Germany's most popular leasing car: what's up with the Cupra Formentor?

Created: 2022-01-27 17:06

By: Rudolf Boegel

Drives like a sports car but has all the advantages of a compact SUV: the new Cupra Formentor.

© Xavier Bonilla / Cupra

The Cupra Formentor overthrew the VW Golf from the throne: The first independent model from the Seat subsidiary was the most popular leasing car in 2021. That's how it drives.

• The Formentor is the first independent model from the Seat subsidiary.

• Right away it conquered the hearts of the Germans, at least when it came to leasing.

• Look?

  Technology?

  What makes the Formentor so different from the others?

No, it is not a stylized bull and the symbol has nothing to do with the horns of a wild sheep.

logo, which looks so mysterious

, comes from the mystical world of primitive peoples.

In this case, it should be Indian symbols that stand for passion, precision, courage and determination.

Stylized bull or mouflon antlers.

Both interpretations of the Cupra logo are wrong.

© Cupra

Read more current driving reports* here.

Mysterious names: This is behind Cupra and Formentor

Characteristics that Cupra claims for all of its extremely sporty models. Speaking of mysterious. The name

also sounds like a mystery, but it's not difficult to deduce.

, so a cup race, mostly with cars. Anyone who has ever been to Mallorca and made a trip to the northeast between two sangrias has already been to the beautiful Formentor peninsula. And now a lot of Germans drive a Formentor.

, that's enough for first place. Only then comes the top dog

, then the

- the first car from another group is in fourth place

.

follow in the top ten

.

The data was collected by LeasingMarkt.de and the EBS University of Economics in Wiesbaden.

The Cupra Formentor reached the peak of popularity, at least for leasing cars, in 2021, ahead of the Golf.

© Cupra

Also read

310 hp - almost as powerful as the big, bad Golf R

Fascination Formentor - in front of us is a

.

We can translate the title, which sounds like a math formula: It is the second most powerful model from the Spaniards, with a

,

and

.

fitted.

Almost as powerful as the big bad Golf R (which has 10 hp more).

When comparing it with the group brother, we are already at the dimensions of the Formentor.

With a length of 4.45 meters, it plays in the upper compact class, and of course in the SUV league.

So far so conventional - but the Formentor stands out from the crowd in terms of design and develops real class in the process.

The front is beefy, sculpturally rugged, the rear no less massive, with high shoulders and the cheeky edge in the fender.

The VZ model stands on 19-inch rims, which gives it a stately presence.

Only at second glance do you notice the fine color scheme, typical of the Cupra models.

The bronze accents can be found on the rims, the Brembo brakes and in the Cupra logos front and rear.

Bronze applications can be found throughout the cockpit of the Cupra Formentor.

© Cupra

Read here:

Cupra Formentor: A bonnet like a ship's bow

This accent also accompanies us

in the

Steering wheel surrounds, air vents, center console - even digital graphic elements on the two screens sparkle in bronze to copper colors.

This alone has already secured a subtle but striking unique selling point for Cupra in the VW Group monotony.

Take a seat, even with a height of 1.78 meters you are enthroned above things.

In front of you is the massive bonnet with the striking power domes in the sheet metal.

She is always in the picture compared to other cars, almost like a ship's bow.

However, he does not plow through the floods, but through the German asphalt sea.

Where's that darn

?

We press the part in the center console again.

But that's the ESP switch - after all, we find it.

A round push button on the steering wheel spoke, on the other side a twin.

Start on the right, set the

on the left .

And off we go.

The engine rumbles gently, but it can also be different.

Already at the Sport level there is a small stand concert for four cylinders and four exhaust pipes.

If the sharpest mode, which is of course called Cupra, is set, you get the hellish noise of a veritable eight-

with misfires - artificially processed, of course.

A car with character.

The Cupra Formentor stands out with its striking bodywork and bold appearance.

© Cupra

Also read:

Slider instead of rotary knob - unfortunately also in the Cupra

Before we get started, let's deal with another quirk of the object. The

is still relatively easy to use. The respective layout is set on the

, the individual windows can be individualized with a rotary wheel. For example , the

in the middle, a display for power development and torque on the left, and one for lateral acceleration on the right. No problem. It gets more difficult with the 12.3-inch infotainment screen. The menu navigation is nested, illogical and takes some getting used to. The most beautiful tile look is of no use if you don't immediately activate the

finds or has to laboriously search for the sound settings.

We don't even want to talk about the impractical volume sliders, which are also available in the VW Golf.

Thank God there is a small wheel on the Cupra steering wheel for this purpose.

The Cupra Formentor offers a high loading sill but plenty of space.

When the rear seat is folded down, it's almost 1,500 liters.

© Cupra

Also read:

Wow when the engine fires the turbo

But that's the only shortcoming in this car. Driving the Cupra Formentor is a dream. The

alone

perfectly masters the balance between just being comfortable, but always so hard that you can feel the road. And that's what you want, especially with this engine. The

is a well-rounded affair. It unpacks its highest torque from 2,000 revolutions, the turbochargers chase the power so continuously via the dual-clutch transmission to the drive shafts that you think you are sitting in a sucker. 4.9 seconds from 0 to 100 - that used to be reserved for Ferrari & Co, now you can have this feeling for 48,090 euros. Of course, there is also a cheaper way. the

costs 32,650 euros.

And if it should be reasonable, then there is already a hybrid model with 204 hp from 42,040 euros.

The continuous strip of lights distinguishes the rear view of the Cupra Formentor at night.

A real night rider.

© Cupra

Also interesting:

That's why this Cupra is Germany's favorite

is not a bargain

.

The mix that this Cupra stands for explains why it is still the new favorite in Germany.

He looks sporty, but different from the others.

He has a cool touch of his own, and if necessary and if he has a bag of money, he also unpacks the PS hammer.

remains

a decently large car for everyday use.

Two people can sit comfortably in the back with plenty of legroom.

And the trunk also offers 420 liters (folded down 1475 good proportions).

Therefore our conclusion: The Formentor is

use, but by no means an everyday car.

Specifications Cupra Formentor VZ 2.0 TSI 4Drive

• Engine: four-cylinder turbo petrol engine

• Displacement: 1,984 cc

• Power: 228 kW (310 hp)  

• Torque: 400 Nm at 2,000 - 5,450 rpm

• Drive: seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, all-wheel drive

• 0-100km/h: 4.9s

• Maximum speed: 50 km/h

• Standard consumption: 8.2 - 9.0 l (test consumption 9.8)

• CO2 emissions: 186 - 203 g/km

• Length/width/height: 4.45/1.83/1.51 m

• Curb weight/allowance: 1,644/496 kg

• Trunk: 420 - 1,474 l

• Price from 48,090 euros

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