Five-cylinder Formentor VZ5 confirmed for UK
The 2.5-litre, 390hp Formentor is back next year - and this time with the steering wheel on the correct side
We’ve been here before, you might remember. Back in 2021, Cupra announced the Formentor VZ5; very interesting it sounded, too, with almost 400hp from the Audi-donated 2.5-litre turbo. But just 10 were allocated for the UK, and they were from the 7,000 left-hand drive cars built in that batch. An extremely rare curio, then.
Something has changed at Cupra since then, however, and for 2026 there’s going to be a dedicated run of right-hand drive Formentor VZ5s for the first time. ‘This re-introduction is more than a refresh’, says the brand, ‘it’s a reaffirmation of Cupra’s belief in the emotional power of driving’. Which would be great news in any context, because the engine’s fabulous and the Formentor looks pretty smart; with Cupra typically more EV-focused and cool combustion cars dropping like flies, it looks almost miraculous. As before, the 2.5 will be 390hp strong, with the Formentor also benefitting from the rear torque splitter that’s brought the RS3 and Golf R to life in recent years.
VZ5 spec will include unique 20-inch wheels, the CUPBucket seats, plus a few body alterations to mark it out from humbler models: broader arches, new badges, diagonal copper exhaust tips and a model-specific rear diffuser. The available colours will be Century Bronze Matt, Enceladus Grey Matt, Magnetic Tech Matt, Dark Void and Midnight Black.
Sven Schuwirth, Cupra’s Executive Vice-Pres for Sales and Marketing “The return of the Cupra Formentor VZ5 is a bold statement of our commitment to performance and emotion. With its iconic five-cylinder engine, this model embodies the essence of Cupra — daring, unconventional, and driven by passion.” This time around 4,000 VZ5s will be made, so there still won’t be loads in the UK, but it’s going to be more than 10. And that’s very good news. Production will kick off in the first quarter of 2026.
Superb Estate maybe
Fair play Cupra though, they have taken a battering on these pages about promising much but then going all out on leccy. I think the Formentor is a good looking car, would have prefffered it in the Leon but ah well.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/wild-n...
Wouldnt see which way it went in my Jag if the roads had any bends in them, even with more power.
You dismiss pretty much everything other than massive barges, which I love but there are some really great cars out there that arent that, and thats what folk buy. Would agree that they have not made enough use of this engine, but perhaps they are doing with this, its never going to be longitudinal as the models with that already have V6 and V8 options, plus it was designed as a transverse engine, its a big job to adapt and type approve it for limited sales. Putting it in as a one off conversion is possible but making it a production model is a different ball park.
I think things like the RS3 and this are very cynical products, I don't particularly like how they feel to drive, and I'm sad that there is almost nothing you can buy short of big money that isn't either cheap compromised tat, or tarted up compromised tat that is no longer cheap. I feel like I've watched my hobby die in the last 10-20 years.
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