Ahead of the updated Cupra Formentor arriving in the second quarter of this year, we’ve been given this – the Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition.
This limited-edition version of the sporty crossover is kitted out with a range of finishes to make it look like the flagship VZx – including 19-inch copper-accented wheels and Petrol Blue leather, among others.
But like the regular Formentor VZe, this car is equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain driving the front wheels. It combines a 1.4-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine backed up by an electric motor to deliver total system outputs of 180kW and 400Nm – that’s more torque than a Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Cupra also claims an electric-only range of 58km, according to the lenient NEDC testing cycle, from the 10.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
WATCH: Paul’s video of the 2023 Cupra Formentor VZx
Only 300 examples of the Formentor VZe Tribe Edition will be available in Australia, meaning you’ll have to ask your nearest dealer if they have any left in stock.
Should you grab one of these runout Tribe Editions – if you can – or hold out for the facelift? Read on to find out.
How much does the Cupra Formentor cost?
The Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition is priced from $67,990 before on-road costs. Drive-away pricing depends on the state you live in.
| Model | Drive-away pricing |
|---|---|
| 2025 Cupra Formentor V | $56,490 |
| 2025 Cupra Formentor VZe | $67,990 (ACT) $68,990 (QLD) $69,990 (NSW) $69,990 (SA) $70,490 (VIC) $70,990 (WA) |
| 2025 Cupra Formentor VZx | $70,790 |
| 2025 Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition | $70,990 (ACT) $71,990 (QLD) $72,490 (TAS) $72,990 (NSW) $72,990 (SA) $73,490 (VIC) $73,990 (WA) |
Production of the current Formentor has now ceased, meaning only dealer stock remains before the updated model range arrives. Cupra Australia has confirmed all examples of the cheaper front-drive Formentor VZ have been sold, but apart from the VZe Tribe you should be able to secure an entry-level all-wheel drive V or high-output VZx AWD.
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
What is the Cupra Formentor like on the inside?
Now this is pretty special and sporty-looking.
Hopping into the Formentor is easier than the related Leon due to its slightly higher ride height, but you still step ‘down’ into the cabin.
Once you’re in, it feels like you’re hunkered down and cocooned in the cabin. This is thanks in part to the low (for a crossover) driving position and high bonnet.
You feel quite connected to the Formentor behind the wheel, unlike any other crossover I’ve driven to date. It feels more like a hot hatch than an SUV.
The sporty vibes continue with the chunky front bucket seats that are finished in Petrol Blue leather in this special-edition model, like the top-spec VZx.
They look fantastic, feel high-end and are surprisingly supple. It’s obvious Cupra has put a lot of emphasis on the seats as they’re a main focal point of the cabin.
There’s plenty of side bolstering, which holds you in place in the twisties, plus the integrated head restraints are super soft. Ultimately they’re great seats for long-distance travel.
As standard, the driver’s seat is electrically adjustable with three memory presets. I appreciate how much thigh support you can dial in, as this helps my long legs feel more supported behind the wheel.
Both front seats are heated, and in their highest setting they get rather warm. One annoyance is this function is operated via the touchscreen – it would be nice if there were physical buttons for this.
Ahead of the driver is one of my favourite steering wheels in a mainstream vehicle. Cupra really does a fantastic-looking and feeling steering wheel that’s also incredibly functional and user-friendly.
The main reason I like it is the number of physical buttons it has, and they all have a natural and intuitive action when pressed. However, there’s no dedicated button to decline or hang up a phone call.
The perforated leather rim helps regulate the temperature of hot hands, plus like the front seats it offers heating. That said, it gets uncomfortably warm quite quickly.
Despite the steering wheel looking and feeling fantastic, the paddle shifters behind it feel disappointingly cheap and plasticky.
Further ahead is a 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster that, like in many other Volkswagen Group vehicles, is top-notch for the segment. It looks high-resolution and crisp.
There are numerous layouts to choose from, including one that looks eerily reminiscent of the Audi R8. I do wish there was a layout that allows you to see more information about what’s happening with the hybrid system though.
Moving across, the centrepiece of the dashboard is a 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Like the digital instrument cluster, it offers high resolution, is responsive to touch inputs, and has proximity sensing that reveals more info when your hand gets close to the screen.
The user interface isn’t immediately clear, however, and can take a bit to learn. For example, something that took me ages to find was the menu for adjusting the sound system’s equaliser.
You’d better get used to the infotainment system though, because you need to interact with it a lot. The majority of the climate controls, besides some temperature touch sliders that don’t illuminate and limited touch-sensitive buttons, are integrated into the touchscreen.
Thankfully, some key climate control functions and a shortcut to the ‘Clima’ menu are always present on the touchscreen, meaning adjustments are one press away. For many, it will be set and forget if you use auto fan control.
A nifty touch that’s unique to the Formentor VZe is the eco climate control that only turns on specific air vents if there’s a person sitting in a given seat. This helps to conserve energy, theoretically meaning more EV range.
All models comes with both wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. With my iPhone 15 Pro Max connected wirelessly I didn’t experience as many dropouts as I did in a Leon VZx earlier this year.
Frustratingly though, the wireless charger barely charged my phone and instead caused it to overheat. When this happened CarPlay would stutter, then eventually crash.
Looking around the cabin, it feels pretty special thanks to the LED interior ambient lighting strip that wraps around the entire dash and spills onto the front doors. You can configure this to show different colours and combinations, but my favourite was bright red.
The Petrol Blue interior finishes around the cabin on this limited-edition variant also feel special. They complement the copper highlights beautifully.
Despite the cool-looking finishes, the cabin is still pretty dark. Our tester didn’t come with the optional panoramic glass sunroof, which may help brighten things a tad.
Many of the surfaces you frequently touch are soft or padded, though the closer you look the more hard plastics you see, the most frustrating of which is the hard centre tunnel where your leg rests.
You can see Cupra has focused its investment on the seats and steering wheel rather than some of the lower traffic sections of the cabin.
Disappointingly, our tester was developing a few rattles and creaks too, despite only having 500km on the clock, which may not bode well for long-term durability.
Our tester also had a few infotainment-related bugs including the touch slider not allowing you to turn up the volume unless you first turned it all the way down.
Another was the touch-sensitive front dome lights occasionally refusing to turn on when pressed. I also had an occasion where one front dome light refused to turn off…
I appreciate how minimalist the centre console is with the cutesy shift-by-wire gear selector, plus the nice amount of key storage. But the cupholder setup is a little awkward as there’s only one that’s a proper size – the other is piccolo-sized.
The centre console box is also rather small, although I did appreciate the ratcheting lid, which allows you to precisely adjust its angle to your liking.
Moving to the second row, there’s a more overt sense of cost-cutting. The ambient lighting strip doesn’t continue back there, and there are more harder plastics on the doors.
The bench seat itself is comfortable though, and looks fantastic in the Petrol Blue leather. At a leggy 182cm, I had enough head, leg, foot and shoulder room for two occupants. The large transmission hump and raised seat base limits the usability of the middle rear seat, however.
In terms of second-row amenities, there are small door pockets for bottles, seatback map pockets, air vents on the back of the centre console, USB-C ports, and a fold-down armrest with cupholders.
Around the back there’s a power tailgate as standard, which opens silently and quickly. Once open, however, there isn’t as much boot space as you’d expect.
Cupra claims the Formentor VZe has 345 litres of boot capacity with the rear seats upright, expanding to 1415 litres with them folded including via tabs in the boot.
Unfortunately, there’s no underfloor storage due to the placement of the hybrid powertrain’s battery, so this means the charging cables take up space in the boot. Thankfully, they can clip onto tie-down points so they don’t slide around.
The Formentor VZe, like most other PHEVs, doesn’t come with a spare tyre. Instead, there’s a tyre repair kit. This is something to keep in mind if you frequently drive out of town and away from tyre repair shops.
| Dimensions | Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition |
|---|---|
| Length | 4450mm |
| Width | 1839mm |
| Height | 1510mm |
| Wheelbase | 2680mm |
| Cargo capacity | 345 litres (5-seat) 1415 litres (2-seat) |
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
What’s under the bonnet?
This limited-edition Formentor retains the standard VZe’s 1.4 TSI plug-in hybrid powertrain, with no changes to its outputs, performance, or efficiency.
| Specifications | Cupra Formentor VZe |
|---|---|
| Engine | 1.4L 4cyl turbo-petrol |
| Engine outputs | 110kW (5000-6000rpm) 250Nm (1550-3500rpm) |
| Electric motor outputs | 85kW 330Nm |
| System outputs | 180kW / 400Nm |
| Battery | 10.9kWh li-ion (usable) |
| Transmission | 6-speed dual-clutch auto |
| Driven wheels | FWD |
| Weight | 1712kg (tare) |
| Fuel economy (claimed) | 1.9L/100km |
| Fuel economy (as tested) | 4.5L/100km (615km with battery charged 3 times) 6.4L/100km (Hybrid mode) 10.1L/100km (Charge mode) |
| Electric driving range (claimed) | 58km (NEDC) |
| Electric driving range (as tested) | ~40-45km |
| Fuel tank capacity | 40 litres |
| Fuel requirement | 95 RON |
| CO2 emissions | 43g/km |
| Emissions standard | Euro 6 |
| Braked tow capacity | 1500kg |
It’s worth noting the EV range will differ greatly depending on where and how you drive the car. You’ll eke the most out of the battery if you’re in and around the city, where you can feed energy back via regenerative braking, whereas charge drops quickly on the highway at a constant speed.
Throughout my testing I saw a consistent power consumption figure of around 24kWh/100km in EV mode, which is a little high from an electric car perspective. But given it’s lugging around combustion engine, this isn’t surprising.
All the charging of the Formentor VZe Tribe Edition during my week of testing was done at (thankfully free) 22kW AC public chargers, as I don’t have access to a three-pin socket at home or work.
Despite the charger’s high AC charging rate, the Formentor can only accept a maximum rate of 3.6kW. Yes, you read that correctly. With a completely flat battery, the car said it would take four hours to fully charge.
There’s also no phone app connectivity offered in Australia, meaning you can’t remotely check the battery level, among other features.
This car’s battery pack can also be charged while driving, though it’s very inefficient and only makes sense out on the open road. In order to toggle the Charge and Hold modes you need to use the touchscreen.
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
How does the Cupra Formentor drive?
The Formentor VZe Tribe Edition primarily defaults to EV mode, depending on the battery charge. This means silence on startup, apart from a beep to let you know the car is ready to drive.
Overseas model shown
With a full charge the car displayed an EV range of 50km, which is optimistic as during my testing I could only manage closer to 40-45km.
The electric motor produces 85kW and 330Nm, which is plenty for daily duties. You’d be hard-pressed to really want more unless you’ve got a need for speed, or to get up steep hills briskly.
As in other Volkswagen Group PHEVs, the electric motor is sandwiched between the petrol engine and dual-clutch automatic transmission. This means you can feel the car change gears, even in EV mode, though after a while it does feel natural.
It’s fun to hear the electric motor change down gears as you’re slowing down to stop. It gives the car a sporty and dynamic vibe, though you do have to listen closely to notice it.
The electric motor is capable of driving the Formentor VZe at highway speeds, though battery change vanishes quickly if you’re at the national speed limit for extended periods.
There are a few different regenerative braking modes that can be chosen using the touchscreen, including low, high, and an automatic mode. My favourite was the high regenerative braking mode as it felt the most natural.
There’s no one-pedal driving mode, though there aren’t many PHEVs that offer this function.
Frustratingly, though, you need to use the touchscreen to change the drive mode. I think it’s a little silly there isn’t a physical button for this, given Cupra’s pitch as a sporty brand.
Sure, you can quickly flick the car into Sport mode by pushing back on the gear selector, but to enter the full-blown Cupra mode you need to delve into infotainment menus.
Once the battery charge runs out or you mash the throttle, the turbo-petrol engine ignites and stays running for a while to warm up properly. It revs around 1500rpm at a standstill, which makes it feel a little buzzy in the cabin.
With the engine on, the Formentor VZe sounds just like any other Volkswagen Group vehicle that has a turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine. It’s not the most sonorous note as it lacks character. In Cupra mode there’s a synthesised engine note played through the speakers, which sounds too deep and not quite right.
When you mash the throttle from a standstill, especially in the Sport or Cupra drive modes, you’re basically guaranteed to get front wheel slip.
There’s a lot happening with the front wheels, which makes it feel like a handful, even with the Bridgestone Turanza T005 tyres. It would be nice if there was an all-wheel drive option so you could get all the power to the ground without fuss.
Once moving, however, there’s a confidence-inspiring amount of oomph available in virtually every situation. The electric motor goes into a boost mode when you’re pushing it to help assist acceleration and take load off the engine.
Gear changes in the Formentor VZe are silky smooth and rapid thanks to the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The electric assistance also irons out some occasional quibbles and awkwardness at low speeds.
But I did find the car wants to rev out in the first few gears, which feels a little strange given the engine’s peak torque is available from just 1550rpm.
It would also be nice if there was an extra gear, as once you reach touring speed the engine revs at 2000rpm and doesn’t quite feel as settled as it does in the city.
Strangely, there’s no hill-hold function unless you really push the brake pedal hard when stationary. There were a few occasions when I rolled back a bit more than I wanted to. The same goes for when you’re reversing out of a parking space on an incline.
In Hybrid mode the electric motor is disappointingly weak, forcing the engine to switch on often. Even with light throttle inputs, the petrol engine will come to life frequently in stop-start traffic.
Thankfully, the transition from electric to petrol power is pretty seamless, though occasionally the car can be caught between gears when the engine fires up.
In town, the Formentor VZe is a joy to chuck around. This is thanks to the progressive-ratio steering rack that feels light and direct at low speeds, then firms up steering feel at higher speeds.
It’s surprising how nimble this car feels despite the extra weight of the high-voltage battery and related componentry. The front-drive Formentor VZe Tribe Edition has a tare mass of 1712kg, which is only around 100kg more than the base all-wheel drive Formentor V.
It goes to show how capable the Volkswagen Group’s MQB evo platform is, because this is still a fun car to drive.
On the suspension front, all Australian Formentors have Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC), which is Volkswagen Group-speak for adaptive dampers. They allow you to vary how firm or soft the damping force is.
Ride quality in the Formentor VZe is generally good, though like other Cupras it errs on the firmer side, even in the standard Comfort drive mode. Over harsher speed bumps you can feel the extra weight of the battery pack.
The electric motor adds an extra layer of quietness behind the wheel, which makes you notice the suspension is quite noisy. You can hear it thunking when you hit bumps and road imperfections. It also makes some scary noises if you hit a hard singular bump with a bit too much speed.
Building up speed in this car is easy. Like at lower speeds, some gears can sometimes be held for a tad too long, but the engine rarely revs above 3000rpm. Even in Hybrid mode with the hardcore Cupra driving mode activated, the car will frequently dip into EV mode which feels a little bizarre.
On the highway, the electrified crossover settles into a lovely cruise, but as with plenty of other European vehicles there’s booming road noise, especially on coarse-chip roads. Thankfully, turning up the high-quality audio system drowns this out.
On the safety front, the adaptive cruise control is great at maintaining a gap ahead of the vehicle. In true Volkswagen Group fashion, however, the undertaking prevention feature can be annoying when many Australians don’t understand lane etiquette.
The lane-keep assist function activates above 60km/h and can sometimes be wrong and tug at the steering wheel, even if you’re clearly within the lane markings. I noticed this most on freeway off-ramps.
Formentor VZx shown
Thankfully, it didn’t occur frequently enough to make me want to switch it off.
With adaptive cruise control activated you can also switch on Travel Assist, which bolsters the cruise feature with a lane centring function.
It’s great on clearly marked highways and freeways, minimising driver fatigue. But on curvier roads I found it to be a little too hands-on. In these instances I preferred to have it switched off and steer the car myself.
Lastly, the Formentor VZe Tribe Edition comes with fantastically bright LED headlights as standard. Disappointingly, they don’t have matrix high-beam tech, just an automatic high-beam function.
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
What do you get?
On test here is the limited-edition Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition, which adds flashy copper and Petrol Blue design elements from the flagship VZx.
Formentor V equipment highlights:
- 140kW/320Nm 2.0 TSI 4Drive
- 18-inch black-and-silver alloy wheels
- Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
- LED headlights, daytime running lights
- Auto headlights
- Auto high-beam
- Fog lights with cornering function
- Rain-sensing wipers
- Rear privacy glass
- Adaptive dampers
- 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
- 12-inch touchscreen infotainment system
- Satellite navigation
- Wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto
- Wireless phone charging
- 2 x front, 2 x rear USB-C ports
- Cloth upholstery
- Tri-zone climate control
- Leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel
- Paddle shifters
- Keyless entry, start
- DAB+ radio
- Hands-free power tailgate
Formentor VZ adds:
- 180kW/370Nm 2.0 TSI FWD
- Front-wheel drive
- 19-inch Exclusive Sport black-and-silver alloy wheels
- 18-inch space-saver spare
Formentor VZe adds:
- 180kW/400Nm 1.4 TSI PHEV FWD
- Mode 3 charging cable
- Tyre repair kit
Formentor VZe Tribe Edition adds:
- Copper-accented 19-inch alloy wheels
- 9-speaker Beats sound system
- Surround-view camera
- Memory side mirrors
- Petrol Blue leather upholstery
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
Options
A panoramic glass sunroof costs an additional $2150 in the Formentor VZe Tribe Edition, like the rest of the range.
Premium metallic paint costs $490 extra, whereas matte paint is an additional $2400.
Is the Cupra Formentor safe?
The Formentor has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on Euro NCAP tests conducted in 2021.
| Category | Cupra Formentor |
|---|---|
| Adult occupant protection | 93 per cent (35.56 out of 38) |
| Child occupant protection | 88 per cent (43.61 out of 49) |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 68 per cent (36.95 out of 54) |
| Safety assist | 80 per cent (12.83 out of 16) |
Standard safety features include:
- Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection
- Adaptive cruise control incl. stop/go
- Travel Assist
- Adaptive cruise control
- Active lane centring
- Driver fatigue monitoring
- Emergency Assist
- Lane departure warning
- Lane keep assist
- Blind-spot monitoring
- Rear cross-traffic alert
- Front, rear parking sensors
- Reversing camera
- Safe exit warning
Formentor VZx adds:
- Surround-view cameras
A surround-view camera system is part of the optional Leather and Camera Package on the V, VZ and VZe, and is standard on the VZx and VZe Tribe Edition.
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
How much does the Cupra Formentor cost to run?
The Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition is covered by five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The Spanish brand no longer offers complimentary servicing for three years in Australia.
| Servicing and Warranty | Cupra Formentor VZe |
|---|---|
| Warranty | 5 years, unlimited kilometres |
| Roadside assistance | 5 years |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000 kilometres |
| Pre-paid service pack | $990 (3 years) $1990 (5 years) |
To see how the Cupra Formentor stacks up against it rivals, use our comparison tool
CarExpert’s Take on the Cupra Formentor
The Cupra Formentor VZe Tribe Edition is a unique vehicle – copper accents and all – that’s almost guaranteed to get looks, both when parked or on the road.
Add in the unique appointments and you’ll fool almost anyone into thinking you’re driving a flagship VZx. Instead, you have a still-quick PHEV with a real-world electric range of 40-45km.
It’s disappointing only 300 examples of these Formentor VZe Tribe Editions have come to Australia, because reserving the Petrol Blue interior trim for this and the VZx seems unfair. I much prefer this to the plain and boring black upholstery of lesser Formentors.
While the Formentor is an exciting and dynamic vehicle, the PHEV on test here doesn’t feel like the most convincing powertrain option.
Sure, if you have the ability to charge this car at home or work and plan to purchase it through a novated lease, there are cost of ownership savings to be had, but for the asking price it doesn’t offer much electric range.
With the engine dipping in and out in Hybrid mode it doesn’t have much character either, so for similar money the more powerful, all-wheel drive VZx flagship still shapes as the sweet spot of the Formentor range.
I look forward to experiencing the updated Formentor VZe next year as it promises more power, more electric range, and DC fast-charging, which might just change my mind.
Interested in buying a Cupra Formentor? Get in touch with one of CarExpert’s trusted dealers here
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