Cupra Terramar

Close relative of the Volkswagen Tiguan aims to give family SUV buyers a sportier option On sale March Price from £37,605

- NEIL WINN

SINCE SEPARATING FROM Seat in 2018, Cupra has stood as the sporty foil to sensible Skoda within the Volkswagen Group. The new Terramar family SUV is Cupra's largest model yet, being closely related to the new Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan. It's slightly bigger than the Cupra Ateca and serves as a de facto replacement for the Seat Tarraco.

Naturally, Cupra also wants you to believe that the Terramar is sportier than rival family SUVs, so it inherits several styling elements from the brand's pure electric Tavascan, including triangular headlights, a shark-like nose and aero wheels. Under the skin, it's claimed to have been engineered to deliver a more engaging driving experience than its blood relatives, with special attention paid to power delivery, suspension and steering. But is this enough to give it a genuine sporting edge?

The Terramar's engine line-up opens with a 1.5 eTSI mild hybrid petrol that sends 148bhp to the front wheels, followed by a four-wheel-drive 2.0 TSI with 201bhp or 262bhp.

There are also 201bhp and 268bhp versions of a front-wheel-drive, 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Both employ a hefty 19.7kWh (usable) battery that's officially good for an electric range of at least 70 miles, matching the Kodiaq and Tiguan PHEVS, which share the same battery tech. That range easily beats those of many rival PHEVs, including the BMW X1, Kia Sportage and Range Rover Evoque.

So far, we've driven the most powerful versions of the Terramar: the 262bhp 2.0 TSI and the 268bhp PHEV. With a 0-62mph time of 5.9sec, the TSI is satisfyingly nippy, helped by an engine that loves to rev. Its seven-speed automatic gearbox is also impressively responsive in its sport and manual modes.