HOW TO BUY A
CUPRA FORMENTOR
VIVA LA CROSSOVER
This Spaniard is a practical all-rounder that hits all the right notes
The Cupra Formentor is both a brawny-looking crossover and a brilliant all-rounder with the taut handling of a well-sorted hatchback and the practicality of an estate.
The segment-blending family hauler – updated recently but we’re focusing on the pre-facelift car here – had a stuttering start due to its arrival during the 2020 pandemic. But the Formentor has become Cupra’s best-selling model, with so many finding homes that the used market now provides rich pickings, with prices starting from £13,000.
There’s an array of engines to consider: pick from a BIK-swerving plug-in hybrid or a pseudo-hot hatch with more than 300bhp. Or keep things simple by opting for the widely available 148bhp 1.5-litre or 187bhp 2.0-litre turbo petrols. The 1.5 TSI isn’t the most exciting powerplant, but it will easily return 45mpg. If you want a bit more poke, the 2.0 TSI is a solid choice – and it sends its power to both axles, which is good news for dynamics and all-weather traction. For spicing up the commute or school run in the snow, it’s the better all-rounder.