When 390 horsepower isn't enough: ABT turns the CUPRA Formentor VZ5 into a near-Lamborghini

© abt-sportsline.com

The CUPRA Formentor VZ5 was no ordinary crossover even in factory trim. The reason is the 2.5-litre five-cylinder TFSI from Audi — an engine usually kept around the 400 hp mark. But ABT decided that wasn’t enough and stretched the Formentor to a level just 15 hp short of a Lamborghini Urus.

The new version delivers 635 hp and 700 Nm instead of the standard 385 hp. You don’t get that kind of jump from a remap alone. ABT fitted a different turbocharger, a dedicated intercooler and a water-ethanol injection system that helps cool the engine from the inside. Top speed has climbed to 300 km/h.

Outwardly, the tuners didn’t turn the Formentor into a caricature. There are gloss-black accents at the front, reworked rear-bumper details and a tailgate spoiler, but overall the crossover looks more restrained than you’d expect of a 635-hp machine. The real changes are hidden under the body, not in the bodykit.

The suspension has been reworked too. New springs and dampers with separate rebound and compression adjustment are fitted, along with different anti-roll bars. With this much power it’s not just for show: the Formentor has to do more than go in a straight line — it has to hold the road in corners as well.

Inside, the differences are subtle. There’s an ABT logo on the start button, floor mats embroidered with VZ5 635 and the individual build number on the air vent. Just 30 cars will be built, sold only in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The price hasn’t been revealed, but affordable this Formentor will not be. What you’re buying here isn’t a practical crossover but a rare five-cylinder Audi engine in a Spanish body, taken to the point where common sense was left behind a long time ago.