Cupra Formentor revealed as the performance SUV South Africa will never get
Formentor is being offered with two engines; a 228kW/400Nm 2.0 TSI and the plug-in hybrid that marries the 150 kW 1.4 TSI with a 13.1 kW lithium-ion battery.
Having taken the covers off of the hot Leon last month, Seat’s performance Cupra division has revealed the all-new coupe-styled Formentor SUV that will go on sale in Europe from the final quarter of this year.
Developed as a Cupra bespoke model, the Formentor derives its name from the Cap de Formentor peninsula of the Spanish island Mallorca, and measures 4 450 mm in overall length with a wheelbase of 2 680 mm, height of 1 511 mm and width of 1 839 mm.
Riding on 19-inch alloy wheels optionally available with a copper finish, and sporting upgraded Brembo brakes, the Formentor mirrors the Leon in being offered with a choice of two engines; a 228kW/400Nm 2.0 TSI taken from the Sportstourer and the plug-in hybrid that marries the 150 kW 1.4 TSI engine from the Volkswagen Golf GTE and Skoda Octavia vRS iV with a 13.1 kW lithium-ion battery for a total system output of 180kW/400Nm.
Able to travel 50 km on a single charge, the hybrid employs a six-speed DSG as opposed to the petrol’s seven-speed with the latter also sporting the 4Drive four-wheel-drive system. Both are however outfitted with the Dynamic Chassis Control system as standard that comes with four modes; Comfort, Sport, Individual and Cupra.
Inside, the interior comes resplendent in black or Petrol Blue leather interior, bolstered by a wraparound ambient lighting system, the 12-inch Seat Digital instrument cluster, brushed copper and aluminium inserts, plus a full suite of safety and driver assistance system including Predictive Adaptive Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Exit Assist and Blind Spot Detection.
Offered in a choice of nine colours; Candy White, Urban Silver, Magnetic Black and Magnetic Tech, two matte hues; Magnetic Tech and Petrol Blue, plus three speciality colours; Dark Camouflage, Graphene Grey and Desire Red, the Formentor, like the rest of the Seat and Cupra line-ups, is unlikely to become available in South Africa at any stage.
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