Stepping inside, you immediately notice the key facelift changes, as there’s a much more acute attitude to sustainability and quality than before.
On cars specified with bucket seats, the cloth upholstery is made from a 73%-recycled vegan textile, while other cars use a leather that’s described by Cupra “environmentally conscious”.
Admiring the dashboard and taking in the largely unchanged but still attractive design, bronze trim and surfaces that look to have been designed with nothing but a ruler, you’re immediately aware that this is a car with some genuine character. It just about differentiates itself enough from other Volkswagen Group products to make you aware that you’re sitting in something with sporting (but still luxurious) intentions, even more so than previously.
Quality-wise, while the glossy trim pieces are nice to hold and intricately styled dashboard materials are plush to the touch, there’s evidence of general cheapening in the not-so-lower reaches of the dashboard and the glossy trim that will be behest to scratches and fingerprints more easily than textured materials. In addition, the particular Formentor that we tested had some interior panels that felt slightly loose and unfinished.
Tech levels have taken a noticeable step up, though, with illuminated trim pieces, matrix LED lights giving you a welcome dance upon unlocking and, most notably, a larger (12.9in) infotainment touchscreen fitted as standard across the range. Its size has ballooned to the point of visual intrusion, but its usability has taken great steps forwards, because it runs the Volkswagen Group’s new fourth-generation MIB operating software.
The screen is now slick to use and, once you get used to it, easy enough to navigate. It would help if controls for the climate, heated seats and radio were physical, because they’re still hard to see and hit on the move, but at least the buttons mounted on the steering wheel are physical and the system features permanent shortcut functions that can be used to quickly jump between menus. The touch-sensitive sliders for the audio volume and cabin temperature are also now backlit, helpfully.
Practicality has also remained unchanged, which is to say it’s quite good. The Formentor is roomier in the back than a typical hatchback and, although not quite rivalling the likes of the Skoda Octavia or Honda Civic for outright space, it has good everyday practicality and carrying versatility.