SPAIN'S CRACK AT THE HI-PO SMALL-SUV SEGMENT. WILL IT REIGN?

CUPRA FORMENTOR VZx

- DANIEL GARDNER

CUPRA'S INTRIGUING trio of sporty Euro models has only just touched down on Australian soil but I'm already familiar and very fond of two-thirds of it. A year ago, I got my hands on the range-topping Leon 300 (dubbed VZx locally) and it proved to be one of the most involving and exhilarating hot hatches for blasting around the English countryside, enjoying the autumn sun.

Some weeks later I saddled up the plug-in hybrid version of the Formentor for a 1200km road trip from Rome to the south of Sardinia and back again. For my second Cupra encounter, the small SUV was both practical and efficient but also an absolute hoot when the roads turned twisty.

Cupra is pitching itself as an unpretentious alternative to the traditional European brands without compromising on features or performance - a brief it has aced in both previous meetings. But its third challenge is arguably the toughest - a first outing on Australian roads in full local specification.

In Cupra's native Europe, the Formentor range is offered with a somewhat baffling choice of 10 different powertrains, further complicated by several trim levels to select beyond the engine and gearbox options. Thankfully, the Australian range is much simpler, with an entry-level V, mid-range VZ petrol and VZe plug-in, with the high-performance Vzx at the top of the pack.

For the Formentor fan with a tighter budget, the most affordable version has a 140kW/320Nm 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol with all-wheel drive and a $50,690 price, the VZ also has a 2.0-litre but 180kW/370Nm and front wheel drive for $53,790, while its plug-in sibling produces a total of 180kW and 400Nm from its 1.4-litre and electric combination for $60,990.

Stretch to $61,990 however (or $66,990 driveaway), and you'll get a version that opens the EA888 engine's taps to 228kW and 400Nm and sends it all to the road via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic and all-wheel drive.