Cupra understands the market, and it will get not everybody desires a coupe-style swoopy SUV just like the Formentor.
And that’s why there’s a Terramar, which is a Volkswagen Tiguan-sized, boxier SUV – however nonetheless with the Spanish model’s beautiful design ethos utilized, in and out.
Certainly, it’s a styling- and smarts-focused mannequin, with a five-seat structure, a large boot, and a intelligent inside with sliding second-row seats and a heap of sensible inside stuff, too.
This new-generation five-seat SUV is intently associated to the upcoming all-new Audi Q3, which the Terramar shall be constructed alongside in the identical Hungarian manufacturing facility. It shares the MQB Evo underpinnings discovered beneath the brand new VW Tiguan, in addition to the overall powertrain lineup globally.
That’s proper – that is an all-new automobile that isn’t totally electrical – it has a collection of petrol choices, together with mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure inner combustion. We drove the latter simply someday after the automobile was revealed in Barcelona, and properly forward of the worldwide launch drive.
How does the Cupra Terramar examine?
View an in depth breakdown of the Cupra Terramar towards equally sized automobiles.
Cupra
Terramar
How a lot does the Cupra Terramar price?
Cupra hasn’t but confirmed actual pricing, however native execs have indicated a beginning worth “within the $50,000s” is probably going.
The bottom mannequin, doubtless with the brand new 1.5-litre eTSI mild-hybrid engine and front-wheel drive, will kind the idea of proceedings.
You possibly can count on it to take a seat alongside the Formentor when it comes to the total vary, too – so, the confirmed 195kW 2.0-litre TSI may very well be round $60k, and the plug-in hybrid about $65k. However, that’s all nonetheless to be confirmed.
What’s the Cupra Terramar like on the within?
Cupra has clearly determined that it wants comparable, however not an identical, cabins throughout its mannequin strains, and so there’s an air of familiarity to the Terramar’s inside.
For example, there are copper trim highlights in abundance, quality-feeling supplies and – fortunately – a leather-lined steering wheel with bodily buttons and scroll dials reasonably than haptic controls.
The dashboard design consists of some textural elements with a horizontal bar to make the cabin look wider, and there’s an enormous 12.9-inch touchscreen show which has a extra logical menu design than in earlier Cupra fashions, however nonetheless has haptic quantity and temperature management sliders beneath the display which merely aren’t as straightforward to make use of as bodily buttons or dials.
That media display options the stuff you’d count on, like wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; in addition to built-in satellite tv for pc navigation. It’s additionally the management centre for a great deal of the necessary interactions you may need to have with the automobile.
It responds shortly, and incorporates a ‘pull down’ favourites menu so you may make quick changes to sure components of the automobile – as an example, in the event you don’t need the pace signal recognition or the lane-keeping on, you may arrange fast ‘off’ buttons there.
Moreover, in the event you want to make use of the steering wheel controls to try this, you may by hitting the protection methods button on the steering wheel, after which turning off those self same nannies utilizing buttons there. That was my most popular manner, because it means you don’t must dilly-dally.
My time within the Terramar was temporary, so we’ll go into extra element on the display for our native launch drive in the end.
However the basic cabin practicality is nice, with massive bottle holders within the doorways, a pair of cupholders between the entrance seats, a wi-fi telephone charger and USB-C ports beneath the centre stack, and a nifty ‘boomerang’ formed divider between the entrance seats to delineate the motive force’s zone and passenger house.
Within the second row there’s a useful sliding seat to permit extra boot or passenger house if required, plus the seat backs characteristic recline adjustment as properly.
My 182cm body might slide in behind my most popular driving place with ample house to wiggle my legs and toes, whereas headroom was additionally spectacular contemplating the automobile had a big panoramic glass roof with a shade.
There may be, nonetheless, a transmission tunnel to deal with, so three big-footers throughout the again could be a squish.
In fact there are ISOFIX little one seat anchor factors and three high tethers, and facilities are family-friendly equivalent to bottle holders within the doorways; a flip-down armrest with cupholders within the center’ and even a 3rd zone of local weather management with directional air-vents; plus USB-C cost ports. However, there are not any map pockets on the seat backs.
One factor that permit the back-seat expertise down a tad, although, was the scratchy arduous plastics on the door tops. Good for fogeys with grubby kids, nonetheless, because it’s simpler to wipe that type of trim down.
Boot house is nice at 540 litres with the rear seats of their rearmost place, and that will increase to 630 litres in the event you slide the rear seats ahead. The PHEV is predicted to have a smaller boot space, as a consequence of battery storage being situated underneath within the boot space (UK stories recommend 400-490L).
No spare wheel – only a tyre restore equipment, mixed with tyre strain monitoring as commonplace – within the automobile I examined, however it’s not confirmed but what the Aussie-spec vary may have.
What’s underneath the bonnet?
Assured for our market is identical 195kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine seen within the up to date VW Golf GTI and the new-gen Tiguan, which provides up peak torque of 400Nm. The usual transmission is a seven-speed DSG dual-clutch unit, and it has all-wheel drive as commonplace.
In any other case, you may financial institution on the brand new 1.5 TSI plug-in hybrid (PHEV) too, with 200kW of energy and an anticipated EV vary declare of greater than 100km. That mannequin will supply 11kW AC and 50kW DC charging, and you’ll count on the claimed gas use determine to be very low.
Base engine? You wager there’ll be one, however it’ll even have a type of electrification. The model is rolling out the 1.5 eTSI unit throughout its mannequin strains, with the 110kW/250Nm powertrain including 48V mild-hybrid tech to scale back consumption and emissions. That one continues to be but to be formally locked in for Australia, however our intel suggests it’s doubtless.
How does the Cupra Terramar drive?
The factor about Cupra’s fashions is that they have a selected driving dynamic to them.
The Terramar? It’s not fairly like the opposite Cupras – and that’s completely nice, as a result of it’s going to attraction to a special viewers, and a special sort of driver, too.
Anticipate all fashions to come back with selectable drive modes, and the automobile I drove had an Particular person mode to tailor issues to your preferences, together with 15-stage damper adjustment for a degree of journey fine-tuning that isn’t supplied in lots of different vehicles.
And even utilizing the preset modes, the suspension and chassis settings all impressed when it comes to providing consolation, management and convincing dealing with in corners. I really appreciated the way in which the automobile was in Consolation mode, with a smoothness and pillowy nature that no different Cupra is imbued with.
It steers truthfully, and fewer pointily than another Cupra fashions.
That’s no unhealthy factor – different Cupras generally is a bit twitchy on the tiller – however the Terramar has a contact extra of a Volkswagen-style really feel to the steering. Belief me, I drove 10 completely different Cupra, Skoda and VW fashions over 10 days as a part of the journey that led me to this conclusion.
The 195kW 2.0 TSI petrol engine is a candy little bit of equipment too, with a heap of smooth-revving pulling energy and a dollop of torque for straightforward going driving once you’re not hustling.
In case you do must get someplace swiftly, it has ample tempo and feels sturdy by means of the rev vary, with the seven-speed DSG dual-clutch auto providing snappy adjustments with that typical intelligence you’d count on from being teamed to a high-output turbo-petrol engine – the model, although younger, has a powerful document of getting its powertrains (borrowed from the VW Group) proper in most each occasion.
Admittedly there’s some low-rev lag once you’re in stop-start visitors, when the engine’s idle-stop tech, transmission and turbo lag work collectively to supply a slight hesitancy in some conditions – however actually, it’s far much less of a problem than in earlier merchandise from the VW Group.
We would have to order judgement on the street noise intrusion, because the roads in Spain weren’t an identical to the coarse-chip highways and nation roads of Australia – however initially I discovered it to be fairly hushed over combined street surfaces.
On the entire I got here away feeling that whereas the Terramar has a extra sedate and approachable drive expertise that isn’t as dynamic or dramatic as different Cupra fashions, that would work in its favour. It’ll very a lot hit the mark for an SUV purchaser who desires a very sporty wanting automobile, whereas not punishing them for having precisely that.
What do you get?
Ultimate specs for the Australian-market Cupra Terramar are set to be revealed subsequent yr. There’ll doubtless be a number of grades, however it’s too early to say precisely what’s going to be supplied when it comes to commonplace spec.
Right here’s a information of what to anticipate to be supplied, relying on the grade:
- Matrix LED headlights
- LED daytime working lights
- LED tail lights
- Keyless entry with proximity (walk-up) unlock, lock
- Push-button begin
- Electrical tailgate
- 19- and 20-inch wheels
- Panoramic glass roof to be supplied
- SEAQUAL YARN trim, or Dinamica micro-suede
- Utilizing recycled textiles or leather-based with plant-based tanning
- Electrical seat adjustment
- Twin-zone local weather management
- Heated and ventilated entrance seats
- Heated steering wheel
- Heated rear seats
- Digital cockpit
- 12.9-inch touchscreen media system
- Satellite tv for pc navigation
- Wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- Wi-fi telephone charging
- 4 x USB-C ports
- Charging cables (PHEV)
Is the Cupra Terramar protected?
There’s no Euro NCAP or ANCAP ranking for the Terramar simply but, however it has the total suite of security know-how and tools you’d count on of a new-generation automobile.
Normal security tools in Europe consists of:
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Pedestrian, bike owner, junction detection
- Adaptive cruise management with Site visitors Jam Help
- Lane preserve help
- Blind-spot help
- Rear cross-traffic help
- Encompass-view cameras
- Entrance, rear parking sensors
- Clever pace signal recognition
- Driver consideration monitoring
How a lot does the Cupra Terramar price to run?
No particulars on the specifics but, however you can be getting a five-year, limitless kilometre guarantee for the automobile itself, and an eight-year guarantee for the battery pack in the event you select the plug-in hybrid.
If it’s like different Cupra fashions, there shall be a pay as you go service plan on supply, with upkeep intervals anticipated to be each 12 months/15,000km for all variations. The present vary has the selection of three- and five-year service packs.
Cupra is increasing its community of service places throughout the nation as a way of gearing up for its mannequin growth, so within the years to come back you ought to be nearer to a Cupra-ready workshop than within the preliminary launch section for the model.
And in the event you’re in an eligible catchment space, in the event you prepay for a five-year plan you’ll additionally get concierge service, that means the workshop will acquire and return your automobile to you.
CarExpert’s Tackle the Cupra Terramar
All of the elements appear to have come collectively for the Terramar – it’s trendy, swanky, good, and {smooth} to drive.
That is going to be an important addition to the Spanish model’s lineup in Australia, and will properly show to be the most well-liked automobile within the vary, supplied it’s priced proper when it lands within the new yr.
Click on the photographs for the total gallery
MORE: 2025 Cupra Terramar: Sporty Tiguan cousin confirmed for Australia with plug-in energy
