New Cupra Formentor VZ5 review: far more than just an Audi RS 3 SUV

Verdict

On winding British roads, there are fewer more capable or entertaining cars to drive than the ferocious Cupra Formentor VZ5. It costs serious money, and doesn’t have the pedigree of the Audi RS 3, but the chassis is even more variable and has its own sinister character. It’s also more practical than the Audi, and comes absolutely packed with kit.

It might sound crazy, but the Cupra Formentor VZ5 almost feels like good value for money at its £64,495 entry price. Yes this is a colossal amount of cash for something grown out of a sub-brand from SEAT, but as a testament to how far this Spanish offshoot has come in its short history, this is one hell of a mission statement. 

We’ve seen and driven the VZ5 before, but after failing to arrive in the UK in its first pre-facelift iteration, this updated version is finally available in British showrooms. And with such a punchy price it won’t just have to act as a halo product for the Cupra Formentor range, but Cupra at large. Unlike the first generation, there are no limits in terms of quantity this time around, and while the pre-facelift model was left-hand drive only, this is now a fully fledged UK-specification VZ5 with right-hand drive. 

Used - available now

2024 Cupra

Formentor

21,007 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £19,651

View Formentor

2024 Cupra

Formentor

18,676 milesManualPetrol1.5L

Cash £17,500

View Formentor

2024 Cupra

Formentor

63,555 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L

Cash £18,608

View Formentor

2024 Cupra

Formentor

9,696 milesAutomaticPetrol1.4L

Cash £23,200

View Formentor

The key difference between it and lesser Formentors centres around the powertrain. As the name suggests, Cupra has fitted a turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine, here producing a stonking 385bhp and 480Nm of torque. Volkswagen Group fans might recognise this unit from the Audi RS 3, but far from being a poor relation, Cupra has given it a different character and appeal – despite the 9bhp power deficit. 

Of course, these engines are rare for many reasons, but most problematic is its efficiency; Cupra quotes a WLTP rating of just 27.9mpg – a figure that we found was achievable in the real world, but still painful given the car’s relatively small dimensions. A 230g/km CO2 emissions rating is equally an issue, as is the luxury car supplement on top of your yearly VED road tax bill. 

On paper the Formentor VZ5 will reach 0-62mph in 4.2 seconds, and it’ll go all the way to a top speed of 174mph. These are exceptional numbers for a compact SUV, but the power does come with a caveat, because the turbocharger can take a moment to spin up; something that’s exaggerated by the occasionally clunky and hesitant transmission. With high-performance SUVs increasingly turning to battery-electric powertrains, forced-induction engines such as this need to be in the right gear at the right time to deliver. 

An antidote to this is making sure you’re in the right engine and transmission mode. As with lots of high-end VW Group models fitted with a dual-clutch gearbox, choosing the most aggressive engine mode will also put the transmission into a more assertive map. Ignoring that it’ll cruise around in a gear higher than generally needed, it does make the whole powertrain feel more alive – and it's easily accessible through the steering wheel-mounted drive-mode selector. 

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But these numbers don’t describe the powertrain’s more subjective value, because this is just about the last five-cylinder engine in production and comes with that distinctive warble many associate with rally cars of the eighties. Granted this notion sits in better context on a high-performance Audi, but Cupra has nothing to lose by using this charismatic powertrain for its range-wide flagship. 

The Formentor’s differences from the Audi are palpable, too, and help give it a distinct and even more compelling character. In terms of equipment, behind the 20-inch wheels sit high-end Akebono brakes, and the adaptive dampers are Cupra’s own variable rate units that can be finely tweaked across a bandwidth of firmness. There’s also the same clever torque-vectoring rear differential that you’ll find on other hot hatchbacks in the VW Group, and inside the cabin are a set of carbon fibre-backed bucket seats. 

At slow speeds, the ride is nicely damped considering its performance bias. You’d be hard pressed to notice any considerable difference to lesser Formentors, and in this context that’s a good thing. But when you turn up the wick it absolutely delivers. On challenging British back roads, the Formentor finds a wonderful balance of control and suppleness that help it demolish the roughest of surfaces without breaking a sweat. This is partly due to the superb suspension, and its ability to properly mix and match different elements of the drive systems to suit the road. 

Flick the on-screen damper control to the left and it’ll slacken off the dampers to keep the wheels in contact with the tarmac on even the most unforgiving roads. Yet on smoothly surfaced sections with tighter complex corners, you can stiffen them right up and unlock the Formentor’s more playful edge. We’d love to see this functionality made into a physical control on the wheel or dashboard, but understand it’s quite a niche ask. 

There’s also a wonderful balance to the Formentor that’s missing from some other ultra-high-performance models in this segment. That clever rear differential doesn’t force the car into oversteer as with a Volkswagen Golf R, nor does it feel quite as aggressively tuned as an RS 3. Instead, it works with the Formentor’s extra suspension travel to unlock a lovely balance that gives the driver supreme confidence to push harder into corners. 

The brakes are also worth a specific mention, because they have incredible stopping power and excellent feel, even if they are a little grabby at the top of the pedal. They give you yet more confidence to fire around sweeping bends. Almost as if by accident, the Fomentor’s combination of size, suspension tune, performance and the higher-than-a-hatchback visibility make it feel almost perfectly suited to attack British back roads. The VZ5 feels like far more than just an exercise of fitting a raucous engine into an existing model, this is a properly sorted high-performance family car. 

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The best bit is that it doesn't compromise on any of the standard Formentor’s capabilities as a daily driver. At 410-litres, the boot is just about big enough for a small family, there are good levels of legroom in the second row and the Isofix points on the outer seats will easily swallow a chunky child seat. The Formentor’s narrow doors do make getting in and out of the rear a little trickier compared to boxier SUVs, but it’s still better than you’ll find on a traditional C-segment hatchback rival such as a Golf or Audi RS 3. 

With this being a top-spec trim level, there’s lots of high-end convenience features such as a brilliant stereo, Matrix-LED headlights with a clever lane-marking function, a 360-degree parking camera and Cupra’s latest 12.9-inch infotainment system. The only two options are a panoramic sunroof and some striking paints, including a couple of matt-finish options – everything else is standard. 

The cabin is well presented, if a little monochrome with its grey and black colour scheme. This can be brightened up dramatically with the customisable ambient lighting that runs around the back of the dashboard and into the doors. General fit and finish is also good, and over our time with the car we found it was free of squeaks and rattles.

Cupra has also been constantly upgrading and improving its digital interfaces. Yes, there are still those useless sliders for temperature and volume, but these are now in addition to a much nicer digital interface. We love the quick access to switch on or off the driver assists, and you can do this – as well as fiddle with the A/C controls – while using phone-mirroring apps such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto at the same time. 

However, there are a few ergonomic oddities to deal with. These include the haphazard steering wheel-mounted buttons which seem to dot stereo controls in random places, plus the placement of a traction control off button in the place where you’d think the Start-Stop button would be. If we’re being picky, the plastic steering wheel paddles also feel a little cheap and they could be easier to reach, while we didn’t think much of the wireless phone charger’s performance. 

Remembering that its closest rivals in terms of price are cars such as the BMW X2 M35i and Mercedes-AMG GLA 35, they get nowhere near the Cupra on really any factor that matters. Audi’s similarly positioned RS Q3 is also now a thing of the past, and it won’t be reintroduced in a new generation. This leaves the Cupra's only potential rival as the Audi RS 3, which comes with a starting price a few thousand less, at just over £61,000.  However, the German car is neither as spacious inside nor anywhere near as well equipped. And thanks to this specific Audi’s somewhat problematic image, it makes the more sinister Cupra seem quite compelling indeed. 

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