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

By Matt Bird / Wednesday, 8 October 2025 / Loading comments

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.