The first acquaintance with Cupra Terramar: emotion in details

The premium brand Cupra presented a new model of the brand in Kyiv — the Cupra Terramar crossover, which has become a rare but stable phenomenon, once every seven years, to be exact. This is the fifth model of the company and the largest in the model line.

The VW Group has built the longest «Maslow’s pyramid in the automotive industry. At the bottom of it is the «most budgetary» mass market like Škoda and Seat, while at the top is the elite Bugatti, each model of which is as unique as a human fingerprint. However, for every Veyron sold, the company lost $6 million, which is covered by the profits from sales of «popular cars».

The place name is another good tradition of the brand. Autodromo Sitges-Terramar (1923-1936) — An abandoned oval with chickens and sheep grazing inside. It’s hard to understand why marketers chose it, even though there are plenty of first-class tracks in and around Barcelona. However, there is one more interpretation of the name — it is a combination of Terra (Earth) and Mare (Sea), and this is closer to reality and understanding not only the design, but also the emphasis that the brand puts on the fresh model

But things are not so rosy at the lower level. Both the Czech and Spanish brands fell into the orbit of VW Group’s interests in the late 80s. But while the former confidently crossed the one million mark in 2014 and has remained in the black, the latter has only once reached the 500,000 million unit mark. And its profitability curve resembles the cardiogram of an asthmatic running the Barcelona marathon.

Realizing that brands are increasingly «cannibalizing» each other, German strategists tried to make «Seat» a more emotional alternative to the overly rational «Skoda». But they failed every time. And in 2018, keeping in mind the successful launch of the DS brand, they created the Cupra sub-brand for temperamental drivers. And this time they succeeded. Moreover, the first models, which were essentially slightly «overclocked» Seat small cars, demonstrated the correctness of the chosen path.

And after the launch of the first standalone model (Formentor), which has no analogues in the Seat lineup, things went up — today, «coupes» account for 1/5 of all Seat S. A. Such an extensive introduction was needed to explain how «coupes» should be perceived, to whom they are addressed, and why they were born in the first place.

Dynamic expressiveness

I recently wrote that «scales» are a bit lacking in expressive looks and godly spark in their habits to be considered the best models in their classes. Something that Terramar and Formentor have in abundance. And the latest updates have brought even more features that really separate the Cupra from its co-platformers.

Interestingly, the Cupra Terramar was included in the model range in the year of the brand’s creation. At first, it was supposed to be a «raised hatchback» a la DS 4 Crossback, then a completely independent model to replace the Ateca, and now we are looking at a seriously re-engineered Q3 with a similar engine range. Just don’t tell the «merchants» about it — they won’t believe you. To me, it looks more like a Skoda Kodiaq or VW Tiguan, albeit with quite significant changes that separate it into a completely different category of emotional reaction.

The Catalan crossover is based on the same «rubber» MQB Evo platform as the second-generation (F3) Tiguan, so there is little uniqueness here. Hence the coincidences in the main DNA metric — the wheelbase. The difference of 1 cm in height is explained by the sports suspension already in the standard configuration, for which the ground clearance is lowered. Also, the «base» has a progressive steering system.

Aesthetic pleasure

It’s much easier to spot unification in the cabin. If you know where to look. The cockpit with virtual instruments and the torpedo facing the driver seem to set you up for active steering. Even the 12.9-inch touchscreen attracts attention primarily with its responsiveness. The gear selector has moved to the right side of the steering column. And the sofa has received a «audio» transformation system – thanks to longitudinal adjustments, you can play with the angle of the backrest and the trunk capacity (540-630 liters).

However, not even Stevie Wonder can confuse the interior thanks to a whole set of branded details. There is a multi-wheel steering wheel with buttons for starting the engine and selecting driving modes, «buckets» with integrated headrests and slots in the form of a logo, dark aluminum cockpit trim, and inserts made of copper-colored elements. And an unusual supplier of acoustics in the automotive world — Saxon Sennheiser.

Charged to the max

For now, the Cupra Terramar will be delivered to Ukraine with one engine — the well-known Audi gasoline «four» 2.0 TSI. Depending on the settings, it produces 204 hp (320 Nm) and 265 hp (400 Nm). In both cases, it is mated to a 7-speed DSG with two clutches and a 4Drive all-wheel drive transmission with a rear axle clutch. Accordingly, the dynamics will be 7.1 seconds and 5.9 seconds to 100 km/h. There will be no diesel engines or manual transmissions for the Terramar, neither here nor anywhere else, and this is the general direction of the entire concern.

In Europe, a TSI-based plug-in hybrid with 245 hp and the ability to travel up to 100 km on electricity will also be available. Impressive performance and there is a small chance that this version will come to us.

The top-of-the-line VZ will feature 265-horsepower engine-matched Akebono brakes with 6-piston fixed calipers from the Fromentor VZ5 and a fully disengageable stabilization system. It will also feature a full range of active driving assistance systems.

It is logical that the Terramar will be assembled in the same place as the Audi Q3 — in Gyor, Hungary, a sister city of Ingolstadt. Just as the SEAT Altea, which is a clone of the Škoda Karoq, is assembled in Kvasiny, Czech Republic.
In addition to the original appearance, the brand’s price list is another trump card. For the 204-horsepower MID version, they ask for 1,819,000 hryvnias, and for the 265-horsepower VZ — 1,972,000 hryvnias. While the price tags for the Q3 (35 TFSI S tronic) start at UAH 1,480,000.

Will the Cupra Terramar be a success? Of course, it will. It has everything that consumers love: an independent, pronounced dynamic appearance, comfort, drive and belonging to the trendy crossover segment.