New range-topping Cupra Formentor to get five-cylinder engine

Cupra has announced a new range-topping Formentor model, which will use a five-cylinder petrol engine.

Badged VZ5, It’s highly likely that this will use the much-loved inline-five-cylinder unit that Audi deploys in the RS Q3, TT RS and RS3, which Cupra has access to because both firms are part of the Volkswagen Group.

That unit has a 2.5-litre displacement and a twin-scroll turbocharger, making 395bhp and 480Nm – though this will be the first time the engine has been used outside of an Audi, so it’s unclear if Cupra will implement tweaks that change the output.

Little else is known about the VZ5, though spy shots hint at the fact it will have quad-exit exhaust pipes, with two on each side stacked vertically.

Wayne Griffiths, president of Cupra and Seat, said: “The Cupra Formentor represents the essence of the brand, but the addition of an even more extreme five-cylinder engine to the family – along with seven other powertrains including a performance PHEV – will mark it out as a true enthusiast’s vehicle – something the Cupra community is dedicated to delivering and will allow us to reach new customers.”

The Formentor is the first standalone model to come out of Cupra since it split from Seat to become its own brand. Previously, it simply made performance-oriented versions of existing Seat models.

Although further powertrains are planned, there are currently only two on sale. Both are petrol, with one making 148bhp and the other getting 306bhp and all-wheel-drive. Prices for the former start at £27,395, while the go-faster versions start from £39,830.