New Cupra Formentor VZ5 boasts Audi RS 3 five-cylinder power
Cupra’s sporty crossover SUV is now available with a 385bhp five-cylinder engine, just for kicks
The new Cupra Formentor VZ5 is now available to order from £64,495, which is nearly £30k more than the base version of this sporty crossover SUV. What makes this edition so special is it’s packing the highly potent five-cylinder engine from the sensational Audi RS 3 and just 4,000 are going to be made.
Despite being offered in left-hand-drive markets for several years, this marks the first time the Formentor VZ5 has been available in the UK. Its turbocharged 2.5-litre engine produces 385bhp and 480Nm of torque, which is significantly more than the 328bhp and 420Nm the previous range-topper, the VZ3 edition, could muster from its 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder motor.
The VZ5’s straight-line performance is much stronger as a result. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 4.2 seconds – more than half a second faster than the VZ3 – and the VZ5 tops out at 155mph. Just like the Audi RS 3, the Formentor gets an all-wheel drive system that includes torque-splitting technology to provide each wheel with an even distribution of power, which goes through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The Formentor is only the second car within the Volkswagen Group stable to use this five-cylinder turbocharged engine, after the Audi RS 3. Although there could potentially be another joining the party soon in the shape of a wild new Volkswagen Golf R, which we’ve caught testing around the Nurburgring in Germany already. Just in the nick of time, too, because the glorious engine won’t be available in the UK and Europe from next year due to the latest emissions regulations.
As you’d expect, given its monstrous powerplant, the VZ5 stands out from the rest of the Formentor line-up with a series of cosmetic tweaks. There’s a reshaped front bumper, a new front splitter with VZ5 engraved in it, wheelarch extensions, a fresh rear bumper and distinctive diagonal quad exhaust tips finished in copper. Inside, there are bespoke bucket seats with extra side bolstering.
The VZ5 also gets unique copper-coloured 20-inch alloy wheels, and there’s additional VZ5 badging and a selection of metallic or matt paint finishes, including Midnight Black, Dark Void, Magnetic Tech Matt, Century Bronze Matt and Enceladus Grey Matt.
Thankfully for those who don’t have more than £64,000 on a Cupra Formentor, there are countless deals available on new and used versions of the excellent small SUV through the Auto Express Buy A Car service. For instance, right now you have a plug-in hybrid model on a three-year lease for just over £300 per month.
Elsewhere in the world of Cupra, the brand expanded its range of personalisation options by introducing a new styling pack created in collaboration with the tuning house ABT. It’s available on Cupra’s Leon and Formentor, and adds a new rear spoiler, front and rear splitters, 19-inch alloy wheels and other styling tweaks.
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