Cupra has borrowed the Audi RS3's five-cylinder turbo-petrol for the Formentor VZ5, its most-powerful – and dearest – model yet.
Cupra's most-powerful – and dearest – model yet has been detailed for Australia, as right-hand drive markets gain access to the limited-edition, five-cylinder Formentor VZ5 for the first time.
On sale now ahead of Australian deliveries no sooner than December 2026, the Cupra Formentor VZ5 features a 2.5-litre turbocharged five-cylinder petrol engine derived from the Audi RS3, RS Q3 and TT RS.
Priced from $94,990 before on-road costs, or $101,990 drive-away nationally, the VZ5 is the most expensive Cupra model sold in Australia to date, but undercuts the newest examples of its Audi siblings.
Cupra Australia said "fewer than 100 customer units" will be available in the initial allocation for our market, with the potential for additional volume "should early customer demand exceed expectations".
It is around 2.5 per cent of the 4000 units planned to be built in Spain in 2026 for the global market.
Delivering 287kW and 480Nm – 42kW and 60Nm more than the most-powerful four-cylinder turbo-petrol – the all-wheel-drive SUV can complete the 0-100km/h acceleration sprint in 4.2 seconds, 0.6sec quicker.
However, it is down on the 294kW/480Nm offered by the outgoing Audi RS Q3 and 294kW/500Nm of the current Audi RS3 hatch and sedan.
Standard equipment is expected to mirror the yet-to-be-announced 2026 Formentor VZx, plus VZ5 exclusive features, including a carbon-fibre front splitter and rear bumper, a new 20-inch alloy wheel design, flared wheel arches, and copper-tipped quad exhaust outlets.
Inside, it includes CUP bucket front seats as standard, which could become available in an optional Extreme Package for four-cylinder Formentor grades, similar to the 2026 Leon hatch and wagon.
The VZ5 is the first grade in the updated Formentor range to be detailed for Australia, with pricing and specifications for other variants – likely an entry-level four-cylinder petrol, a plug-in hybrid, and a flagship 2.0-litre petrol – yet to be announced.
Extra-cost options are limited to premium paint ($790 extra) or matte paint ($3300 extra), with five VZ5-exclusive colours set to be available: one standard, one premium, and three matte.
Along with its five-cylinder engine, the Formentor VZ5 also borrows its lateral torque vectoring and torque-shifting rear differential with the Audi RS models.
The 2026 Cupra Formentor VZ5 is available to order now, with customer deliveries expected to commence between December 2026 and March 2027.
Australian customer deliveries of the standard 2026 Cupra Formentor range are expected by the middle of the year, pending any delays.
2026 Cupra Formentor price in Australia
2026 Cupra Formentor VZ5 standard features:
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
