2026 Cupra Formentor VZ5 – Is the Fifth Cylinder Worth $32K?

Some context first. The Formentor was Cupra’s first standalone model in New Zealand (if you don’t count SEAT), and the styling alone was a huge drawcard. Then the VZ arrived with Golf R running gear underneath, and a head-turner became a seriously quick car. When we tested it last year, we called it best in class.

So Cupra didn’t need to do this. Nobody was asking. But someone in Martorell clearly wondered “what if?” and dropped in Audi’s 2.5-litre turbo five. It’s one of the most celebrated engines of the modern era, and the only other car you can buy with it now is the Audi RS3. Production is capped at 4,000 units worldwide.

To work out whether it’s worth the money, we put it through five tests. One per cylinder: Style, Sanity, Sound, Speed and Soul.

STYLE – IF YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW

The VZ5 doesn’t shout about itself. It reminds me of the old BMW 5 Series and M5. To most people they were the same car, but enthusiasts could pick the M5 from across a car park.

The tells are there if you look for them. At the back there’s a carbon fibre diffuser and diagonally stacked exhaust tips, the biggest giveaway once you’ve noticed them. Down the side it’s mostly about the wheels: 20-inchers, up from 19s on the regular VZ, and the arches have been pushed out slightly. Up front, VZ5 lettering is neatly engraved into the front splitter, and matrix LED headlights now come as standard. Nice.

The gloss black wheels split the KIWI GT team. They hide a lot of the shape and detail in the wheel design, and they won’t love a dusty gravel road. But they make the copper brake calipers pop, and that’s hard to argue with.

There’s a value argument hiding in here too. Spec a regular VZ with bigger wheels, carbon bits and an aftermarket diagonal exhaust and you’re probably about $10-15K deep. That shrinks the price gap before we’ve even talked about the engine.

Style: pass.

INTERIOR – SAME CABIN, BIGGER PRICE TAG

Inside, nothing has changed from the VZ. Cupra’s bucket seats are an option, but our car didn’t have them, and the standard seats are still decent.

But this is where the price starts to nag. Sitting on cloth-like upholstery in a ~$120K car makes you stop and think. In fairness, the VZ5 money isn’t being spent in here. It’s going under the bonnet and behind the wheels.

Rememeber, this interior is based on a model that starts at under $60,000 in the "V" trim. So you'll need to adjust your expectations accordingly.

That said, judged on its own, this is still one of my favourite cabins in the segment. Cupra has fully committed to the copper accents and triangular motif, so there’s a clear, consistent theme instead of the bland, look-alike interiors most new cars are going for. It also isn’t one of those stripped-back, everything-in-the-screen designs. There's some personality here.

My gripes are the same ones everyone has: the touch sliders for temperature and volume and the tiny gear shifter. They’ve been covered to death, so I’ll leave it there. The screen is a good size and does its job.

SANITY – STILL A CROSSOVER YOU CAN LIVE WITH

In practical terms, the only difference between the five-cylinder and the four-cylinder is fuel use. It’s thirstier, but you don’t get this kind of performance without paying for it at the pump. I won’t mark it down for that.

Against the RS3, its only engine sibling, the Formentor’s taller body gives you a lot more headroom and a bit more boot space. Two adults fit comfortably in the back, and three is a squeeze. Child seats fit too, although a rear-facing seat eats into front passenger room.

It’s a compact crossover, so set your expectations accordingly. If hauling the family is the priority, the Terramar or Leon make more sense. But as a performance car you can live with every day, it passes.

SPEED – WHERE MOST OF THE $32K ACTUALLY GOES

This is the test that matters most. With two of us on board, we timed 0–100km/h in 4.43 seconds against Cupra’s 4.2-second claim. For context, the four-cylinder VZ managed 5.1 seconds in our same hands, and at this end of the stopwatch that’s a big gap. Our RS3 test dipped into the high threes, so the Audi keeps its edge in a straight line.

Numbers aside, it felt even quicker than 4.4.

And it isn’t just a straight-line car. For something that sits this high, it corners remarkably flat, with barely any body movement even when you’re pushing on. On a good road it feels as tight as a drum.

But my favourite thing about this car, and I know it’s controversial, is the turbo lag. Put it in second gear at 1,500rpm and floor it. Nothing. Still nothing. Then it slams you. The gap between what you expect and what you get is where the fun is.

For me it’s pure nostalgia. I grew up around 90s Japanese turbo cars like Skylines, Silvias and Soarers, which were all notorious for lag. Modern performance cars are so smooth and polished that most of that drama is gone. Even the fast Audi RS models and the latest BMW M3 feel ironed out. The VZ5 brings back that old-school hit, wrapped in a far more sophisticated package than anything from the 90s. It’s a beautifully finished crossover that brings out your inner munter.

it's worth mentioning that the Formentor sits in an odd in-between spot: not quite a hatch, not quite a compact SUV. The RS3 gives you the low-slung, go-kart feel. The VZ5 gives a little of that up in exchange for everyday comfort, and as a parent, that matters to me more than it used to.

SOUND – NINETIES NOSTALGIA, MODERN MANNERS

At first I thought it sounded a bit subdued. For a brand that's rebellious and loud in its styling, firing up the VZ5 is a more muted experience than one would expect.

But, full throttle changed my mind. It gets properly loud and aggressive higher in the revs, as the valve in the exhaust is opening up.

And for those who care, I didn't pick up on any artificial noise pumped into the cabin. This is all natural. Roll the window down and take it in.

SOUL – THE BIT YOU CAN’T PUT ON A SPEC SHEET

Taken together, the VZ5 gives you something its individual parts don’t: the feeling that you’re driving something special. For me, that’s what the extra $32K buys, and I think it’s worth it.

You have an engine shared with only one other new production car in the world (for now). You have a unique sound that's far more interesting than your typical 4 or 6 cylinder. You have old-school turbo lag that is a thrill to experience. The styling is evocative. What more could you want?

VERDICT – SO WHO’S IT FOR?

The boy racers of yesterday. The people who grew up with turbo lag and blow-off valves, then got a corporate job and now want something comfortable that still has some mongrel in it. This car is aimed squarely at them.

It’s also for anyone who wants to step outside the usual Audi, BMW and Mercedes choice at this money. There’ll be collectors too, drawn to a limited-run special edition, whether or not it turns out to be a good investment.

And of course it’s for the would-be RS3 buyer who wants the same engine, more headroom, a slightly easier car to get in and out of, and a bit more money left in the bank.

So, five pies for $30? If the fifth one is this good, I’m in.