Cupra Terramar V2 long-term test: the Batmobile? My family’s already convinced

Verdict

It’s early days, but so far the Cupra Terramar has impressed with its design and practicality. Comfortable, with a well built interior, it has captured the imagination of my family, and that’s half the battle with this style of SUV.

• Mileage: 1,570 miles
• Efficiency: 34.1mpg

New Car Day always causes great excitement in the Wilson household. Everyone is keen to take a tour, fiddle with the infotainment and offer an opinion. 

These days, my grandchildren, Zack (five) and Hope (three), like to get involved, too. The dynamic duo immediately christened our Cupra ‘The Batmobile’. Okay, there are more radically styled cars about than our Timanfaya Grey Terramar; but as the dark nights return, they’ve been captivated by the distinctive Cupra logo in its massive bat-like puddle lights on either side of the car. Once inside, the deep red wraparound interior lighting has spiked their imagination, and I’m with them.

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The exterior is distinctive and more sporting than its Volkswagen Tiguan or Skoda Kodiaq siblings. Swooping lines and the aggressive front grille make a statement, suggesting the promise of performance. The rear lighting strip, meanwhile, mirrors the lightbar on the dash. 

Triangular styling (presumably inspired by the Cupra logo) appears throughout the car, in the lamp lenses, as interchangeable darts of colour on the door panels, and across the 19-inch ‘Spectrum’ machined alloy wheels that come with our V2 specification. 

Inside, it gets comfortable bucket seats in ‘Dinamica’ microfibre finish. They have copper stitching to match the details on the dash and steering wheel, which looks especially good on the air vents. There’s also ripple-effect satin silver across the dash and centre console. Stylish, upmarket and Batsuit-esque…

Our V2 Terramar gets a large 10.25-inch infotainment screen and a configurable dashboard, giving the option to have the navigation map (or driver assist status) within the dials. It’s early days, but the touchscreen is taking a little getting used to. There are controllable sliders for temperature settings and volume controls, but thankfully physical buttons on the steering wheel to help with some functions. I’ve found the head-up display useful, showing clear information on speed limits and directions. The navigation seems less intuitive than on the Volvo EC40 I ran previously, but it always takes a few weeks to get my head around a new system.

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This 2.0 TSI is the first non-electric car that I’ve run in a couple of years. All versions of the Terramar feature a twin-clutch auto gearbox, with the petrol models having seven speeds. The car feels quite heavy, and I’m using it with the start-stop engaged, but I’m surprised by its hesitancy in delivering power. It’s not really a criticism – I suppose I’m just used to the instant torque and rapid acceleration of EVs. 

The return of the sound of an engine is welcome, along with some extra grunt on motorways at speed, but the first £72 fill-up proved something of a jolt. I’ve done few long-distance trips of note, but one worth mentioning was a recent airport run. The Terramar is spacious, and we fitted four adults, each with cases, with little effort, thanks to its vast boot. The smooth motorway run was a great start to our holiday and a promising beginning to life with the Cupra.

*Insurance quote from AA (0800 107 0680) for a 42-year-old in Banbury, Oxon, with three points.

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