Production of the Cupra Formentor kicked off at the end of September, so why would they take a prototype to the Nurburgring, and more importantly, why did it have a different, stacked quad exhaust-pipe layout? If we were to give credit to the rumors, then it appears that Seat’s performance brand is working on a limited production, range-topping version of the sporty SUV powered by Audi Sport’s turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.
Our spy photographers claim that this
specific Formentor test car, with its diagonally stacked tailpipes, sounded
like it packed the RS3/RS Q3’s power unit. Apparently Cupra has been toying
around with the turbo-five for a few months now, as our spies said that they
first heard the same sound coming from a Formentor prototype last winter.
Believed to get the VZ moniker as part of
the brand’s higher-output category that includes models with over 245 PS, the five-cylinder Cupra Formentor would become the most powerful
and expensive member of the family. We should note here that this model should
not be confused with the Cupra Formentor Launch Edition that was confusingly
launched in the UK as the “VZ Edition” and which retains the 2.0-liter
turbocharged four.
The turbocharged 2.5-liter five-cylinder
makes 400 PS and 480 Nm of torque in the RS Q3
and RS Q3 Sportback, directed to the all-wheel-drive system through a
seven-speed automatic transmission. The 0-100 km/h acceleration
takes 4.5 seconds and top speed is limited to 250 km/h, or 280 km/h with a factory option.
The same engine will also be used by the
upcoming RS3, though it will perhaps produce a healthier 420 PS in the standard trim and up to 450 PS in the rumored
Performance variant. Besides the 2.0-liter unit, the Formentor will also get
two plug-in hybrid powertrains, with 204 and 245 PS respectively, as well as a 2.0-liter TDI diesel, making 150 PS, and a 1.5-liter TSI petrol offered in two outputs: 150 and 190 PS.
