SEAT’s autonomous brand, Cupra, is celebrating its third anniversary with the launch of its most powerful road car to date. Developed from the beginning to be a Cupra model, the Formentor sports crossover is lending the 2.5-liter turbo engine used by Audi for several compact cars with the RS emblem, including the RS Q3 and TT RS.
The five-in-one unit produces 385 horsepower (287 kilowatts) and 480 Newton-meters (354 pound-feet) of torque in the new Formentor VZ5. For comparison, the engine generates the same amount of torque in the RS Q3 and in its brother Sportback, but has a little more power in the Audis, at 394 hp (294 kW). As with the spicy crossover from Ingolstadt, the new hot Cupra comes standard with four-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
24 Photos
The new heyday of the Formentor line completes the race from 0 to 62 mph (100 km / h) in 4.2 seconds, which actually makes it three tenths of a second faster than an RS Q3. Both are electronically limited to 155 mph (250 km / h). Total power starts at 5,700 rpm, while maximum torque is available from 2,250 rpm.
It is 10 millimeters (0.4 inches) closer to the road compared to the 306 horsepower Formentor on custom 20 inch wheels with larger brakes lurking behind. There are 18-inch Akebono calipers and six copper-finished pistons to match the copper alloy wheels. The quadruple tailpipes stacked a la Lexus F models are also exclusive to the VZ5 and flank a more aggressive rear diffuser.
Production will be limited to just 7,000 units and all of them will be built with the steering wheel configuration on the left. Cupra will open its order book in the last quarter of the year, with prices to be announced. In the Spanish domestic market, the Formentor VZ 2.0 TSI with a 306 hp engine starts at € 44,920, so the VZ5 can reach the € 60,000 mark.
Despite what is likely to be a big increase in prices, it still does not overlap the Audi RS Q3 available in Spain from € 73,790. The limited availability of the Formentor VZ5 means that the Volkswagen Group is not too concerned about the Cupra model cannibalizing sales of the RS Q3.