Cupra Terramar long-term test: report 4
With its racy demeanour, does the Cupra Terramar put the sport in sport utility vehicle? We've got six months to find out.....
The car Cupra Terramar V2 1.5 e-Hybrid 204PS DSG Run by Stuart Milne, digital editor
Why it’s here To see if the Terramar could be a practical, low-cost Porsche Macan alternative
Needs to deliver the driving experience those looks promise, while being an economical family workhorse
Miles covered 4730 Price £46,695 Target price £44,035 Price as tested £47,390 Official economy 176.5mpg Test economy 84.3mpg
20 January 2026 – Enough is enough
“More, more, more.” The three words that have become Billy Idol’s most famous. And it occurred to me recently that it’s precisely what I’ve been seeking with my most recent company cars.
But in the case of my Cupra Terramar, it’s more of a case of “enough, enough, enough”. That’s because when it comes to practicality there’s just about enough of everything.
When it arrived a few months ago, in a proud-dad moment, my eight year old son pointed out that it didn’t have much legroom. Of course, compared with my old, vast Mercedes E-Class Estate, it didn’t.
But now, 4500 miles later, both he and my 12-year-old daughter are perfectly happy back there, because there’s enough legroom. It suits me and my young family just fine, although things might be different if my kids were a pair of burly teenagers.
They like that the seat backs tilt, and love the funky light patterns on the doors. And my son loves to poke me through the decorative hole in the front seat backs, much to my irritation.
The idea of just being ‘enough’ was pulled into sharp focus last weekend, as the plug-in hybrid was pressed into service to haul some weighty objects. My dishwasher packed up, so I was dispatched to Currys for a replacement in the blind faith that it’d fit. It was close, but I needn’t have worried: there was just enough space.
The following afternoon, I popped over to help an elderly relative mow their remarkably large lawn, because their mower had given up the ghost. As my Qualcast wasn’t up to the job, I borrowed something far more meaty. As a family SUV, the Terramar’s boot sits quite high, so it was a challenge to hoist the 31kg mower into the boot, but I was grateful for the lack of a loading lip and the flat floor. Once again, it was just enough.
I’m not a massive fan of the strap that releases the seat backs, though, because it’s more awkward than pressing a button beside the headrest. It also means it’s a two-handed operation to return them upright, and they require a firm shove to get them in position.
Better is the underfloor storage, which isn’t a given in a plug-in hybrid. It’s peculiar there’s no plastic liner down there, but it meant I was quickly able to sling the charging cable and first aid kit out of the way.
So, when it comes to the Terramar’s practicality, enough is most definitely enough.
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