Formentor VZ or Leon VZ – which Cupra is better?

newsabc April 18, 2022

0 5 6 minutes read

Cupra was once started as a sports brand by Seat. It is now clear: the Spaniards with the “Transformers”-like copper logo will be converted into an electric brand within the group – but should remain sporty. The future will show how this goes together. Until then, we’ll take two Cupras to our chest, which still burn fuel in the classic way for the race.

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In co-operation with

The current Leon as the sportiest five-door expansion stage and Cupra’s first own model, the Formentor. A compact one SUVwhich – like its current counterpart – is based on VW’s MQB evo platform.

The starting point is therefore quite balanced: Where the Formentor 10 hp squeezes more out of the two-liter TSI, he has to have a heavy one all wheel drive carry around with him, which gives him 135 kilograms more weight. In case you’re wondering why we don’t offer the sports tourer with a 310 hp and 4Drive all-wheel drive: A few more differences are not inconvenient for us.

So it’s a good thing that the two of them are also at the tires go different ways. The Leon likes sticky Bridgestone Potenza Race in 19 inches (he’s supposed to be on the racetrack later for another story). However, the measurements were carried out on Potenza Sport because of the comparability to the Formentor. Although the semi-slick brings a small advantage when braking and accelerating, there would have been deductions in the everyday rating. The treadless sports tires don’t like rain at all.

Brand affinity not to be overlooked

The Formentor, on the other hand, drives up to Michelin Pilot Sport 4. We didn’t expect the two of them to have a race track this time. Not because we didn’t want to – if the opportunity arose, we would build a temporary minivan ourselves Sachsenring to hunt. But the weather simply threw a spanner in the works.

So the driving impressions from our ascents and descents in the winding Altmühltal must be enough for a driving dynamics evaluation. But more on that later. First, let’s take a look at the two candidates from the outside: The brand affinity cannot be overlooked, even if the Formentor goes its own way, especially in the area of the front apron and the clearly boldly drawn hip bend.

The lights are almost identical, but the grille is more squat on the flatter Leon. At the rear, too, there are more similarities than differences: both have a rising belt line that merges into a massive C-pillar. Just like roof edge spoilers and continuous lighting graphics, which can be easily distinguished in their design on the road.

Four tailpipes slumber in the apron, but the option of an Akrapovic system like the Golf R or Cupra Ateca is not available for either. It probably has something to do with the apron design.

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We also see many identical parts in the cockpits. Steering wheel, DSG shift gate, operating concept – everything from a modular system. The operation is mostly button-free, which is cheaper for Cupra in production, but has disadvantages in practice. The volume slider below the screen is far less precise to use than a rotary knob with a haptic grid, the touch fields for temperature control next to it cause fewer problems, but only in daylight.

Touchscreen with problems in the cold

Why? Cupra apparently forgot a backlight during development, so you either have to turn on the interior light or tap into the darkness at random in hopes of hitting the right spot. How that could have happened is a complete mystery to us – there must have been a couple of development drives at night.

That really should have been noticed. The touchscreen above has the problem that it doesn’t react well in the cold – the lower area is even worse than the upper bar. It’s stupid that the buttons for the individual menus in the app design are at the bottom.

So if you want to switch directly to the navigation menu after a cold start in the morning, you have to touch the icon five times before the display reacts. However, our test Formentor had an early software version. So there is hope that this shortcoming has now been remedied. Because the whole thing works noticeably better in the Leon.

It’s still a shame if the customer has to act as a beta tester. The areas relevant to driving cause significantly fewer problems, even if about the Lane Departure Warning with his penetrating steering interventions more disturbs than helps. Therefore, the first thing to do after starting the vehicle is to use the turn signal lever. The driving aid can be switched off here by pressing a button.

Missing start-stop deactivation

Unfortunately, it reactivates itself with every restart, but this is for crash test reasons. If it could be permanently deactivated, the Cupra would gain points EuroNCAP costs. What also in cockpit Missing is a button to deactivate start-stop, because the system is annoying, especially in stop-and-go traffic with the engine constantly on, engine off. In addition, the system gave us a critical situation: T-junction, cross traffic coming from the left, experience says: “I can do that easily”, but the Cupra switches off the engine exactly at the moment when we want to accelerate. Nothing happens, three seconds to think about it before the engine starts again.

In the meantime, however, the cross traffic was so close that it almost became a bit cramped. The pitfalls of technology… There is a little trick to avoid having to go to the vehicle submenus every time. Just short that infotainment switch off via the – curiously illuminated – button on the left under the display, then four touch surfaces appear; one of them switches off start-stop.

There are two round buttons on the steering wheel below the usual buttons for the menu, cruise control and audio controls. On the left is the Cupra button, which can be used to switch between the driving modes. And now we press the right one. That’s the start button. Depending on the mode selected, the speakers emulate more or less engine sound in the interior.

In Sport or Cupra mode, Leon and Formentor stay longer in the lower gear, keeping the revs higher and the response more agile. The steering is precise but smooth-running and provides sufficient feedback – but that doesn’t knock us off our feet.

Formentor faster at highway speed

The flounces flattened at the bottom grip very well, the mix of perforated and smooth leather is pleasing. If you want to be committed on the road, switch to “S” in the DSG controls and sort the gears yourself using the familiar shift paddles. If only cruising is on the program, gears in “D”, and everything is relaxed.

On the country road, the Formentor whirls up more dust at first than with its all wheel drive he catapulted himself from the starting block up to country road speed in a measured 4.7 seconds. Two tenths faster than stated in the prospectus. The front scratcher Leon loses a smooth second here, although – as already mentioned – he has to fight with 135 kilos less.

We like the Leon a bit better

This corresponds exactly to the factory specification. The Formentor uses its traction up to 130 km/h and extends the lead to 1.6 seconds, then its higher air resistance catches up with it. Up to 200 km/h, the 10 hp weaker Leon is only half a second behind. In terms of elasticity, the lighter and more agile compact has the edge. When braking, the additional weight of the Formentor is reflected in 0.9 meters, which costs it three points in our rating system. But he got five out of it when accelerating.

What ultimately robs him of victory are the driving dynamics impressions: agility, cornering talent, seating position – we like the Leon a little bit better everywhere. Which is due to its lower center of gravity. In addition, there is the lower consumption (both between 10 and 15 percent above the factory) and a good 3000 euros savings at the checkout. With a narrow two-point lead, the Cupra Leon wins at the end.

newsabc April 18, 2022

0 5 6 minutes read