part of the brand’s new identity, the matrix LED headlights contain three illuminated triangles within a triangle, mimicking the shape of the company’s logo. The Cupra badge is set onto the bonnet above the large, open grille. Eight wheel designs are available, either 18-inch or 19-inch in diameter.
Styling updates to the Formentor’s rear include LED lights with three triangular elements within a C-shaped unit. The Cupra logo is illuminated, too. The Formentor will be available in eight exterior colours, with Fiord Blue, Glacial White, Magnetic Tech, Magnetic Tech Matt, Graphene Grey and Midnight Black carried over, while there are two new colour options: Century Bronze Matt and Enceladus Grey Matt.
Larger displays inside the Formentor
Ensuring the Cupra Formentor retains a modern feel inside, the digital instrument display has been revamped and continues to offer a degree of configurability. A larger 12.9-inch touchscreen display becomes standard in the Formentor and runs a new operating system. As in other recent updates across the Volkswagen Group, the capacitive slider on the screen’s base is now illuminated.
Wireless smartphone mirroring with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay is available. Cupra also offers an improved wireless charging pad with a 15W output and a cooling function to ensure devices don’t overheat. The centre console has been redesigned to enhance its appearance with more precise details and better overall material quality, with copper accents throughout the cabin.
Besides designing an attractive interior, Cupra remains committed to improving the source of the materials it builds its car with, including bucket seats covered in either microfibre that is 73 per cent recycled or ‘environmentally conscious’ leather. In the higher-spec Formentor VZ, ‘CUPBucket’ seats combine an ultra-technical central textile with recycled microfibre. These provide a lower seating position for a sportier feel. When fitted, the car’s other interior elements, such as the satellite buttons on the steering wheel, air vents and the centre console, come with a dark chrome finish.
Cupra offers an optional 12-speaker audio system developed in collaboration with Sennheiser. This 390-watt system provides an enhanced sound experience through Sennheiser’s AMBEO Concerto software.
Improved powertrain options for the Cupra Formentor
Whether you want an engine with performance to match the Cupra Formentor’s looks or prefer something more economical, the updated range of powertrains has something for everyone. At the entry point to the range is a 150hp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with a six-speed manual gearbox.
This engine is also available with mild-hybrid technology, badged as ‘eTSI’ and paired with a DSG automatic transmission. The system uses a 48-volt setup consisting of a starter-generator and lithium-ion battery, enabling the Formentor to coast with the engine off for short periods to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Energy can be recovered when braking, and the system can provide a small amount of performance assistance. Engine stop-start operation is claimed to be smoother with this setup, too.
One step up from the 1.5 TSI is the 2.0-litre TSI, a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 204hp driving all four wheels via a seven-speed DSG gearbox and ‘4Drive’ transmission. That engine bridges the entry-level Formentor and its range-topping versions, known as the Formentor VZ. Those extra letters stand for Veloz in Spanish, meaning quick or fast.
The Formentor VZ is available with either front- or all-wheel drive. With the former, Cupra employs a four-cylinder petrol engine - producing 265hp - and a seven-speed DSG gearbox. For greater potency, a 333hp engine mated to a seven-speed DSG can send power to all wheels. This engine includes a specifically developed Cupra mode calibrated to deliver greater torque response, and it has a shift light indicator. During more dynamic cornering, an electro-hydraulically controlled torque splitter on the rear axle uses two independent clutches to alter power delivery between the rear wheels.
Cupra’s engineers have devised a Drift mode for use on racetracks, which shifts the ESC (Electronic Stability Control) into a sport mode and can direct full power to one rear wheel to enhance rotation of the car.
To tame the additional power, Cupra fits 18-inch brakes as standard and provides the option to upgrade those to six-piston Akebono calipers for even further stopping performance. The Formentor VZ models feature an active sound actuator, which augments the engine note inside the cabin depending on the selected drive profile. Drivers can turn off this function in the ‘Individual’ mode, which at the same time sets the exhaust valves to their maximum loudness for a completely natural sound.
Although there is no fully electric Formentor - at least not in this generation - Cupra does offer two plug-in hybrids that benefit from improved battery and charging technology. Both use the 1.5-litre TSI petrol engine and an electric motor with maximum system outputs of 204hp or 272hp. The latter is badged VZ e-Hybrid.
The new battery pack has a 19.7kWh (net) capacity that can provide an official electric driving range of more than 100 kilometres. These Formentor e-Hybrids are equipped with 50kW DC fast charging capability and 11kW AC capability - up from 3.6kW previously. Optionally, the Formentor VZ e-Hybrid can be fitted with four-piston Brembo brake calipers and larger diameter perforated brake discs for enhanced stopping power.
For those who need to cover much longer distances in a Formentor, Cupra will continue to offer a diesel engine option: a 2.0-litre TDI that produces 150hp and drives a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.
Specific chassis tuning for the Formentor
Cupra builds the Formentor on the Volkswagen Group’s MQB Evo platform architecture, which enables it to have a variety of powertrains. Core models use MacPherson front struts and a multilink setup on the rear.
Models running the 4Drive all-wheel-drive system use the ‘EDS’ electronic aid that can brake an inner wheel if it is losing grip, enhancing traction. Cupra also fits the Formentor with an electrical brake booster that is claimed to provide faster response times than a conventional system and, in the case of plug-in hybrid models, is said to have a better ‘blending’ function between recovering energy under braking and slowing the car with its friction brakes.
A Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system provides greater tunability through selectable driving modes. Drivers can use a slider control to precisely set the Formentor to their liking. The modes include Comfort, Performance, Cupra, Offroad (for all-wheel-drive versions), Drift and Individual.
The updated Cupra Formentor is expected to go on sale in the coming months, and pricing will be confirmed closer to its arrival in Irish showrooms.