I’m spending three months with Cupra’s VW Tiguan alternative – here’s what I think of it so far

This is my new Cupra Terramar, a stylish, sporty and fast SUV which has quite a lot in common with my colleague’s Volkswagen Tiguan.

You see, head of editorial Iain Reid is currently running a 2.0-litre petrol Tiguan with 265hp and four-wheel drive, and my new Cupra has the exact same engine.

It makes sense seeing as these two cars are basically the same under the skin, but Iain was a bit confused as to why you’d want this powerful engine in the comfy, sensible Tiguan. Surely if you’re after something a bit spicy, you’d buy the Cupra Terramar, right?

Well that’s why I’m going to be living with the Terramar for the next few months, to find out if it’s worth considering over the posher VW. Here’s a quick lowdown on my car’s specs.

That 2.0-litre engine means this car is good for 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds, which is exactly the same as a Volkswagen Golf GTI, as well as Iain’s Tiguan. It shares the VW’s 151mph top speed as well.

This Terramar is a VZ2 model, which sits at the top of the range. It has 20-inch alloy wheels, quad tailpipes, burgundy leather seats which are heated, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control and a 12.9-inch infotainment system with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

It also has adaptive dampers, which come as standard on the 265hp version, to allow you to stiffen things up for spirited driving, or soften the ride for pootling around town.

I ticked a few options on this car as well. The “Dark Void” metallic pain costs an extra £995, and I also went for the £600 Sennheiser sound system because I love my tunes. This car also has uprated Akebono brakes for additional stopping power, which could come in handy in the brake test if we end up drag racing this car. That was an extra £2,035. Finally, I fancied some additional light in the cabin so spent another £995 of Cupra’s money on a panoramic sunroof.

All-in, this car costs £55,220 as it sits. That’s almost £3,000 less than Iain’s Tiguan, so my car is already on the front foot.

I’ve been driving this Terramar for a few weeks now, and on first impressions I’m quite impressed. Despite having a sporty edge to it, the Cupra is pretty comfy over the bumps of North London. I also think it looks smarter than the Tiguan. The triangular lights are cool, and it looks pretty muscular as well thanks to the wide rear arches.

Having the start button on the steering wheel gives this SUV some Audi R8 vibes, but I would like a few more physical buttons throughout the cabin. The screen is proving easy to use so far, but I’d still rather twist a knob to change the cabin temperature.

Stay tuned for a detailed twin test between my Terramar and Iain’s Tiguan in the next few weeks, and I’ll also be reporting back on how this car is treating me after a month or so behind the wheel.

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