As every year since 1964, at the beginning of March the award for Car of the Year in Europe (Car of the Year 2021) will be presented. This award, which is given to a model launched during the previous year, recognizes various aspects such as aesthetic evolution, its safety, value for money or the innovations it presents, among others. The finalists for this 2021 are already known, cars that have been selected from 29 initial proposals and among which is the Cupra Formentor. This nomination goes beyond the SUV itself, as CUPRA President Wayne Griffiths commented: “The CUPRA Formentor’s nomination as a finalist in this year’s ‘Car of the Year’ award is a recognition of the hard work and dedication of all the team that is part of the brand ”.
The Cupra Formentor is the first model designed and developed by the firm that spun off from Seat at the beginning of 2018. Its groundbreaking aesthetic has conquered the public, as well as the Car of the Year jury, made up of 60 specialized journalists from 23 European countries . The number of journalists representing each nation has to do with its size as a market and its relevance as manufacturers, placing Spain, France, Germany, Great Britain and Italy as the most important with 6 juries.
How will Formentor win?
Among all the judges they have chosen the rivals of the Formentor , which will compete against: Citroën C4, Fiat 500e, Land Rover Defender, Skoda Octavia, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen ID.3 . They all have some kind of electrified variant in their commercial range, be it a 100% electrified, hybrid and plug-in hybrid model. Undoubtedly, the transition towards zero-emission mobility has marked 2020, a year full of developments in this regard given the implementation of restrictive regulations in the European Union.
More than a decade ago SUVs began to emerge as a trend but, today, they already own a large part of the market. However, among the finalists, we find a wide variety of segments with the presence of SUVs such as the Formentor or the Land Rover Defender. We also see the most untamed and efficient urbanites like the Fiat 500e, which we talked about in this test, or the Toyota Yaris. The Citroën C4 is classified as a saloon, despite its raised body, and shares cake with the Skoda Octavia. The Volkswagen ID.3 could not be absent this year due to its relevance for the German firm, being the first 100% electric developed as such.
The Formentor
As we mentioned, the president of Cupra and Seat, Wayne Griffiths wanted to make some statements regarding the nomination of the Cupra Formentor as a finalist for COTY 2021. Griffiths acknowledged to the press that: “The CUPRA Formentor, our first model designed and developed for CUPRA, it is groundbreaking: a unique proposal in the market that helps make the brand more visible and desirable. With the CUPRA Formentor, we are joining a new growing segment throughout Europe ”.
Its arguments lie in offering the dynamic qualities of a compact with the advantages of an SUV. As stated by the firm, the Formentor responds to most of the needs of drivers with up to seven types of propulsion, with special mention of plug-in hybrid variants. In addition, as a premium brand derived from Seat , it has the latest in safety and connectivity technology.
