The Terramar is the newest SUV to arrive in Cupra’s range – a marque that is still a relatively new brand to UK buyers. Cupra was hived off from its Seat parent a few years ago, and is now a standalone name within the Volkswagen Group. It's positioned as an upmarket performance brand, but, with cars like the Terramar, it's clear that the Spanish upstart marque still has an eye on the family market. The Terramar is closely related to the Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan, and focuses on offering space and versatility, along with efficient powertrains, all wrapped up in a sporty-styled SUV package.
The Cupra Terramar offers an excellent blend of practicality and efficiency, and yet has a sporting and upmarket look and feel. It could be the perfect car for those who want a family SUV that looks exciting and dynamic.
Jack is an experienced motoring journalist who has been covering the latest new-car releases for the last 10 years.
Read bioThe Terramar is currently the largest SUV Cupra offers, and sits above the Ateca and Formentor price-wise. The range starts at just under £38,000 for the V1 with a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol engine, rising to £51,000 for the 2.0-litre petrol four-wheel drive VZ2 model. It’s more expensive than its sister, the Volkswagen Tiguan.
As it's still a relatively new car, used prices haven’t slipped by much – but, on platforms such as AA Cars, there is still great value to be had. Prices start at under £30,000 for the entry-level V1 cars, while the more potent VZ1 and VZ2 cars are nearer the £35,000 mark. If you desire plug-in hybrid power, again you'll have to budget for around £35,000.
The Cupra Terramar has a pretty simple engine range to get your head around.
The entry-level choice is a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid petrol with 148bhp, and it's an engine that is used in a number of Volkswagen Group cars. Next up is a 2.0-litre petrol with either 201bhp or 261bhp, while there's also a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). This combines the 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 25.8kWh battery pack, giving an impressive electric driving range of up to 74 miles. Peak DC charging is rated at 50kW meaning a 10-80 per cent top-up from a rapid charger will take 26 minutes.
All Terramars come with automatic gearboxes, and the 2.0-litre cars come exclusively with four-wheel drive. Unlike its Skoda Kodiaq and Volkswagen Tiguan sisters, there are no diesels available.
The 1.5-litre mild-hybrid delivers a perfectly pleasant driving experience. It's a little at odds with the Terramar's sporty styling, but it has more than enough power – 148bhp – for most, while also balancing frugal running costs. The mild-hybrid tech helps smooth out engine start-ups, and it switches off the engine when cruising up to a set of traffic lights, for example, improving fuel economy.
The 2.0-litre cars offer some useful extra punch and more refined cruising characteristics, while the PHEV can deliver some seriously impressive running costs thanks to its all-electric range. However, the PHEV drives at its best when there’s some charge left in its battery – once depleted, the car can feel a little jerky.
All engines are quiet and smooth around the city, the PHEVs especially so, and the Terramar is a very easy car to drive. It has light controls and a very adjustable driving position for even the tallest of drivers.
In keeping with the brand's character, the Terramar has a slightly sporty feel to the way it drives. Even the entry-level 1.5 mild-hybrid feels grippy, assured and engaging on a twisting country road, while also having the best ride comfort thanks to its smaller wheels.
Cars higher up the model range get larger wheels, and this does take the edge off the comfortable ride. But this isn't too much of an issue as, like we've said, Cupra likes to see itself at the sportier end of the spectrum.
The range-topping VZ2 model gets DCC (Dynamic Chassis Control) as standard. This system changes the level of damping – there are 15 stages ranging from super comfy settings to harder modes for better cornering and handling.
The Terramar’s interior is easily one of its strongest selling points. It has a great mixture of good quality materials, modern technology, and a distinctive design.
The fit and finish is generally excellent, with soft-touch surfaces and attractive trim finishes. There's a liberal use of copper detailing – Cupra's brand colour – to lift the ambience, and it gives the car an upmarket, special feeling.
As in many family SUVs these days, the dashboard is dominated by a large central touchscreen. It controls the vast majority of the car's functions, so it's a relief that it has slick and intuitive software, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come as standard, as does satellite navigation. Multi-colour ambient lighting just adds to the cabin's premium feel.
It may have a sporty persona but the Terramar hasn't forgotten its family SUV credentials.
Space up front is very generous, and taller drivers will easily get comfortable, and the same goes for the back seats. Six-footers will have loads of room to stretch out, even if a glass panoramic roof is fitted, and the back seats can slide and recline for maximum comfort.
There are some neat touches, too. The back doors open wide to aid the loading of child seats, the Isofix points are easy to find (even the front passenger seat has Isofix points, too), and the armrest has cupholders and a space to prop up your smartphone – perfect for watching videos on the move.
The Terramar is a genuinely practical family SUV, though boot space varies depending on engine choice.
Petrol versions offer a good 540 litres of boot space, which is competitive for the class; slide the rear seats forwards and this swells to 642 litres. The seats split in a handy 40/20/40 format, boosting practicality, and the boot area itself is wide and of a good shape. Note, though, that the PHEV has a smaller 400-litre boot (490 litres with rear seats slid forwards).
The Terramar is very well-equipped, with kit levels in keeping with the brand's premium positioning. Even entry-level V1 models come with 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, bucket seats (which are trimmed in a recycled material called 'Seaqual'), a 12.9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, and a rear view camera.
Moving up the range brings matrix LED headlights and heated seats, culminating with the VZ2. This top-spec car gets Dynamic Chassis Control, 20-inch wheels, leather upholstery, a head-up display, and a 360-degree parking camera.
When searching for a used Terramar, look out for the America's Cup and Tribe special editions. These add some extra desirable equipment such as exclusive paint, and upgraded Sennheiser audio.
The Cupra Terramar is a very well-equipped car – but that's not surprising as the Cupra brand tends to think of itself as upmarket.
The V1 trim will likely impress most buyers as it has a strong standard kit list. It gets 18-inch alloys, LED headlights, bucket seats trimmed in a tactile recycled material, a 12.9-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sat-nav, and a rear view camera, all as standard. It's for this reason that many used Terramars are in V1 specification.
V2 adds a head-up display, heated front seats and ambient lighting, while the sportier VZ models get 19- or 20-inch wheels, LED matrix headlights, adaptive dampers, and upgraded seat upholstery. There are even a couple of specials – America's Cup and Tribe Edition add some extra niceties such as different paint, and upgraded Sennheiser audio systems.
Speaking of paint, the Terramar comes in the usual greys and blacks, but also deep 'Cosmos Blue', violet-like 'Deep Void', and Century Bronze Matte. All colours help to make the car look and feel upmarket.
Independent crash safety testers Euro NCAP awarded the Terramar a full five-star safety rating in 2025. Adult and child occupant protection scores came to 89 per cent and 87 per cent respectively, and vulnerable road user protection was a strong 82 per cent. The car's excellent suite of standard safety kit helped with the five-star safety rating.
The Terramar is too new to feature in industry reliability surveys, but the Cupra brand tends to be mid-league in reliability tables.
The Terramar is a pretty efficient family SUV, and even the powerful 261bhp 2.0-litre petrol model with four-wheel drive should return early 30s-mpg. The 1.5-litre mild-hybrid offers a good blend of decent performance and frugal running costs – you can expect low-to-mid-40s-mpg. Naturally, the on-paper efficient champion is the PHEV. Cupra claims fuel economy figures as high as 706mpg – you'll only see figures like this if you charge the car at the start and end of every journey, and drive primarily on electric power. Otherwise, mid-40s mpg is more likely – even less if the battery is empty.
As for VED, only the V1 escapes the Expensive Car Supplement, so owners pay the flat rate of £195 a year. All other models are slapped with the supplement, so that's £620 VED every year for the car's first five years.
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