Our Formentor long-termer continues to put its best wheel forward. By Natalie Middleton.

P11D £35,150  BiK 32% ECONOMY 44.1-47.9 CO2 EMISSIONS 133g/km TEST MPG: 37.7mpg

Report 4:

Our 150hp 1.5-litre TFSI petrol continues to work well for us and is decidedly peppy

The Formentor was the subject of a conversation at a dinner last month for my husband’s work, with one of the shareholders saying it’s on his shortlist in PHEV guise for their next car.

As a former director, he’s no longer working so would miss out on company car tax savings or sal-sac opportunities – but actually as many of his journeys are now short distance and they can install a home charger, PHEVs really stack up for him, plus he loves the looks of the Formentor. Decision sorted.

Our 150hp 1.5-litre TFSI petrol continues to work well for us and is decidedly peppy. At the start of the test, I had a bit of an issue with getting used to the throttle response, which seemed a bit delayed, and then not subsequently overcooking it at junctions or when manoeuvring. Fellow long-term tester Julian Kirk also reported the same issue with the Audi A3 he’s testing that has the same mild hybrid petrol and DSG gearbox combo. I’ve realised in recent months that I’m now used to it and no longer piling on the power and flamboyantly spinning out of junctions. I also like its ability to pull away effortlessly at speed under load.

Maybe I’m getting older, more likely the technology is getting better, but thanks to the Formentor I’ve noticed improvements in driver assistance features that I previously regarded as annoying in some cars. The Cupra’s light bong when you go a couple of mph over the speed limit is gentler than some models so less intrusive and yet effective at making me take stock quick.

The lane keeping assist has only misbehaved once, when it picked up on some old lines on a motorway slipway.

I’ve not actually managed to catch out the dynamic road sign display once – speed limits are updated almost instantaneously, even for the roadworks I’ve seen.

The automatic headlights are remarkably good – it’s not that long ago when I’d have avoided using auto headlights on a test car as I could react quicker and they often failed to pick up on other vehicles. The Cupra’s auto headlights switch every time needed and are often quicker than my reactions.

The only system that I’ve found annoying is the ‘please release the accelerator’ message which appears on the run-up to a roundabout or junction and always a good way in advance. I’ve obeyed it a couple of times out of interest and found that I’m at a snail’s pace by the time I pull up.

I also thought it was rather interesting last weekend when my eye was drawn to the most striking car in the car park and I realised it was another Formentor – albeit much cleaner than our test model at the minute!

Report 3:

The Formentor delivers both sharp design and practicality

Positioned as a performance-focused family SUV, the Formentor delivers both sharp design and practicality, as shown by tests of our long-termer in recent weeks.

One thing that I have loved about the Formentor from the start is the ergonomic interior. Slide inside and the infotainment touchscreen – expanded to 12.9 inches in last year’s facelift and fitted with a retro-illuminated slider – is angled to the driver and the centre console ensures everything is handy.

I like the easily accessible gear shifter, which takes up little room and falls easily to hand, while there’s steering wheel paddles too. The dash is easy to see through the steering wheel and there’s a plethora of buttons on the steering wheel, which are handy to access and I haven’t hit any accidentally yet.

You also sit lower down than other crossovers, enhancing the feeling that this is a driver’s car.

Our V1 may be the entry level trim but so far, I’m not missing much – heated seats would be nice to have but the heated steering wheel, with the aforementioned paddles on our DSG version, was a nice surprise that’s been put into some hard use over recent weeks.

Boot capacity for the 2WD petrol versions comes in at 450 litres

The sports seats are snug yet comfortable and supportive and the materials don’t feel low rent for an entry level model.

Going back to the touchscreen, most buttons are digital but there are physical buttons. The front and rear demisters are a bit small and I sometimes find my quick stab at them while late for the morning school run hasn’t worked, but while briskly searching for the fog lights recently – which are handily located right of the steering wheel, so quick to find and easy to use – I also discovered the demisters are replicated there too.

Headroom in the Formentor is great and I’ve also been impressed with the rear seat legroom – I recently slid the front passenger seat right back when accommodating a disabled passenger and my sadly-now-taller-than-me youngest son was still able to get in easily later that afternoon when I’d forgotten to put the seat back.

Boot capacity for the 2WD petrol versions, including ours, comes in at a reasonable 450 litres – dropping to 420 for the 333hp 2.0 TSI four-wheel drive and 345 litres for the plug-in hybrids – and tops out at 1,505 litres. Less than some rivals, more than others. There’s also levers at the side to pop the rear seats down, boot hooks and a ski-shaped hatch through. There’s only a small lip to get into the boot and just a small bump up when the rear seats are folded.

All in all, it made a solo tip trip with a rather bulky chest of drawers far easier than I thought it would be.

Report 2:

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Cupra’s rival to the Audi Q3, BMW X2 and Volvo XC40, the Formentor stands out among its adversaries for its sharp styling. Our model is a bit mud- and grime-splattered at the moment, but that doesn’t hide the fact that it’s clearly a dynamic-looking car.

But it’s the attention to detail that I particularly like.

Cupra’s website talks of the Formentor’s focus on “unexpected features, designed to delight” and it’s something I’ve noticed from the outset.

Examples include the copper accents used copiously but not excessively for everything from badging to the alloys, seat stitching, air vents and surrounds – even the driver’s manual – alongside aluminium. The effect is a cabin that stands out, even for our V1 entry level trim.

Lighting is striking. The welcome sequence on the full-width rear lights – which gained the Cupra logo in the middle during the recent facelift – is flamboyant and the lights even come with Formentor inscribed.

Puddle lights are more common these days than they used to be, but the Formentor’s do stand out with the slightly Bat Signal esque Cupra logo and they are obviously especially helpful in the current torrential conditions.

The ambient lighting in the cabin is very impressive – even without the wraparound version reserved for higher grades – but I’d really like the interior lights to come on automatically when I open the doors. These seem to be classed as reading lights and need to be manually activated, leaving me muttering to myself when trying to quickly grab something in the dark.

The proof of the pudding for the Cupra’s styling lies in the fact that it’s a car the kids are very happy to be seen in – even if they’d rather their mum was less visible.

All that is balanced with a practical side – more details in the next report – which means the Formentor is as versatile as it is vivacious.

First Report:

If you’re going to make the switch back from an electric car to an ICE, you might as well do it in style.

With the departure of our Škoda Enyaq having left us wondering how to fill the EV void, the Cupra Formentor looks set to put paid to any such concerns.

The brand’s first standalone model not based on a SEAT, the Formentor was updated earlier this year with a redesigned exterior, uprated technology, plus latest cabin and engine changes.

Our test model comes with the latest 1.5-litre e-TSI mild hybrid petrol outputting 150hp and linked to a seven-speed DSG auto transmission. It sits above the 150hp non-electrified TSI petrol while the line-up also includes e-Hybrid 204 and e-Hybrid 272 PHEVs with up to 77 miles of electric range, and the 2.0-litre 333hp TSI, only available in top-rung models. A TSI DSG-auto 265 is on the way too.

The PHEVs, of course, are the lowest-emitting; their WLTP 9-10g/km of CO2 and electric ranges slot them into the 5% BiK bracket for 2024/25, while our model’s 133g/km puts it in the 31% bracket. However, the higher-powered e-Hybrid 272 PHEV is only available from the VZ1 grade upwards and has a P11D of £44,790; nearly £10k more than our model.

We’re in the lead-in V1 grade. But it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Our Formentor is equipped with 18-inch alloys in machined silver, LED headlights and taillights with dynamic indicator and dynamic range control, rain-sensing wipers, 12.9-inch infotainment screen with voice control, keyless start, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, wireless phone charger, predictive adaptive cruise control and front and rear sensors.

The only option on our version is the Magnetic Tech Grey metallic paint – which costs £630 but does really accentuate the already sharp styling.

From the moment it’s arrived, it’s certainly garnered attention on the driveway for its looks.

From the chiselled lines and new ‘shark-nose’ front end on the outside, to the copper detailing, sports seats with copper stitching and ambient lighting, it’s no shrinking violet.

All in all, the Formentor is a bit of a stunner that’s turned us back around to ICE quicker than its 9.0-second 0-62mph time.