Introduction

Cupra has experienced a new lease of life since being split off from its parent brand, Seat.

‘Cupra’ was the moniker given to performance Seats, which are used similarly to BMW's 'M' cars. Nowadays, it’s a brand in its own right, boasting exclusive vehicles not found in Seat's range.

The slightly smaller SUV crossover Formentor was the first such example, while Cupra also has the Tavascan and the Seat-derived Ateca.

So why has Cupra now decided to launch another one?

Like its siblings, the Terramar promises to pack a punch - it's now the second-largest SUV in Cupra's range.

Given Cupra is owned by Volkswagen, the Terramar’s underpinnings are based on the VW Group’s MQB platform, which also serves as the chassis for other SUVs, including the Audi Q6 and Skoda Kodiaq.

Cupra’s designers are adamant that its line-up should be driver-focused, offering great performance and handling. Has it achieved it here?

At A Glance

The Terramar looks much like the Formentor, but it seems even more menacing because it's slightly bigger.

The shapely grille dominates, with bodywork aggressively carved into a wedge shape above it, just beneath the bonnet. Air intakes featuring horizontal spokes for added athleticism sit beneath sharpened headlights, providing a mean frown.

The sides feature a prominent bodywork crease towards the bottom of the doors, while more creases define the wheel arches. Around the back, a large light bar encompasses Cupra’s badge before merging into larger taillights at the corners. A roof spoiler extends to the sides, while a large cutout at the bottom accommodates cladding and two very wide substitutes for tailpipes.

Overall, the Terramar is stylish, combative and sporty – everything a Cupra should be.

Key Features

There is a wide choice of trim levels.

The entry-level V1 has 18-inch alloy wheels, a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, DAB radio, voice control, SatNav, and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display. You also get three-zone climate control and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The V2 trim has 19-inch alloys, a head-up display, interior ambient lighting, power-adjustable front seats with memory, powered lumbar adjustment, and heated front seats.

Step up to the mid-range VZ1 trim, and you will find adaptive chassis control, a brake control system, and self-adjusting LED headlights.

The VZ2 trim upgrades to 20-inch alloy wheels, leather seats and performance tyres.

There is also a special sixth trim marking Cupra’s global partnership with the Americas Cup sailing competition, which gets black matte 20-inch alloys and a lasered Americas Cup logo on the B-pillar.

As for power, there are several options.

The V1 and V2 trims are available with a mild-hybrid 1.5-litre petrol engine producing 150PS and a seven-speed DSG automatic transmission.

The VZ1, VZ2, and the America’s Cup Edition are offered with a turbocharged 2.0-litre petrol unit, all-wheel drive, 265PS, and the same gearbox.

There is also a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), the e-HYBRID, which comprises a 1.5-litre petrol mill and electric motor with a six-speed DSG automatic transmission. This is offered in V1 and V2 trims with 204PS and VZ1, VZ2 and VZ First Edition trims with 272PS.

Range & Batteries

All the e-HYBRIDs get a 19.7kWh (usable) battery.

The claimed all-electric range is 70 to 76 miles, depending on trim, with the lower grades at the higher end of these figures and vice versa.

It won't make much difference in which one you pick. Anything above 50 miles in the real world is about average, as any number of variables influence the figure, including ambient temperature, weather conditions, and driving style.

Performance & Drive

The 1.5-litre petrol manages 0-62mph in 9.3 seconds. Its mild hybridity means the engine cuts out when off-throttle to save fuel.

But while arguably the most sensible option, a Cupra seems pointless unless you pick something more entertaining. It is good, then, that the VZ1 and VZ2 trims unlock the larger 2.0-litre lump, which does 0-62mph in 5.9 seconds. The e-HYBRID manages it in 7.3 seconds.

We drove the 2.0-litre TSI 265PS 4Drive petrol, and regarding trim, we had access to a press car brought in from Spain. The equipment levels there differ, so ours was a mix of the VZ1 and VZ2 trim variants.

The seven-speed automatic is well-refined, delivering smooth, quick gear changes that barely interrupt the acceleration flow. It also offers a manual mode, enabling gear changes via paddle shifters behind the wheel that are pleasingly responsive and compliant to your gear shifts.

Acceleration off the line is top-drawer - and the Terramar makes light work of overtakes. It also provides excellent traction through fast, twisty B-roads, limiting body lean relatively well. The mid-size SUV feels sharp, nimble, and capable, but we'd have liked the steering to weight up a touch more in the bends.

As a result, it's nice to drive but lacks feel, which slightly dilutes the sporty driving experience. This means the Terramar is not quite as entertaining or engaging as we’d hoped, but its handling is superior to that of most SUV crossovers.

Ride comfort is also good, although we had the benefit of Cupra’s adaptive chassis control (ACC) system from parent company Volkswagen, providing dampers that constantly adjust the suspension automatically to suit.

This technology makes the car easier to live with day-to-day. It means that the Terramar feels quite sophisticated when you're cruising along - even more impressive given that our test car had large wheels, so the smaller wheels of lower trims should be even better. ACC is standard on VZ1 trim and above, while V1 and V2 trims have to make do with basic, non-adjusting suspension, which likely won’t offer the same range of versatility.

Charging

The e-HYBRID charges at a maximum speed of 50kW, with a 10-80 per cent top-up taking 26 minutes.

An 11kW home wall box takes two and a half hours to deliver a full 0-100 per cent charge, although most home chargers offer only around 7kW.

Running Costs & Emissions

Fuel economy and carbon emissions depend on which model you pick.

The non-hybrid 1.5-litre engine returns 46mpg (140g/km CO2) while the 2.0-litre petrol manages just 33mpg (192g/km CO2).

Even though you’re leasing, it’s worth knowing that all 2.0-litre variants are priced above £40,000. Cars over this figure mean you get hit hard when it comes to the Terramar’s road tax.

Depending on trim, the e-HYBRIDs return 573-651mpg (10-12g/km CO2). That makes the latter a no-brainer as a company car, as the Benefit in Kind tax greatly favours cars with low emissions.

Given the Terramar is a new vehicle, it’s impossible to know how dependable it will be. Still, Cupra has an average reputation here, generally sitting around the middle of reliability surveys.

Interior & Technology

As we’ve become used to with Cupras, the cabin looks sporty, stylish and dark.

Usually, a dark interior equals blandness, so it’s nice to see ones that are lit up with brushed aluminium or, at least, silver-coloured plastic. The only thing breaking up the dark grey interior (apart from the silver metal pedals) is Cupra's brand colour, copper - although it works a treat.

The cabin design is so stylish that the darkness doesn’t detract from the overall feel. Carbon fibre-style patterns are on the multi-layered dashboard and surround the centre console, which sits quite high up. Above the centre console, where it joins the dashboard, there are a couple of shapely air vents, with another two built into the middle layer of the dashboard at the outer edges.

The flat-bottomed steering wheel is a little thin but still looks aggressive. It is littered with buttons, including a couple of round, racey ones a little further down for engine start and driving modes - the sort of thing you'd expect on a supercar. A couple of roller switches on the horizontal spokes add a nice touch. The digital instrument display behind the Cupra's wheel offers conventional dials in digital form, and it's clear, sharp, and informative.

As in many cars nowadays, the 12.9-inch infotainment screen quickly grabs your attention. It sits on top of the dash like a tablet, offering a display full of icons. The Terramar's dashboard is angled towards the driver for easier reach.

While the system is nice to use, it's not the most intuitive. Various functions are buried within the submenus, which you'd be able to access at the push of a physical button on some cars. There are no physical controls for the air conditioning, either, and adjustments are made via the infotainment screen. However, red and blue buttons are at the bottom of the tablet to adjust the temperature. At least the physical buttons don't feel cheap - they all seem well-damped, and the materials are carefully selected.

Elsewhere, though, despite plenty of soft-to-the-touch surfaces in the cabin, there were still more cheap-feeling plastics on show than we’d have liked. Nevertheless, it all looks very nice, aggressive and bold.

Practicality & Boot Space

Most SUVs want to sit you quite high up to provide that traditional 4x4 commanding view of the road. Not so with Cupra. The automaker wants you to sit as low as possible when offering a sporty car. It is not a sports car driving position, but you'll certainly be lower than in many similarly sized cars.

The sports seats help you get comfortable, offering plenty of support while tackling fast-paced corners. All but the entry-level V1 have electric adjustment.

The relatively low driving position doesn’t help your forward view, but the windscreen pillars aren't thick, so your vision isn't particularly obstructed.

It is a different story at the back, though, as the rear side windows are taller than they are wide, resulting in a very thick pillar, which also tapers upwards from the bottom. This, added to the roof spoiler, which also overhangs the sides, and the curved rear windscreen, hampers your view.

Thankfully, front and rear parking sensors, as well as a rear-view camera, are standard on all models.

The front features plenty of headroom and legroom, so even the tallest drivers or front seat occupants won't struggle for space. The chunky centre console also helps ensure sufficient width to avoid banging shoulders with the person next to you.

In the back, it's not as generous but still perfectly adequate, with a decent amount of legroom. We were also impressed to find that headroom was still manageable for taller passengers despite an aggressive slope in the roofline and another inch or two sacrificed for the panoramic sunroof. Some of the rear width comes at the cost of the middle seat, though, which is on the small side, plus the hump in the floor limits where you can put your feet.

There are lots of places to store your belongings, with a couple of cupholders, large door bins, and a lidded cubby towards the back of the centre console. The glove box will hold little more than the user manual and a sunglasses case.

The boot space is generous, with 540 litres available in the petrol model we tried, although you can expand it by folding the rear seats down in a conveniently versatile 40:20:40 configuration.

However, you lose a lot of boot space - 21%, in fact - in the e-HYBRID, which drops

 as low as 400 litres if the back row of seats is slid as far back as possible. Moving them as far forward as possible increases the space to 490 litres, though.

The boot floor is adjustable in the petrol model, meaning you can remove the loading

 lip, but in the e-HYBRID, although there's no loading lip, it's not adjustable as the

 batteries are accommodated underneath it.

Safety

The Cupra Terramar has yet to be tested by safety experts at Euro NCAP.

However, there should be few concerns here as all four Cupras crash-tested so far have achieved five-star ratings.

The latest to be assessed was the Tavascan, earlier in 2024, which scored 89 per cent for adults, 86 per cent for children and 79 per cent for safety assists.

The Terramar gets automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control with intelligent speed adaptation, tyre pressure monitoring, forward collision warning, multifunction camera, and emergency steering support with turn assist.

Dynamic road sign display, advanced driver alert system, and lane assist are also standard on all models.

The V2 trim and above gets advanced lane assist with semi-automatic vehicle control in medical emergencies, traffic jam assist, high beam assist, intelligent park assist, rear traffic alert, and lane change system with exit warning. It also has proactive passenger protection, front and rear-view cameras, and two side cameras.

Options

You can add a number of extras to the Terramar, including various designs of 18, 19, and 20-inch alloys.

Akebono Performance Brakes are available on VZ trims and cost extra, while the adaptive chassis control is standard on VZ but can be added to the V1 and V2 trims for a price.

Several interior designs are also obtainable, including various leathers and colour schemes.

Dark-tinted windows, power-folding door mirrors, illuminated door apertures, and keyless entry are among the many options for the V1 and V2 trims, which provide more of the equipment found as standard on the VZ range.

Some advanced security systems are available, and there’s a range of towing accessories, as well as a Sennheiser sound system.

Rival Cars

There are lots of decent crossover SUVs that rival the Terramar. TheCitroen C5 Aircross, Ford Kuga, Honda CR-V, and Hyundai Tucson are just four of them, while Kia's Sportage and Mazda's CX-5 offer good refinement.

The Mini Countryman is a worthy alternative, while the Nissan X-Trail, Peugeot 3008, and Renault Austral are also available - and Skoda offers the Karoq and Kodiaq.

Vauxhall’s new Grandland is another one to consider leasing, while Volkswagen offers the Tiguan, Toyota has the RAV4, and Subaru has the Forester.

At the premium end, BMW’s X1 and X3 are worth looking at, along with the Audi Q3 and Q5, while Mercedes-Benz offers the GLB and GLC. There is also the Range Rover Evoque and Volvo XC40.

Verdict & Next Steps

The Cupra Terramar ticks plenty of boxes, regardless of your needs.

It offers decent practicality, sporty looks inside and out - and a comfortable ride - especially with adaptive dampers.

The e-HYBRID, which also offers an excellent all-electric range, offers superb economy.

The 2.0-litre TSI 265PS 4Drive petrol accelerates pleasingly, and the Terramar’s handling is one of the best in its class. However, it’s not quite as engaging to drive as we’d hoped, with Cupra seemingly dialling back on a couple of criteria that could have made this a stand-out driver’s car.

We recommend the 2.0-litre petrol if you're all about performance, but if fuel economy is your priority, the e-HYBRID will be lighter on your wallet - just not quite as fun in the corners.

Regardless, if you want something practical and athletic to lease, the Cupra Terramar definitely delivers.

Where to next?

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**Score based on Select’s unique meta score analysis, taking into account the UK’s top leading independent car website reviews of the Cupra Terramar.

**Correct as of 06/01/2025. Based on 9 months initial payment, 5,000 miles annually, over a 24 month lease. Initial payment equivalent to 9 monthly payments, or £3,842.73 (Plus admin fee) Ts and Cs apply. Credit is subject to status.