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New Models

2021 Cupra Formentor VZ5 teased with Audi-sourced turbo five-cylinder engine

Spanish performance brand teases 300kW performance SUV, ahead of Feb 22 unveil.


The 2021 Cupra Formentor VZ5 has been teased, ahead of its full debut on February 22.

Spanish performance brand (and Volkswagen Group subsidiary) Cupra has confirmed it will reveal a flagship, limited-run version of its Formentor sports SUV later this month which, as its ‘5’ model name suggests, will be powered by a five-cylinder engine.

While specific details of the five-pot powertrain have yet to be announced, it’s all-but-confirmed it will be a variant of Audi’s 2.5-litre turbocharged unit, which in the RS Q3 small performance SUV develops 294kW of power and 480Nm of torque.

That’s a notable upgrade over the most potent version of the Formentor currently on offer, powered by a 228kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder.

The Audi claims a 4.5-second dash from zero to 100km/h – expect a similar sprint time from the Cupra, assuming it matches its RS-badged twin-under-the-skin in the power and torque stakes.

A shadowy teaser image of the Formentor VZ5’s rear end released by the Spanish performance brand reveals the five-cylinder flagship will look largely identical to its standard counterparts from behind, aside from a more aggressive rear diffuser with stacked quad exhaust tips reminiscent of those fitted to Lexus’ F performance models.

The Formentor VZ5’s unveiling on February 22 (European time) will coincide with Cupra’s third anniversary as a stand-alone brand, after being spun off from Spanish carmaker Seat into a dedicated performance marque in 2018.

"The Cupra Formentor represents the essence of the brand, but the addition of an even more extreme five-cylinder engine to the family... will mark it out as a true enthusiast’s vehicle – something the Cupra Tribe is dedicated to delivering and will allow us to reach new customers", said Wayne Griffiths, president of Cupra and Seat.

The 2021 Cupra Formentor VZ5 will make its full debut on February 22.

As with all Cupra models, the hi-po Formentor won’t come to Australia.


Below: The standard Cupra Formentor

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Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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