Used Cupra Formentor for sale: everything you need to know

SEAT’s Cupra offshoot hit the ground running with the Formentor, a small SUV that can rival hot hatchbacks for both style and performance. It’s attractive inside and out, entertaining to drive but usable as a family car, and offers a useful range of engine options, including some cost-cutting plug-in hybrids.

All models are well-equipped too, so you won’t necessarily need to break the bank to find a car that suits your needs, particularly as even the basic engines are punchy enough to have fun with. As a relatively new car there are no true used bargains out there just yet, but you may still find a useful saving over a brand new car.

You might consider the regular Cupra Leon hatchback an alternative to the Formentor, but if SUVs are more your style then premium-badged models like the BMW X2 and Audi Q3 Sportback are closest in spirit, each also available with a range of engines, from the frugal to the potent. The Formentor still looks appealing even against these German premium models, though.

Should you buy a Cupra Formentor?

Once used to denote the performance models in SEAT’s car range, Cupra became a brand in its own right in 2018 and the Formentor was the first dedicated model in the brand’s portfolio, with no direct SEAT equivalent and not simply spun off an existing model, like the Cupra Leon.

As first efforts go, it’s a pretty good one. It’s one of the more dynamic-looking and attractive small SUVs on sale, with a low roof line to offset the extra ride height you get over a conventional hatchback, and sharply defined rear haunches that give it a muscular look.

Inside meanwhile it’s more or less identical to the Cupra Leon, which is no bad thing if you can get on with the reliance on touchscreen controls, and it’s spacious enough to handle family use, though the upswept rear window line can make visibility tricky for kids in the back. Both inside and out there’s liberal use of Cupra’s corporate colour, a hue Cupra calls copper, but looks more like bronze to our eyes…

The Formentor’s lineup of engines and gearboxes should be familiar to anyone who has driven a recent model from one of the Volkswagen Group’s brands, with a range of four-cylinder petrol and petrol hybrid engines, and manual or DSG automatics depending on the engine. Most power the front wheels, but there’s a range-topping 4Drive 310 that effectively uses the engine and all-wheel drive system from the Volkswagen Golf R, and offers serious performance.

It might have an SUV-style body, but the Formentor is definitely closer to a hot hatchback to drive, even if its taller stance means it’s not quite as agile as a regular hatch. It’s fun to thread down a twisty road but handles bumps too, and settles down on the motorway and in town, so it’s a car you can buy with the head as well as the heart - particularly the frugal e-Hybrid models.

Our only real reservation is over Cupra’s touchscreen infotainment system, which looks great at a glance but can be tricky to operate on the move, compounded by the air conditioning controls being touch-sensitive sliders beneath the screen. At least there are physical volume and track-skipping buttons on the steering wheel for operating audio functions.

If you’re looking for alternatives to the Formentor, the closest cars in spirit actually wear premium badges, such as the BMW X2 and Audi Q3 Sportback, and the range-topping 4Drive 310 undercuts the closest BMW and Q3 performance models on price, brand new at least.

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What’s the best used Cupra Formentor model to buy?

If you’re sold on the Formentor’s style then you’ll get a lot of joy even from the entry-level TSI 150 and lower trim levels. The basic engine is quick off the mark, the Formentor’s handling still feels sporty, and if you find a model in V2 trim with its larger 19-inch alloy wheels, you lose nothing in terms of styling, since the higher-specced models also roll on 19s.

The Nappa leather trim in V2 spec also looks very smart - particularly in the optional Petrol Blue colour, which helps brighten up the cabin from the standard black. We’d not dissuade you from hunting down the 4Drive 310 though - it really does have proper hot hatchback performance.

Used Cupra Formentor fuel economy and performance

• Cupra Formentor TSI 150: The Formentor TSI 150 uses a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 150PS, and has the option of either a six-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic badged DSG. The manual is good for 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds (8.9 for the DSG) and 127mph (126mph DSG). Combined economy is up to 44.8mpg for the manual, and 42.2mpg for the DSG.
• Cupra Formentor TSI 4Drive 310: The most powerful Formentor is petrol-only and makes 310PS from a 2-litre turbocharged petrol, much like you’ll find in a Volkswagen Golf R. The only gearbox is a 7-speed DSG auto, it’s all-wheel drive, and it’s very quick: 0-62mph takes only 4.9 seconds, while top speed is 155mph. It’ll also do a claimed 33.2mpg combined.
• Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid 204: First of the two plug-in hybrids combines an electric motor with a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine, for 204PS. If you make full use of the EV range (up to 34 miles), combined economy is a claimed 235.4mpg, while 0-62mph takes 7.8 seconds.
• Cupra Formentor e-Hybrid 245: The more powerful e-Hybrid develops 245PS from a similar 1.4-litre drivetrain, so it’s a little quicker, at 7.0 seconds from 0-62mph. Combined economy drops a little to 188.3mpg if you plug it in regularly.

What used Cupra Formentor trim levels are available?

The Cupra Formentor’s trim level options are an arbitrary mix of letters and numbers, but are at least fairly easy to understand: basically, higher numbers and more letters mean higher trim levels, with V1 the entry point and VZN the range-topping model. TSI 150 engines and the e-Hybrid 204 are only available in V1 and V2 trims, the e-Hybrid 245 in VZ1 and VZ2, and the 4Drive 310 can be specified in the top three trim levels, VZ2, VZ3, and VZN.

• The Cupra Formentor V1 kicks off the range with 18-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and tail lights, a 12-inch infotainment display with CarPlay and a wireless phone charger, sports seats, rear parking sensors, adaptive cruise control, keyless entry and start, and a suite of safety systems.
• The Cupra Formentor V2 builds upon V1 trim with 19-inch alloys, Nappa leather sports seats with heating for the front pair and electric memory adjustment for the driver, and a rear-view camera for parking.
• The Cupra Formentor VZ1 gets a matte black finish for its 19-inch wheels, a rear diffuser element in the bumper, driving mode selections, sports suspension, and a safety and driving package including extra electronic safety features. The seats are once again fabric rather than leather.
• The Cupra Formentor VZ2 adds the Nappa leather seats back into the mix, along with a ‘Supersports’ heated steering wheel with start/stop and Cupra mode buttons, and even more safety features in its standard equipment pack.
• The Cupra Formentor VZ3 upgrades to a copper and black wheel finish, and also gets uprated Brembo brakes, and matrix LED headlights.
• The Cupra Formentor VZN tops the range with yet another 19-inch alloy wheel design (in a matte finish), as well as Nappa leather and Dinamica microfibre bucket seats, a black exterior styling pack, panoramic sunroof, and a 9-speaker Beats audio system. It also gets an exclusive colour option, Mountain Green.

Used Cupra Formentor dimensions and boot size

The Cupra Formentor’s dimensions are:

• Length: 4450mm 
• Width: 1839mm (without mirrors), 1992mm (with mirrors)
• Height: 1528mm (including roof rails)

The Cupra Formentor’s boot size is:

• 345 litres e-Hybrid 204/245
• 420 litres 4Drive 310
• 450 litres TSI 150

Used Cupra Formentor road tax

First-year VED or ‘road tax’ varies depending on the engine in the Cupra Formentor, with the two plug-in hybrid models being free thanks to their low CO2 ratings and alternative fuel billing. The TSI 150 models cost £155 in the first year, and the 4Drive 310 goes up to £1565.

This changes from the second year onwards. Several models, with list prices of over £40,000, are subject to the VED surcharge in the second to sixth years of registration, so these models cost either £560 a year for the plug-in hybrids, or £570 for the other engines. A few sneak below the £40,000 mark though - all V1 spec cars, and the TSI 150 models in V2 trim - so are much cheaper to tax, at £180 per year.

How much is it to insure a Cupra Formentor?

With a fairly wide variation in performance there’s a similar spread of insurance groups for the Cupra Formentor. The basic TSI 150 with the manual gearbox is cheapest, regardless of whether it’s in V1 or V2 trim, in group 19. DSG models rise one group, to 20. e-Hybrids start in group 24, while a top-spec 4Drive 310 in VZN trim is in group 33 - though that’s not excessive given the performance on offer.

Read our full Cupra Formentor review