The hasty elite of Seat customers are eagerly waiting for the Cupra Formentor VZ5 with its fascinating five-cylinder. For the impatient, there is now an alternative at Abt.
Usually tuners are always a little behind in the race with the manufacturer. But this time Abbot is ahead of the game in the game of rabbits and hedgehogs. Because while the sporty Seat subsidiary Cupra is still fidgeting its customers and cheerfully announcing the Formentor with the famous five-cylinder from Audi as the brand's top model, but does not promise delivery until autumn, the Bavarians have long been at the start with a performance version . They have developed their own performance upgrade, which is far more than just a gap filler and at least comes close to the 390 hp 2,5 liter with its 370 hp.
Spirited Spaniard
The basis for this is the EA888, which is ubiquitous in the VW Group, which with its 2,0 liter displacement and normally up to 320 hp makes cars like the Golf R, the Audi S3 or the Cupra Formentor legs. But with a new chipset, the Allgäu are getting 60 hp and 50 Nm from the four-cylinder compared to the previously strongest Formentor, so that 370 hp and 450 Nm are now in the vehicle registration.
The Spaniard is correspondingly brisk. The sprint from 0 to 100 km / h is shortened by 0,3 to 4,6 seconds, and even if you still run out of 250 things, you get ahead faster. Because overtaking on the country road becomes child's play with the extra punch and the Cupra has to vacate the left lane less often on the motorway.
Driving modes for even more fun
How much the Cupra flexes its muscles is up to the driver. Because in addition to the start button, there is a second rotary switch in the steering wheel for selecting the driving profile, similar to Porsche or AMG. And the further you turn it, the more uninhibited the Spaniard dances his fiery flamenco. Passionate in the standard setup but still family-friendly, it becomes a car for egoists in a hurry in sports mode and especially in Cupra mode. The strength increases, the comfort decreases and with a loud roar the Allgäu starts his attack in the foothills of the Alps. The offspring may roll their eyes or, in the worst case, swallow hard, but with dad the corners of the mouth always go up.
Lowered also possible
Depending on the budget and taste, Abt does not leave it to the engine tuning: For optics and above all for the sound there is a powerful sports exhaust with tailpipes over ten centimeters in diameter, the interior can be prettied with plenty of paint and leather and of course there is also a new one Set-up for the adaptive chassis. The Allgäuers push the SUV coupé further down onto the asphalt by up to 3,5 centimeters. That looks without a doubt good, and whoever flies through the foothills of the Alps in the Formentor will be happy about the lower center of gravity in every turn and the resulting better grip and higher speed. But then a regular appointment with the chiropractor is recommended. Because the Formentor is already much more tightly tuned than the Ateca, the Formentor at Abt then becomes a bone shaker and the thinly rubberized 20-inch models provide unfiltered information about the poor state of preservation of the Allgäu Alpine roads.
In contrast to Cupra in the VZ5, Abt has only changed the design a little and the five-cylinder unit is still missing 20 hp. But you can enjoy the Abt Cupra Formentor straight away - and save a lot of money in addition to the waiting time. Because while the muscle model from Martorell should start at just under 60.000 euros, the Abt tuning for the engine is already available for a surcharge of 2.370 euros plus TÜV fee, so that the fun starts at around 48.000 euros.
Technical data
Four-door, five-seat SUV; Length: 4,45 meters, width: 1,84 meters (width with exterior mirrors: not specified), height: 1,51 meters, wheelbase: 2,68 meters, trunk volume: 420 liters
2,0-liter four-cylinder turbo gasoline engine, 272 kW / 370 PS, maximum torque: 450 Nm, all-wheel drive, seven-speed double clutch, 0-100 km / h: 4,6 s, Vmax: 250 km / h, standard consumption: 8,5 liters / 100 kilometers, CO2 emissions: 193 g / km, emissions standard: Euro 6d, efficiency class: n / a, base price approx. 48 euros
In brief
Why: because the five-cylinder is still six months away
Why not: Because more displacement is always the better choice
What else: The weaker Cupra Formentor with 310 hp from the factory or the five-cylinder
When does he come: right away