After driving the new Cupra Leon a few weeks back, I knew that I was getting into another classy car when I sat in the Cupra Terramar last week. It was a 1.5-litre mild hybrid version and had a range of over 800km, with a full tank of petrol on board.
Cupra is a sub-brand of Seat, who have been producing their own version of the Leon for over 20 years. But Cupra has also introduced some new classy looking larger motors, like the full electric Born, Formentor, Terramar and Tavascan.
The Terramar is a compact crossover SUV and was launched at the end of 2024. It is closely related to other cars in the VW stable like the Skoda Kodiaq and VW Tiguan.
Seat has a tradition of naming their cars after areas in Spain and the Terramar is named after a coastal town near Barcelona, where the Autodromo de Sitges-Terramar racetrack was built over 100 years ago. Seat has a huge plant in Martorell on the hills above Barcelona, but the Terramar is built at the Audi factory in Gyor in Hungary; all part of the VW group.
The version of the Terramar I drove was similar to the Leon, with those lovely Copper touches brightening the interior. The Leon had a Matt finish, but this time the metallic finish was Dark Void. Unlike the copper alloys in the Cupra, the Terramara was fitted with 18-inch Atomic Machined Alloys in Sport Black.
Externally, the car looks really classy, there is an unusual-looking grille at the front and at the back the Cupra logo is incorporated into the light that stretches all the way across the back of the car. Two roof rails add to the SUV look.
Inside, the décor is predominantly dark, but that was probably what the designer Jorge Díez, the Design Director at Cupra, wanted. The roofline is very dark, while the seats, which are a mix of black and light blue, also have amber stitching.
You can carry three adults in the back seat, but it would probably be more comfortable with just two passengers, who could then leave down the drinks holder in the middle. And if you are seated in the back seat you will never forget that you are in a Cupra, as there are logos on the two front seats in your line of vision.
The boot is a decent size and there is a ‘well’ for a spare wheel, but none was provided. But if you are buying new you can always haggle for a spare. There is also a plug-in hybrid version available.
Cupra has been selling their cars in Ireland for four years now and they are reasonably happy that they have gained one per cent of the market here. At a press briefing earlier this year, Brand Director Gaspar Alcaide said that the company expect to double their market share in Ireland this year. He admitted that they were hoping for more male drivers with more disposable income to buy one of their cars.
Well, last week I met two females, who I think are in their forties, (I didn’t ask!) and one of them told me that she already owns a Cupra. So, it looks like the future is bright for this classy brand in Ireland. And I’m sure Cupra don’t mind whether it’s male or females with higher disposable incomes, who buy them.
Prices start at €46,500, while the version I drove, which had a plethora of extras, will cost you €53,240. Cupra tell me that in the past there had been some internal discussion around a potential diesel variant, but there are currently no confirmed plans to introduce a diesel version of the Terramar to Ireland.
