Cupra Formentor VZ5

The Cupra Formentor VZ5 sits in unusual company: just 8 of the 600 cars in this catalogue combine an inline-5 engine with AWD, and that rare pairing defines the closest comparison point for this car. The figure matters because it separates the VZ5 from the broader performance field. Its place is not built around having the highest outright numbers, but around a combination that appears only a handful of times across the collection.

With 385 bhp, the Formentor VZ5 ranks 439th for power among the 600 cars, placing it in the top 73% of the catalogue. Its 0-100 km/h time of 4.2 seconds tells a different part of the story, ranking 346th and making it faster than 254 cars in the collection. The balance is clear: this is a performance SUV with pace that competes through character and configuration rather than simply chasing the biggest outputs.

The engine layout is where the VZ5 separates itself. Only 10 cars in the catalogue use an inline-5, and only 10 are turbocharged inline-5 cars. Combined with AWD, that places the Formentor VZ5 among a small group of machines defined by this specific formula. Its 2.5 litre turbocharged engine produces 480 Nm of torque, giving the figures behind that unusual identity.

The Formentor VZ5 also occupies an interesting position as a Spanish car in a catalogue where just 3 of the 600 cars come from Spain. Cupra itself was founded in Spain in 2018, and the VZ5 represents the marque’s single entry in this collection. Its used price of £42,000 places it 475th for cost, meaning it sits above 125 cars in the catalogue, with a cost of £109 per bhp.

The 250 km/h top speed ranks 414th, reinforcing the same conclusion as the other figures. The VZ5 is not defined by one dominant statistic, but by a rare intersection of traits that few cars can replicate.

For a collector building a dream garage, the decision comes down to taste. The Formentor VZ5 offers an unusual answer to the search for something different, bringing together an SUV body style, five-cylinder character, turbocharging and all-wheel drive in a way that is difficult to find elsewhere in the catalogue. Whether that particular mix deserves a place beside more familiar choices is left to the judgement of the person holding the keys.