WHEN Seat turned its performance sub-brand Cupra into a standalone company, it lacked a car of its own, instead relying on warmed-up Leon and Ateca models.
That's changing now, with the arrival of the Formentor - the first vehicle developed solely for Cupra.
The Formentor, a muscular looking sort of low-roofed SUV, debuts with a 306bhp, 295lb ft 2.0-litre turbocharged engine - a unit familiar from elsewhere in the Volkswagen Group empire. Cars with this drivetrain are priced from £39,830.
Lower-powered versions get a 148bhp 1.5-litre petrol turbo, priced from £27,395.
There will also be a 188bhp 2.0-litre model and a plug-in hybrid, offered with either 201bhp or 241bhp.
As with the other mechanical hardware offered in the Formentor, this hybrid drivetrain is already familiar from other VW Group products.
It pairs a 148bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine and 114bhp electric motor with a 13kWh battery pack, and promises an electric-only range of up to 31 miles.
Six trim levels, running from V1 and V2 to VZ1, VZ2, VZ3 and range-topping VZ Edition, will be offered.
If you want to be a Cupra Formentor early adopter then the 306bhp all-wheel-drive, double-clutch automatic car is your only option, in VZ2 (from £39,830), VZ3 (from £42,200) and VZ Edition (from £43,840) trims.
Eye-catching performance includes a 0-62mph time of 4.9 seconds.
This car gets performance-orientated suspension with adaptive chassis control, while a 'DCC slider' allows drivers to have a good degree of control over the damping force level of the shock absorber.
The Formentor's all-wheel-drive system analyses the road in real-time to deliver power to the wheels with the most traction.
Inside, these high-specification cars benefit from heated leather bucket seats, a leather dashboard and a leather multi-function steering wheel.
VZ3 and VZ Edition specification adds goodies such as 19-inch copper-coloured wheels and Brembo brakes, as well as a panoramic sunroof.
