Many years ago, Ford fitted me with a suit that their designers used to simulate what it’s like to be old.
BY BRIAN BYRNE
It was to help them design their cars so that, in addition to younger drivers, seniors with stiffer, aching joints could manage them too. There were goggles to simulate aged sight.
I was much younger then, and didn’t quite believe that the suit was a glimpse of my future. But now I am here, and it was.
So these days I appreciate many small details in some cars I get to drive. Such as whether the door openings are high enough for me to get in and out without banging my head. You’d be surprised how many aren’t, even in larger cars. Or whether the interior door pull placement requires me to reach far out to grab it. Again, more are like that than not. It appears that not every car designer wears a Ford ageing suit.
So I was immediately impressed when I got into a Cupra Terramar, and both those issues were non-issues. These are details that put a reviewer in a reasonable frame of mind.
The style of the car, which replaces the Cupra version of the SEAT Ateca, also works, offering a quite individual take on the compact SUV segment.
Within the VW Group universe, the Terramar is related to the Audi Q3. But it is safe to say the Cupra has considerably more style. Certainly more bite in the front design; a striking look that’s also reflected in the rear treatment.
The Terramar looks appropriate against a backdrop of moody, even threatening weather. But it’s also at home parked in front of a concert hall with occupants deplaning in full evening dress.
I didn’t encounter either occasion with the review car, though we took the opportunity to visit Hillsborough Castle and Gardens for a day trip. Edward was the last royal to sign in there.
The house itself is appropriately old-fashioned, but we liked what the then-Prince Charles had done with the Drawing Room and its collection of paintings by various Irish artists. You also have to like the Terramar’s lounging space: stylish with attitude, but not so much as to be annoying.
The trademark Cupra copper-coloured detailing is well balanced, complementing the strong lines of the dashboard and centre console.
The large centre screen is straight from VW’s design centre, though graphically co-branded SEAT-Cupra. Virtual ‘buttons’ for key climate and comfort controls are permanently located along the bottom of the screen, while a pull-down menu from the top provides instant access to manage any driver ‘assistance’ systems you prefer to switch off.
It’s a very comfortable five-seater, with both of us, on our 300km round trip to the North’s royal residence, holding up well on the day. On the way back, during a judicious tea stop at Castlebellingham Service Area, we were bemused by the array of expensive tat and game temptations for children of probably frazzled families. Glad we’re well beyond that.
Terramar is a sizeable car, but the 150hp from the 1.5 mild hybrid petrol engine proved ample on that trip and the other local drives I undertook with the vehicle. For its size, the Terramar was also commendably fuel-efficient.
There was a peculiar and initially unsettling sense of freewheeling whenever I lifted off the accelerator, but perhaps I’m just used to strong engine braking in all the hybrid and electric cars I’ve been driving.
Conversely, the car automatically tried to slow down when changing to a lower speed limit or approaching a vehicle in front.
We also both felt that, on the motorway cruise, there was a fair amount of road noise, which I attributed at least in part to the tyres.
Although these things can change, Terramar is expected to be the last new combustion vehicle that Cupra launches. If that’s the case, it’s a pretty good one.
I also suspect the designer might have worn a Ford suit.
VERDICT
What I liked: Cupra’s combustion era fading out in style.
Price: From €46,400; review car €53,240.
