New Cupra Formentor: UK prices revealed for upcoming SUV
Formentor is the first stand-alone model for Cupra
Bespoke model coming to UK first with petrol powertrain, plug-in hybrid to follow by early 2021
Cupra has opened order books for its Formentor crossover, revealing UK prices ahead of the start of customer deliveries.
While the new coupé-SUV will eventually be offered with both petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains, UK orders are now being accepted for models fitted with the top-rung 306bhp, four-wheel-drive set-up, which begins at £39,930. The first examples are set to arrive in the UK in the last quarter of 2020.
A base 148bhp 1.5 TSI petrol, from £27,300, will then arrive early next year, as will a 1.4-litre plug-in hybrid with either 201bhp or 242bhp. A 187bhp 2.0 TSI petrol will also become available next month. The firm eventually plans to offer seven different engine options for the Formentor, although availability will vary by market.
The new coupé-SUV is the first stand-alone model from Seat's premium spin-off brand, and joins reworked versions of the Ateca and Leon in Cupra’s line-up.
The Formentor will be built on line two of Seat's Martorell factory, with 160 cars per day initially being produced - although the firm says it will account for around 10% of the plant's output once production reaches full capacity.
Speaking at the start of Formentor production, Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths - who was recently named head of the overall Seat brand – said that the model marked "the biggest step in our brand's history.
"It's the first car 100% developed as a Cupra, and has all the DNA of the brand. This will help Cupra not only in terms of sales, but also to attract new customers."
Griffiths added that the Formentor will play a key role in the target to double Cupra's sales from around 50,000 next year, with the crossover anticipated to account for more than half of the brand's volume in 2021.
As Cupra’s first stand-alone model, the Formentor was shown as a concept at the Geneva motor show last year and the design is largely unchanged in production form. Griffiths said that "at the moment we don't foresee" a Seat-badged version of the Formentor being offered.
Griffiths said the Formentor “is destined to make Cupra an even more relevant brand in the market”.
Built on the same version of the Volkswagen Group’s MQB platform as the Ateca, the Formentor is 4450mm long, 1839mm wide and 1511mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2680mm. It sports more aggressive styling than the Ateca, with a long bonnet, sharp side sculpting and a steeply raked, coupé roofline. It sits on 19in wheels as standard, with 18in brakes.
The Formentor will be offered with two powertrains, including the 242bhp and 295lb ft eHybrid plug-in unit that featured in the concept. Used in other VW Group performance models, including the Cupra Leon, it mates a 148bhp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine with a 114bhp electric motor. A 13kWh lithium ion battery gives the Formentor a 31-mile electric-only range.
The 306bhp range-topper comprises a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol unit, which produces 295lb ft and sends power to all four wheels.
Both powertrains use a seven-speed automatic gearbox. The Formentor is also fitted with the VW Group’s Dynamic Chassis Control.
Inside, the Formentor’s dashboard is built around a 12.0in infotainment touchscreen and a digital instrument display. The dash also features a horizontal LED light strip, which runs into the front doors. Those lights are used for safety functions, such as blind-spot detection.
The interior has bucket seats as standard, with a flat-bottomed sports-style steering wheel that features the engine start and drive mode buttons.
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