Cupra Formentor 2022: Australian line-up revealed ahead of July release date

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Cupra has revealed the Australian grade line-up for its Formentor midsize SUV before the sporty crossover goes on sale in July this year – but the Spanish marque is tight-lipped about the price.

The Formentor will arrive alongside the Leon hatch and Ateca small SUV when Cupra launches locally this winter, with the brand’s fully-electric Born hot hatch set to arrive before the end of 2022 if delays are not experienced.

As the expected volume seller of the inbound Cupra range, the Formentor will be available with a choice of four grades dubbed V, VZ, VZe and VZx. The range includes front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) options plus a plug-in hybrid.

Once on sale, the Formentor will join a growing list of relatively affordable performance midsize SUVs that includes the Volkswagen Tiguan R and Skoda Kodiaq RS – both of which share the Cupra’s Volkswagen Group MQB architecture. 

Formentor V

The range kicks off with the Formentor V which features a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine producing 140kW of power and 320Nm of torque that drives a seven-speed wet clutch dual-clutch ‘DSG’. Power is sent to the ground courtesy of an all-wheel-drive system.

Despite being the entry-level variant, the Formentor V is dressed to look the part of a performance SUV with 18-inch black and silver alloy wheels matched with an array of matching shades on the mirrors and roof rails.

The exterior also features LED headlights and tail-lights, fog lights, heated and folding mirrors along with a roof spoiler. A panoramic sunroof can be had as an optional extra.

Inside, Cupra has equipped the Formentor V with a suite of technology including a 12.0-inch touchscreen with wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display.

At this level, the seats are trimmed in cloth but buyers do receive a leather-clad and heated steering wheel and Cupra offers the ‘Leather and Power package’ which adds leather bucket seats with heating in the front and power adjustment, along with a power tailgate. 

The standard safety suite includes AEB with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane keep assist, safe exit assist, adaptive cruise control and driver fatigue monitoring to name a few.

Formentor VZ

The next step up the rank is the Formentor VZ which comes armed with a higher state of tune (180kW/370Nm) but is only front wheel drive.

Aside from the switch to larger 19-inch wheels, the specifications and options available remain the same as the entry-level Formentor V.

Formentor VZe brings plug-in hybrid power

The level of specification and options on offer carry over once again for the plug-in hybrid-powered Formentor VZe but the drivetrain is vastly different.

Cupra arms the Formentor VZe with a smaller 1.4-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine that produces 110kW/250Nm by itself and is assisted by an 85kW/300Nm electric motor.

Combined, the total system output is 180kW of power and 400Nm of torque, and uses a six-speed, instead of a seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission. A charging cable is also included.

Being a plug-in hybrid the Formentor VZe is also capable of driving solely on electric powerfor up to 58km according to the conservative WLTP standard and can be charged from 0 to 100 percent in 3 hours 33 minutes.

Formentor VZx

Acting as the range-topping variant, the Formentor VZx reverts back to a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol-only setup but this time with 228kW/400Nm and mechanical all-wheel drive at its disposal.

Buyers can match this increase in grunt with the optional Brembo brake package that slot under the standard 19-inch alloy wheels that are coated in shades of black and copper.

Adding to the visual and audible drama is a set of quad exhaust pipes while in the cabin buyers receive a nine-speaker Beats audio system with a 340W amp.

The bucket seats are trimmed in petrol-blue leather with heating in the front row and power adjustment on the driver’s side. The ‘Supersport’ leather steering wheel comes as standard but a panoramic glass sunroof will need to be optioned on.

More information on the exact specification of the Formentor will be provided closer to the launch in July, 2022.

Cupra Formentor 2022: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

• Formentor V: TBC
• Formentor VZx: TBC
• Formentor VZ: TBC
• Formentor VZe: TBC