I don’t know what the weather was like in your neck of the woods, but we had a great summer here in the North East of England, where I’m based. As I type this review, it’s now mid-October and I haven’t completely given up on the idea of wearing shorts, although the folk in my local probably wish I would.

I saw a report the other day predicting that by 2040, those of you in the South of England will be having what amounts to a Mediterranean climate. Pretty handy if you drive a SEAT or CUPRA.

From SEAT to Cupra

When SEAT first arrived in the UK in the mid-1980s, it marketed its cars as having built-in Mediterranean flair, emphasising their Spanish heritage. They even called their early cars the Ibiza and Malaga, with the SEAT Ibiza still available to us, of course.

SEAT has steadily developed, courtesy of now being part of the VAG megacorporation and now has a sister brand, Cupra, which has a sportier character.

And this is one of their latest - the Cupra Terramar. It’s a pretty good-looking car, and the front even has a hint of Lamborghini Urus about it.

The electric dilemma

Car manufacturers are having to hedge their bets at the moment. Grants and other incentives continue to help the sales of battery-powered EVs, but buyers still aren’t convinced. Latest figures (Sept 2025) show that electric cars are doing okay, with sales increasing by just over a third, but the biggest rise was for plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), which rose by 56 per cent.

And one of those PHEVs is the Cupra Terramar. It looks great with a certain sense of menace; it’s well equipped, good to drive, has a decent turn of speed and comes with a seriously smart interior. In other words, there’s plenty to coax you into the Terramar if you’ve a hankering for a family SUV which can also be an entertaining driver’s car.

Powertrain options

There are a few options to go for, and you can get a Terramar that runs purely on petrol - 1.5 litres or 2.0 litres (the 2.0 litres unit gets all-wheel drive) - or the choice of PHEV models, which Cupra calls E-Hybrid. Both PHEVs get the 1.5 litre petrol engine, but there’s a choice of 201bhp or 268bhp, with both delivering power to the front wheels via a 6-speed DSG gearbox. You can charge the battery using a rapid charger, although most folk will just plug the car into a wallbox at home or work. Stick the driver choice into EV mode and you’ll get just over 70 miles of battery powered travel. Decent.

Cupra reckons that both PHEVs will manage over 170mpg, which you won’t in reality, but it shows that the Terramar can be seriously economical if you make full use of the battery assistance. Business drivers will be interested.

Performance

In terms of performance, the 201bhp version hits 60mph in 8.3 seconds while the beefier model slices off one second. I'd stick with the 201bhp model and pocket the additional cash. Ah, prices. The entry-level V1 trim mated to the smaller E-Hybrid powertrain will set you back £44,535 (Oct 25). If you want the more powerful version, add around £3k, but that will also see you get additional kit because you have to move up to VZ1 trim. Swings and roundabouts.

If you like the look of the Terramar but aren’t too fussed about E-Hybrid power, prices kick off at a competitive £38,995.

Out on the road, the Cupra Terramar hits the sweet spot between comfortable ride but with sufficient roadholding and suspension control to allow for some more brisk driving. Bearing in mind that this is a car with a sporty focus, you’d forgive it for having a fairly firm set-up, but it’s surprisingly cushy. I must confess that at times I didn’t know whether the car was using 100% battery power or petrol only, or a bit of both…the switch between EV mode to hybrid is seamless. Sport mode allows you to drive the using steering wheel paddles to swap gears. It’s also a quiet car.

Interior

Hop inside, and there’s a sense of style to the Cupra Terramar. The Cupra range tends to like the copper colour, so no surprises there’s copper shades scattered around the cabin. Looks smart.

There’s a 12.9-inch central touchscreen which, thankfully, has configurable buttons situated at the base. The driver gets a 10.25-inch screen. Both look good, work well and are easy to use. Phew.

Sporty options

The sportier and more powerful models get the VZ trims, which bring you 19-inch alloys, tinted rear window, LED headlights, front fog and cornering lamps, DAB radio, sat nav, heated and powered front seats, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, and loads of safety kit. You also get a 5-year / 90,000 mile warranty.

Concluding thoughts

The Cupra Terramar is waltzing into a really packed SUIV marketplace, but it stands out and is one of the best offerings out there. It has an aggressive style, but it's seriously good to drive. It’s comfortable, well equipped, has a really good EV mode in terms of distance, a smart interior and is sensibly priced.

If you aren’t convinced about going all-in with battery power but still fancy some seriously economical motoring wrapped up in a thoroughly sorted package, the Cupra Terramar takes some beating.

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Cupra

Cupra Terramar - Worth More Than a Second Look