I get some clear Infiniti QX30 vibes with the new Spanish concept called the Cupra Formentor. Prepared for the 2019 Geneva International Motor Show, the Cupra Formentor is officially classified as a concept, but every single thing about it seems as production ready as it gets. Of course, while the exterior shape does have some QX30 vibe to it, the Formentor has a completely different layout, mission, and technology inside. It is a performance SUV/crossover because that’s what sells, and that’s how you build a performance brand nowadays. And, it looks quite dashing. I also researched a bit about its name and found out that there is a thing called the Cap de Formentor. It is basically a part of the peninsula on Mallorca. There, the Spanish built a lighthouse called the Formentor. It’s quite picturesque actually. Old Majorcans also call this place the Meeting Point of Winds. So, there you have it. The new Cupra probably got its name from this. I like it actually. It fits the car. Far more important than its name is the Formentor’s place in the Cupra lineup. With the Cupra Ateca revealed last year, the Formentor is the second Cupra performance SUV. Most likely, it’s longer, wider, but lower than the Cupra Ateca. And, that’s what’s important. Plus it does have a swept roof that’s kinda coupeish. That, more often than not, works well.

Cupra Formentor Concept Exterior

We all know that Seat is buried deep beneath all the behemoth bureaucracy of the Volkswagen Group. Yet, this brand managed to create cars filled with German technology, but with a completely different character. One that's clearly passionate and impulsive. The second Leon proved that with the FR and the Cupra cars. Actually, it was so successful that Volkswagen went on to create a full-fledged Cupra brand. For now, only with the Cupra Ateca SUV. Yet, some cool things are on the horizon with it, including this astoundingly good looking Formentor.

Despite not being a Seat (but actually it is), the Cupra Ateca has some clear not-at-all-German styling. It looks emotional like an Italian car, somewhat undefined like the one from Spain, but with a flair of mysterious sophistication usually found on high-end British cars. Yes, the Germans threw all they could at it:

-* It is aggressive up front with a clear cut grille and angled LED lights. Plus, that logo looks like it garnishes a gaming computer case

-* The roof is swept back with some clear hints at coupes.

-* The rear end gives a classic four-exhaust tips muscle, but also a full-width light bar as on the Taraco. I’d actually rather say as on the latest Macan.

And it is clearly focused to entice young people. I am not talking about the millennials, but Generation Z. According to Forbes, those are people born after 1995. Use a calculator to calculate how old they are, because you will not believe yourself how much time has actually passed if you do the math in your head.

And because of that, I feel that the Seat Formentor looks just right. It is a mishmash of things that could never be linked before.

-* It is a unibody SUV for city streets

-* It is a coupe with four doors

-* It is a sports car with a fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid system

-* It is a roomy family car for the track

-* It is a stripper for the La Scala

-* It is a healthy McDonald's Big Mac

-* It is a Donald Trump of the best-developed country in the world

The worst thing of all is that I think it looks awesome. And many others will too.

I know I used the word eclectic to describe the 2019 Audi SQ5 TDI before, but I feel that that word better fits the Formentor. This is what Wikipedia has to say about the word:

“Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases. However, this is often without conventions or rules dictating how or which theories were combined.”

So, it is a philosophy. And the right one. At least for the time we live in.

Honestly, I hate to make comparisons like this because the designers have to follow a certain set of rules and limitations when designing a car. That considerably hampers their ability to create unique styles. With that said, I am positively amazed by the fact that we have as many different car designs as we do.

Well done on the Formentor, Volkswagen. I mean Seat. *hit, Cupra!

Cupra Formentor Concept Interior

I am satisfied with what Seat did with the interior. There’s actually nothing incredible in there, but it feels like a really, really smart utilization of the already available features from the really deep Volkswagen parts catalog. I’ve tried to identify stuff that is concept-like, but really, apart from the side vents on the dash that kinda stick out (a detail I like a lot), I don’t seem to be able to find anything concept about it. If I am to nitpick, maybe Seat could change that gear selector to something more heavier and give us a bit less complicated seat stitching pattern. Everything else feels just, well, real. If it leaves all these features untouched for the production version, I’ll be really happy. That’s what would give the Cupra Formentor an edge in the crowded compact crossover world.

The sheer look of the interior feels like a well-executed match between the Seat Taraco and the Seat Ateca Interior. Of course, with larger screens. Plus, Cupra completely deleted aircon buttons compared to any other Seat currently on sale.

As is the case with the exterior, I feel that the interior of the Formentor Concept looks well matched with what the modern buyers expect out of a modern crossover. And yes, I feel it is production ready.

Cupra Formentor Concept Drivetrain

Now, the plug-in hybrid drivetrain setup is the most surprising piece of information Cupra provided us with for the Formentor Concept. First of all, this feels a bit lame. Especially because the Formentor looks like a 300 horsepower crossover. More so than the Cupra Ateca that actually has an engine that powerful.

Nevertheless, the Volkswagen group recently revealed a concept with exactly the same power output of 242 horsepower. It is called the Skoda Vision RS Concept. The RS Concept is powered by a 1.5-liter, turbocharged gasoline engine developing 150 horsepower. It is assisted by a 100 horsepower electric motor. Add it up and it all equals to 242 U.S. horsepower. Fyi, It’s 245 PS in Germany.

It is only logical to assume that the same propulsion system hides under the dashing metal of the Cupra Formentor Concept. First of all, the Skoda Vision RS Concept can cover up to 43 miles on electricity (according to NDEC). Cupra announced that the Formentor Concept can do it as well. Both do have a dual-clutch DSG transmission (with a similar miniature gear selector, might I add), and both, Skoda and Cupra, highlight reduced fuel consumption.

All in all, Cupra would leave me extremely surprised if I find out that something else powers the Formentor Concept.

Conclusion

Times are strange. Performance brands aren’t made by building sports cars, or hot-hatches, but plug-in hybrid crossovers. That’s exactly what Cupra is doing. After the rather appealing Cupra Ateca, it gave us the handsome Formentor Concept that is certain to reach production. And it is an opposite of what Volkswagen (or Seat for that matter) was only five years ago. With plug-in hybrid propulsion, emotionally charged exterior, and boldly designed cabin, the Formentor Concept leads the future Cupra line that will populate the market in the next 24 months.

Cupra Marketing Boss Khaled Soussi said: “We are working on our product strategy, but I can confirm that by the end of 2020, we’ll have seven cars, including special models, on the streets.”

I think that the Formentor Concept (and the Cupra Ateca) are a good start for the performance brand that plays on modernity and affordability.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2019 Cupra Ateca.