This Cupra Formentor has an Audi RS3 engine, but how does it compare to our standard car?

Cupra has launched the Formentor VZ5 – a family SUV with a rather special engine under the bonnet. It’s super-rare and quite expensive, but is it worth the money? We’ve spent a week with it to find out.   

We’ve been living with the Cupra Formentor for six months. It’s the VZ3 version with the 333hp 2.0-litre engine from a Volkswagen Golf R, and it was the fastest version you could buy.

The key word there is “was”, because now Cupra has launched the new Formentor VZ5, which uses the 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine from the Audi RS3. Only 4,000 of these cars will be made, with around 250 of those coming to the UK, and it costs almost £65,000.

That’s around £4,000 more than an RS3, and £10,000 more than our VZ3. Is it worth the extra cash? We’ve spent a week with the VZ5 to find out.

New Cupra Formentor VZ5 vs VZ3: engine and performance

Let’s start under the bonnet, because this is where the bulk of the cash has been spent on the VZ5.

Our Formentor VZ3 has a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 333hp, and it also has four-wheel drive. It’ll do 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds. That’s pretty rapid for a sensible SUV, but the VZ5 turns things up a notch.

It has the same 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder engine as the Audi RS3, and it sends 390hp to all four wheels. That’s 10hp less than the RS3, and the VZ5 is also almost half a second slower from 0-60mph. It takes 4.2 seconds to complete the sprint.

That’s to be expected in a car which is bigger, heavier and 10hp down, but the Formentor VZ5 is still just as quick as the 510hp BMW X3 M.

New Cupra Formentor VZ5 vs VZ3: driving

So is the Cupra Formentor VZ5 just a bit quicker? Well no, not really. That engine has a very different character to the 2.0-litre in our VZ3, and it really changes the driving experience.

The five-cylinder feels more old-school in the way it delivers its power. You get a bit of turbo lag when you put your foot down, so around town you get a nice, low burble from the engine and then it slingshots you towards the horizon once it comes on boost.

The 2.0-litre engine in our car is much more responsive, and it delivers its power lower down in the rev range which makes it feel more urgent and responsive at low speeds, but it still can’t match the VZ5 on pace.

You get 20-inch wheels on the VZ5, which are an inch bigger than the ones fitted to our VZ3. This, combined with the slightly re-tuned suspension, means the VZ5 feels slightly more jittery over bumps and broken surfaces.

But you’ll forget about that on a twisty road, because this car is so much fun to drive that you can forgive it for being a bit stiff. You get loads of grip, and the engine really comes alive when you’re really wringing its neck. It feels almost as agile and as thrilling as the Audi RS3, which in a tall SUV is high praise indeed.

New Cupra Formentor VZ5 vs VZ3: design and interior

There’s not much to separate the VZ3 and VZ5 visually. The front end is identical, as is the side profile. You do get larger alloy wheels on the VZ5 though, and there are some more changes at the rear.

The quad tailpipes are stacked on top of each other, two on each side, unlike the VZ3 which has them side-by-side. The VZ5 also has a slightly more aggressive-looking lower diffuser.

It’s the same story inside. Both cars have the same carbon fibre bucket seats and copper details. It’s a smart-looking cabin, but the VZ5 could do more to stand out.

Final verdict: is it worth spending an extra £10,000?

£65,000 is a lot of money for a small SUV, especially one without a posh German badge on the nose, but the Cupra Formentor VZ5 is still an excellent performance car.

An Audi RS3 with a few options on it and a decent paint job will cost you almost £70,000, and it’s not as practical as the Cupra. The Formentor is also very nearly as impressive to drive, and if you’re after something a bit different then it’s a brilliant option.

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