After we saw it completely naked at the beginning of the month, the Cupra Terramar has returned to the scoop arena. This time, our spy photographers nabbed a black prototype, and they claim it is the sporty VZ variant due to the uprated brakes.
If they are correct, then so was the white tester scooped a couple of weeks ago. The reason is that it has identical front and rear bumpers. The grille is also the same, and so is the trim, multi-fin diffuser, and pretty much everything else. The only things that are new are the exterior paint finish and the wheels, which appear to have been aero-optimized for improved fuel economy.
The latest prototype of the Cupra Terramar was snapped in the open somewhere in sunny Spain, by the looks of it, with a good chunk of its face and the entire front windshield covered in dead insects. This inevitably tells us that the testing team just returned from a fast highway drive when the vehicle became the focus of the camera lens, and it should be quite fast for a compact crossover.
Our spy photographers believe the Cupra Terramar VZ will be offered with two outputs: 245 and 300+ metric horses (242/296 hp/180/221 kW). The rest of the Terramar family is expected to be powered by mild-hybrid engines, as well as plug-in hybrids. In its most frugal PHEV configuration, the crossover should offer an electric range of approximately 62 miles (100 km) with the battery fully charged.
Photo: SH Proshots
Do you know what other VW Group model offers a similar zero-emission autonomy? Yep, that would be Europe's brand-new Volkswagen Tiguan, which is the Terramar's German cousin. The latest Tiguan also comes with turbodiesel firepower, so we wouldn't be surprised if its Mediterranean cousin follows in its footsteps. After all, diesels are still big in Europe despite the electrification push.
Other models based on the same platform as the latest VW Tiguan, namely the MQB Evo, are the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport, Caddy, Golf Mk8, China's Passat, Skoda Kodiaq, Octavia, Super, SEAT Leon, Cupra Formentor, Audi A3, and so on. Thus, the Terramar is compatible with all kinds of powertrains. Still, in all likelihood, it will launch with 1.5L and 2.0L units, some of which will feature partial electrification.
Cupra has yet to reveal when it will pull the wraps off the Terramar. However, the latest reports speak about its worldwide debut being scheduled for August 2024. If that's the case, deliveries will likely commence this fall. The Cupra Terramar will be assembled in Hungary, and the assembly line will be shared with the Formentor and the Audi Q3. This model won't launch in the United States, as Cupra's first vehicle for our market is expected to be the next-gen Formentor EV, which will be put together locally.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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