THE CUPRA Formentor is an exciting and dynamic-looking compact crossover as befits the racy Spanish brand.
And having recently tested one for a week, I think this family car – the first model developed exclusively for the marque – is equally attractive in terms of the interior and performance.
But it was the striking exterior looks, with a coupe-like styling, that had most of my neighbours immediately interested.
The Formentor has a sporty long bonnet, while sculpted features and emphatic contours all around add a sense of movement, and my V2-trim model sat on sporty matt black and silver 19in alloys.
The back end looks powerful, with a large spoiler, linked rear light clusters and a sizeable diffuser with twin dual tailpipes among the design highlights.
As you go to step inside, the quality is immediately hinted at by puddle lamps that project the CUPRA logo on to the floor. And the clutter-free cabin cocoons you with a sporty seating set-up, high-quality materials all round and brushed aluminium detailing.
I really liked the horizontal full-LED wraparound ambient lighting that runs the width of the dashboard and in both front doors, too.
The V2 also gives you powered, heated, black Nappa leather bucket seats with copper stitching and an embroidered logo in the headrest that look great – and they are extremely comfortable.
Clearly visible through the flat-bottomed, multi-function, heated, leather steering wheel is a 10.25in fully customisable digital driver binnacle that I also appreciated.
The centrepiece of the dashboard is the 12in touchscreen through which all the main infotainment and car systems are operated – cutting back on buttons and knobs.
It’s pretty intuitive to use and includes wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, 3D online navigation and access to the likes of the climate control, drive modes and safety systems.
The package also supplies CUPRA Connect, which provides the likes of emergency and breakdown call functions, remote access to driving data and parking position, and alerts if someone is speeding in your vehicle or if it has been stolen.
It also allows customers to download apps and enjoy online radio, traffic information and route calculation among other things. There are four USB-C sockets for devices, as well as a wireless phone charger up front.
The amount of standard creature comforts and driver aids are impressive even on the base V1 model. They include keyless entry and start, rain-sensing wipers, automatic, adaptive LED lights with high-beam assist and front fog lamps with cornering function.
Then there is a clever predictive and adaptive cruise control that uses sat nav GPS data, front camera information and dynamic traffic sign recognition to adjust the speed depending on the road layout ahead.
Safety is taken care of further by lane keep assist, forward collision warning with automatic braking and driver attention alert, as well as rear parking sensors.
The V2 adds to the latter with front parking sensors as well as a rear-view camera, while all cars feature very effective three-zone air conditioning.
Despite the coupe-like appearance, there is bags of space for four adults or a family of five to travel in comfort, with plenty of leg and headroom for those in the rear.
The boot has a healthy 450 litres of space for family luggage, rising to 1475 litres with the rear seats folded.
CUPRA offers the Formentor with a range of petrol or plug-in hybrid petrol powertrains – most of them mated to a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission, while all-wheel-drive models are also available for those who need them.
My car came with a 150PS 1.5-litre petrol DSG powertrain driving the front wheels, which can take the car from 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 126mph.
It certainly seemed to be lively enough for everyday motoring needs, especially when activating the sport driving profile (as opposed to comfort or individual).
The braking was also reassuringly crisp, while good steering feedback and responsiveness, along with a fairly stiff suspension, added to the sense of sportiness and driving fun.
It’s not too thirsty, though, averaging 39.2-41.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of 155g/km. And an on the road price of £32,410 is also very competitive.
I reckon the Formentor will go down very well with family motorists who need to take into account everyday practicalities but who also like a bit of sophistication and performance in their daily drive.
