Cupra Formentor

This sharp-looking plug-in hybrid family SUV has plenty of punch and a good electric range; can it be fun as well as frugal? We're finding out

- DARREN MOSS

TYPING 'THE BEST of both worlds' into Google brings up lots of results about a Miley Cyrus song of the same name, plus a Star Trek: The Next Generation episode in which Captain Picard becomes part of the Borg Collective. But I think there's something missing that potentially deserves a spot next to them: my new Cupra Formentor.

Having previously run a fuel-guzzling Genesis GV70, which was practical but left my bank account decimated, and a Lexus LBX that allowed me to save money at the pumps but wasn't massively spacious, I went hunting for a larger car that could still be frugal.

Enter the Formentor – a family SUV that promises the best of petrol and electric motoring.

It's able to do this because of what's under the bonnet of my car. You see, while you can get the Formentor with traditional petrol engines (some of which have mild hybrid electrical assistance), I've gone for the more powerful of two plug-in hybrid (PHEV) options. This combines a 1.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor to produce a total of 268bhp. That's enough to haul my Formentor from 0-62mph in 7.2sec - quicker than most rivals can manage.