While many enthusiasts may rue the hold that crossovers now have on the new car market, and likewise the infiltration of hybrid technology, I like to look on the positive side when it comes to such things.
Cars like this, the Cupra Formentor VZe, make that quite easy to do. The brand might be every bit a newcomer, but the main thing you need to know is that its core focus is on performance.
Its backstory is similar to Polestar in some respects, with Cupra starting out as the performance and motorsport arm of Spanish carmaker Seat. A subsidiary of Volkswagen, Cupra was turned into a standalone brand in 2018.
While several other cars it sells are hotted-up Seat models, such as the Ateca and León, the Formentor is its first standalone attempt – and boy, is it a good one. Don't be fooled by its positioning as a small crossover, because it doesn't feel like one at all.
Despite how it tends to look in many pictures, it doesn't feel much bigger than a Golf, which makes sense given the underpinnings are fairly similar. Think of it more like a small wagon that can clear high kerbs and the appeal starts to shine through.
There's a low-slung driving position with a set of bucket seats and a flat-bottomed steering wheel inside as well, along with plenty of the brand's signature bronze highlights, so the cabin feels more like that of a hot hatch as well.
All of that puts it off to a good start, but to see just how good the Formentor really is at hitting the mark as a vehicle for driving enthusiasts, I decided not to opt for the VZx model as I'd originally planned, despite its 228kW Golf R engine, all-wheel drive system, and AkrapoviÄŤ exhaust. Instead, I grabbed the keys to the plug-in hybrid VZe model that sits one rung below it.
While its 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine sounds a bit more pedestrian on paper, its combined power output of 180kW thanks to the addition of an electric motor and 10.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack isn't far off the top-spec's mark, while the 400Nm torque it delivers is identical.
When you consider that before too long, emissions regulations will force almost all performance cars to need some form of hybrid system should they still feature a petrol engine at all, this could just be the blueprint for tomorrow's hot hatches and the like.
Unlike most hybrids which opt for an uninspiring CVT, Cupra has stuck with a six-speed DSG for its hybrid models, and this is what makes the system actually make sense. Whether it's running on petrol or electric power, the transmission will continue to shift through every gear, meaning when you step on the throttle and bring the engine back to life, it's already in the right gear at the right revs.
As a result, it still feels mechanical enough that you can predict what it's going to do next while it remains incredibly thrifty by shutting the petrol engine off when coasting or braking. Sure, I couldn't quite match the optimistic 1.9L/100km claim over the course of a week – although it'd be doable if you live in the city – but the 4.4L/100km return I saw is mighty impressive when you consider I was driving it rather enthusiastically.
And driving it in such an exuberant manner is something you'll surely want to do. The chassis is absolutely fantastic, as the car shrinks around you and feels tight and flat through the corners on even the most challenging roads.
The VZe being front-wheel drive does hamper it slightly – 400Nm through the front wheels alone is a lot to manage, especially on rain-sodden Adelaide Hills roads like I pitted it against – but you can get the hang of how to keep it in check after a while. In this sense, it reminds me a lot of the Hyundai Kona N, which a few other people in the know agree with me when I say it was my favourite N car thus far.
For what it's worth, when I recently took part in the Adelaide Rally – a story for another day – there were two Formentors to be found among the tour group I was in, and one was a VZe. If that isn't a resounding endorsement for it being enough of an enthusiast car, I don't know what is.
The whole reason I personally love hot hatches is because for a long time, they were enthusiast cars that could do everything inoffensively. With Australia's roads becoming more potholed than ever and the resultant need for that extra bit of ground clearance, the Formentor could just be that next evolution of the do-everything enthusiast car.
2024 Cupra Formentor VZe
Price (MSRP): A$64,990
Engine: 1.4-litre turbocharged four cylinder + electric motor and 10.9kWh lithium-ion battery
Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch
Drivetrain: FWD
Power: 180kW // 245PS
Torque: 400Nm // 295lb-ft
Acceleration (0-100km/h // 0-62mph): 7.0 seconds
Weight: 1712kg (tare)
Economy: 4.4L/100km (as tested over 701km)
