The Cupra Formentor VZ5 has met the expectations of all of us who were eagerly awaiting the radical variant of the firm’s coupe SUV . With a block known for its performance, elasticity and thrust, tested in models like the Audi RS Q3, it only required a corresponding tune-up. This work was carried out by the Martorell engineers, who have done their work hand in hand with the advice and sensations of the rider Jordi Gené. We got on with him to tell us, and demonstrate, the strong emotions that come accompanying a model that reaches 68,016 euros . We tell you the reason for this price, which may seem exorbitant if we take into account the history of Seat’s sportiest division.
The goal of the developers of the Cupra Formentor VZ5 was to create an ideal car for day to day, with a comfortable handling on the street, but also visceral. To explain the sensations at the wheel, the firm has divided the experience with Jordi Gené in the driving modes available in the selector of this Formentor with a 5-cylinder block and 390 HP of power . It reaches, on a German circuit or autobahn, the maximum speed of 250 km / h but not everything is the gross numbers. The first question that Gené had to answer was: Can a car be perfect for driving comfortably on the road, going from 0 to 100 km / h in 4.2 seconds on a circuit and climbing a 70% off-road slope?
Asphalt driving modes
The first question was answered quickly by the surroundings of the Motorland circuit (Spain) , where the tests were carried out. As Christoph Vierling, Head of Complete Vehicle Development at the Seat Technical Center, explains: “Each driving mode has its own character.” It’s as if a different pilot were at the controls, but it really is always Jordi Gené. For him, the Comfort mode allows a more adapted driving to the road , with a very smooth response and superior reliability when turning the steering wheel thanks to the Dynamic Chassis Control. By activating Sport mode you can “feel a lot more throttle response and damping control”, taking it to the next level in Cupra mode.
It is in this more radical mode, the Cupra, “you immediately feel that the throttle response is firmer and the turn much more precise,” explains the pilot. In addition, through that selector and that position you can access the Launch Control. You just have to choose the Cupra mode, put the ESC in sport, press the brake fully and the accelerator. You wait for it to go up to 4,000 laps and you release the brakes! The Cupra Formentor VZ5 reaches 0-100 km / h in just 4.2 seconds, “almost like a racing car,” says Gené.
More technology, more control
In addition to the preset modes, the Formentor VZ5 can be regulated in an evolutionary way. “From the Individual mode, parameters can be graduated in order to establish an intermediate point. In this way, the driver can personalize the modes, and place himself, for example, in a mode between the Sport and the Cupra ”. But it is not the only key point of this model, there is also the Drift mode .
It is a specific type of selector for this edition, of which only 7,000 units will be sold. It is confirmed through the display, since it is only suitable for driving on a closed track. At that moment, the electronic stability control switches off completely so that riders like Gené can enjoy it like children: “When using it on the track, you can see that it has a very long drift. Many meters can be done in the turn with a very nice angle when cornering at high speed. Plus it has two clutches on the rear axle that I can use separately. Great! ”
