Test Car Specifications
Model: 2025 Cupra Leon VZ1 2.0 TSI 265 DSG 4Drive
Price: Terramar from £38,995; 2.0 VZ1 from £47,410
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: seven-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power: 265hp
Torque: 400Nm
Emissions: 191g/km
Fuel economy: 33.6mpg
0-62mph: 5.9 seconds
Top speed: 151mph
Boot space: 540-642 litres
Styling
As with other Cupra products, the Terramar is quite distinctive, even alongside the VW Group cars with which it shares so much. The design won't be to everyone's taste, particularly with the copper-coloured trim, but it's distinctive, sporty and in line with the new Leon's design. Whether we'd call it handsome, we're not quite sure, but it isn't exactly ugly, either. It's probably going to divide opinion a bit, but it certainly draws a bit of attention.
Interior
The Terramar's cabin is not quite as outlandish as that of the all-electric Tavascan, but it still singles itself out with sporty and upmarket touches, as well as copper-coloured trim. The dashboard has a kind of three-layer design, while the transmission tunnel gets a cool and modern architecture. Quality, meanwhile, is every bit as good as we expect from the Volkswagen Group.
The sports seats are great, too, and you get the latest-generation VW Group technology, including the huge central touchscreen and digital instrument display. The tech looks great, but some of the menus are a bit fiddly. Fortunately, you can combat that with some customisable taskbars that make navigation a bit easier, and the screen responds quickly to your inputs. It's just a shame that there's an over-reliance on touch-sensitive controls that really ought to be conventional buttons.
Practicality
Although it's sporty, particularly in this VZ form, the Terramar is still a family SUV, and a spacious one at that. The 540-litre boot is not the biggest in the class, but it's competitive, and there's plenty of space in the cabin for four adults to sit comfortably. Add in the plethora of cubby holes and storage bins, and the Cupra becomes a pretty practical mode of transport. As long as you don't look too closely at this 2.0-litre petrol version's fuel bills, that is...
Performance
The Terramar range comprises petrol and hybrid powertrains, all of which are acceptably powerful. Even the basic 1.5 eTSI option gets 150hp. But the really interesting versions are the VZ models, which come with either a 2.0-litre petrol engine with 265hp, or a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid system with 272hp.
It's the 'conventional' 2.0-litre petrol version we're testing here, which benefits from all-wheel-drive traction, unlike its plug-in hybrid sibling. It's essentially the same engine you'll find in the Kodiaq vRS we drove a while back, and it's generally very good.
Sure, the soundtrack isn't especially inspiring and the augmented engine sound system that pipes a fake growl into the cabin is a bit naff, but it has plenty of get-up-and-go. It accelerates strongly and securely, thanks to the all-wheel-drive system, and it feels meaty enough even in such a big car.
It's thirsty, though, guzzling fuel at 33.6mpg on the official economy test. And on our test, we found around 30mpg to be more realistic.
Ride & Handling
Cupras are all supposed to be a bit sportier than their equivalent Seat, Skoda or VW models, regardless of whether they get the high-performance engines, so it's no surprise to find the Terramar has a bit more edge to it than most of its rivals. Exactly how much edge it has, though, depends rather on which mode you put it in. There was a myriad of them on our all-wheel-drive test car, including off-road and snow settings, as well as the more road-orientated settings for comfort and sportiness. There was also a hard-charging Cupra mode, just in case Sport wasn't sporty enough (spoiler alert: it is) and an individual mode so you can set the car up just the way you want.
Our test car also came with the Dynamic Chassis Control (DCC) system that allows the modes to alter the suspension settings, improving body control in Cupra mode and offering greater suppleness in Comfort mode.
In truth, the Terramar drives tidily in any setting, but we found the Comfort steering a bit light and the Sport and Cupra settings for the powertrain too eager to hold onto gear ratios. Our favourite combination, set on the Individual mode, included Sport steering, Sport suspension and Comfort powertrain settings.
On the motorway and around town, though, the Comfort mode was definitely the most useful. Slackening off the suspension, it made the car more pliant over bumps and easier to manoeuvre, which made it more relaxing on longer drives. The Sport suspension was just a little on the firm side, and that grows wearing after a while.
On a good back road, however, the sportier settings were definitely welcome. Stiffening up the ride may do little for comfort, but it means that big body is remarkably well controlled, and the car feels more nimble and agile than most of its major rivals. It's actually quite good fun to drive.
Having the DCC system and the driving modes is definitely worthwhile, then, because it allows the Cupra to have that edge on a good road, while also allowing you to relax on the motorway, and enjoy a ride that's still slightly sporty, but is far from intolerable.
Value
As seems to be the case with all Cupras, the sporty design and semi-premium positioning seem to have an impact on the price. The Terrarmar range – and we aren’t even talking about the high-performance VZ models here – starts at £38,995, which is almost £2,000 more than you’ll pay for a basic VW Tiguan.
Admittedly, entry-level ‘V1’ Terramars get plenty of kit, including 18-inch alloy wheels, touchscreen infotainment and a digital instrument cluster, as well as three-zone climate control, a heated steering wheel and a reversing camera. But the VZ1 and VZ2 models get a bit more to play with, including heated bucket seats, 19-inch alloys and adaptive chassis control. That said, they start at £47,410, so you expect a bit more for your money.
Verdict
Strangely, the Terramar does feel quite different from the Ateca, but there's definitely some crossover in their intended target markets. All of which makes us suspect the Ateca isn't long for this world. But if the Terramar is its replacement, then it's a very good one. It drives well, feels modern and upmarket, and it has plenty of space for family life. It's a very difficult car to fault.
