Long-term report: Is the Cupra Terramar just another SUV?
I can’t believe that it’s been three months since I took delivery of our Cupra Terramar, as it has simply flown by.
That doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to seeing the back of it, though, because after 1,300 miles in this Spanish SUV, I’ve become rather fond of it.
The Terramar had made a bed for itself on my driveway in November, due to the amount of short-term press cars that just kept on coming, but now with Christmas around the corner, the Cupra is back to doing the daily errands.
After racking up 300 miles in the last couple of weeks, its economy is starting to improve, as I’d moaned last month that the short journeys around town meant the car was only averaging 28mpg. Thankfully, a dash up to Gatwick Airport last week allowed the fuel consumption to reach over 41mpg, which is much more acceptable in a car of this class.
The back seats haven’t seen much use, although I do find the sliding rear seats extremely handy for loading larger items into the boot, without having to fold the rear bench down. From day one, I’ve been impressed with how refined the Terramar is on a long journey, and after last week’s airport run, I’m still very smitten by how comfortable and composed this SUV is on a long run.
As it’s winter, I’ve had to start using the heater and heated seats, which work wonders, though I still wish there were physical dials for the climate control, as simply cranking up the fan speed still requires going through a menu rather than pressing a simple button. Meanwhile, the column shift-mounted gear selector can be easily mistaken for the wiper stalk – which I’m guilty of doing, sometimes.
Apart from those little foibles, the car has behaved itself, with my only complaint coming from the automatic gearbox, which seems to hold onto the gears when you’re accelerating. I don’t know whether the car needs a software update to amend this, or if it’s just how the gearbox is programmed?
Cupra is a brand that does things differently, and while the Terramar isn’t the most exciting model in the brand’s line-up, it is one of the most complete offerings, and because of that, I’m rather impressed with what it’s provided so far.