Cupra Terramar long-term test: report 6
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 6120 Price £46,695 Target price £44,035 Price as tested £47,390 Official economy 176.5mpg Test economy 83.0mpg
24 February 2026 – Terramar over train tickets
We’re often told to let the train take the strain, but the simple fact is that they are far too expensive. Indeed a recent trip from Essex to Bristol for my wife and I would have cost in the region of £180 – that’s about half of what my Cupra Terramar costs per month on PCP finance.
So brimming the petrol tank, charging the plug-in hybrid's battery and setting the sat-nav for the near-200-mile journey from east to west was the only option in town. And after 6920 miles, this was the first long-distance leisure journey I’ve undertaken, so with no mad rush to get anywhere, it was an intriguing time to reflect on my Cupra life so far.
Job number one was to see what fuel economy a long-distance drive, without any charge in the battery, would achieve. In my last report, I said that I’ve averaged an impressive 83mpg over the last 6120 miles. That has been achieved by charging before every journey, leaving the car in EV mode for shorter journeys or switching to hybrid mode for longer drives, such as my daily commute to the office.
But even in hybrid mode, the battery expired somewhere on the M4 – and the return leg was completed with no meaningful charge in the battery. On the way there, I had averaged 55mpg, but with a flat battery, the 1.5-litre engine delivered 46.6mpg, which is pretty much what I would’ve expected.
On my usual commute, there are sections of the M25 which are truly awful: noisy, bumpy and pothole-strewn. Few cars deal with this well, and the Terramar is no different. But my word, things were so much quieter and comfier on the better-maintained M4. It made me realise that I’m seeing my Cupra’s ride at its absolute worst. Yes, the ride is firmer than the VW Tiguan and louder than a Volvo XC40, but as long as the road surface isn’t a disaster, I have no issues at all.
One oddity reared its head as I peeled off the motorway and onto some winding roads, though. The gear-shift paddles are some of the most oddly positioned I’ve come across, because they’re so far from the wheel’s rim that you have to stretch your hands all the way round the back to reach them. I realise a sporty SUV needs them, but their size and position renders them almost redundant.
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