2026 Cupra Terramar review

The Cupra Terramar is one of the most impressive looking new SUVs on the market.

It blends the brand’s trademark sharp-edged styling with premium and upmarket looking interior trims and finishes. And frankly, it looks a million bucks.

It doesn’t cost all that much, but it is a pricier choice in the mid-size SUV segment, if you’re thinking about a mainstream-ish model, anyway.

But does it justify the money? And is the entry-level S with its 48-volt mild-hybrid system the best pick in the lineup?

Read on and have your say in the comments.

How much does the Cupra Terramar cost?

This isn’t a budget-focused offering in the mid-size SUV segment. Not even close. It’s not the most expensive choice you could make, but it’s playing the role of medium SUV from a ‘premium’ brand, being above the mainstream but below the luxury offerings in the segment.

The Cupra Terramar is similar in size to the Volkswagen Tiguan, and this base model has a much higher price than you’d pay for an entry-grade Tiggy, too.

But you’re getting a heap of standard equipment and safety technology, not to mention a mild-hybrid powertrain with 48V technology – details below.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

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What is the Cupra Terramar like on the inside?

The first impressions are very good. As soon as you slide into this vehicle, you feel like you’ve spent your money well.

The cabin space is comparatively special, and the copper highlights and quality material finishes all add to the ambience.

Speaking of which, there’s configurable ambient lighting which runs up along the top of the dashboard and into the doors, with very groovy triangulated lighting on the door cards that will get plenty of comments and admiration. 

It makes you feel like this is a high-end offering – but the mixture of materials and dark finishes can also make it feel rather cocoon-like – and even though I’m not the biggest fan of sunroof options, I think it would be nice to have one in a vehicle like this, as it does feel a little bit shadowy.

I’m calling it “dragon scale” finishing throughout the cabin, with the very cool textured design running on the dash and down between the seats. 

But one thing some people might find annoying is that there aren’t big chunky grab handles for the doors – which can be an issue if it’s raining and you’ve got wet hands, or if you’ve just got your hands full. 

The steering wheel is a very nice thing to hold, with highlight copper stitching and finishes, and there’s an engine starter button on the steering wheel too, alongside a drive mode button. 

All the main steering wheel controls are simple to get your head around, and they are actual buttons and dials rather than haptic ones (and they’re not reflective either!), which makes it easier to interact with.

The gear selector is a column-mounted twist shifter on the right-hand side of the steering wheel, while on the left side you’ve got your everything stalk to operate the blinkers, lights and wipers – including a rear wiper, thank goodness!

The digital instrument panel in front of the driver is configurable with multiple different view modes, including a map mode and even a lap timer – odd, in this mild-hybrid base model.

The touchscreen media system has good interactivity about it, with a very easy to learn drop-down menu system that you can configure to suit your requirements. More on the reason I like that (and the things you can add to it in terms of the safety annoyances) in the driving section below.

There are multiple different menus and multiple different screens via which you can access things, so it will take some learning. But once you’ve spent a couple of hours with the car you will get everything sorted.

The wireless Apple CarPlay worked reasonably well despite some toll-gate interruptions, and there’s sat-nav built in if you want to use it. 

The bottom part of the screen hosts a fixed panel with climate settings, but you have to hit the ‘Clima’ button to adjust the fan speed, which might be a pain if you prefer a real toggle. There are temperature sliders and a volume slider below the screen, so at least that’s easy… ish. 

Down lower there is a pair of USB ports and a wireless phone charger, big cupholders, a small centre console bin, big door pockets with bottle capability, and a reasonable glovebox, too.

Overhead you won’t find a sunglasses holder, and there’s no connected services – so no emergency SOS call button.

The rear seat is reasonably accommodating. For someone 182cm tall, there is enough space to sit behind another six-footer. There’s a sliding rear seat setup with a 60:40 split to it, and legroom is certainly best when the seat is slid all the way back. Just be mindful if you are planning to fit three across, the transmission tunnel intrusion in the back is very prominent. As a two-seater option, it is far more appealing.

There are directional air vents in the back, plus a fold-down armrest with cupholders, and bottle holders in the doors, but annoyingly no seat back pockets for extra storage – instead you just get hard kick panels. 

My kiddo particularly liked the ambient lighting triangulations in the back, and it does make for a more upmarket experience – even if there is some evidence of cost-cutting, with hard door toppers at the back. You do get soft elbow pads down low, however.

Boot space is good. There’s easily enough room in the cargo area (508 litres) for luggage of multiple different types with the rear seats all the way back, but if you slide them forward there’s a good 642L of capacity.

Underneath the boot floor there is a space-saver spare wheel, and you can raise up the false floor to a higher position if you want. There is a good amount of additional thoughtfulness in the back with side storage caddies and hooks, too.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

We’re just covering off the Terramar S for this part, but if you want to see how it fits into the broader lineup for this SUV line, check out this article. 

This is the first model in the Cupra lineup with 48-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) 48-volt technology. Not even any Volkswagen models in Australia have it yet.

The powertrain offers familiar outputs from plenty of four-cylinder VW Group products from years gone by, and the transmission and performance are bang-on what you’d expect – just with modest electrification as part of the mix.

The big thing here could be fuel use. The official claimed figure is good for a car of this size and in this class at 5.7L/100km, but I recorded a lot higher number in my mix of testing over a few days of driving in urban, highway, and stop-start traffic plus freeway open-roading.

On screen, the average was 7.3L/100km. So, is that good enough for a model with ‘hybrid’ associated? It is very mild-hybrid tech, and frankly I expected to see figures in the mid to high sixes.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How does the Cupra Terramar drive?

Cupra makes its cars drive differently to Volkswagens and Skodas.

In case you weren’t aware, the Spanish brand is all about making its vehicles more thrilling, more fun and a bit more engaging than the vehicles that often share the same platforms. 

That’s certainly evident in this Terramar, which is a lively and exciting thing to drive but also manages to be comfortable and enjoyable for daily commuting.

It is a little firm in terms of the suspension – certainly more assertive feeling than a Volkswagen or Skoda, but it does have a sure-footedness that is reassuring. Even without adaptive dampers in this grade, the ride comfort is perfectly acceptable, and I like the fact this base grade has relatively chubby tyres for better comfort over sharp edges and little bumps.

The other thing that Cupra does to make its cars feel different is fettle the steering settings, and the result is very enjoyable. It’s got a great weighting and directness on-centre, and excellent predictability when you do decide to push a little harder in corners, or if you are just tooling around town. It’s a super-involving and likeable car when it comes to the drive experience from a dynamics perspective.

What about the powertrain though? It’s a mild-hybrid small-capacity turbo-petrol engine – and in some instances that might not seem like the most appealing option in this lineup. 

But I think it could be a very strong contender for those looking for an easygoing powertrain that isn’t all about huge power. Despite that, the engine feels up to the task when you are at low speeds or if you need to do a zippy overtaking move on the freeway.

The mild-hybrid system can disengage the powertrain and transmission when you are just coasting at pace, which is barely noticeable unless you’re watching the tachometer.

But obviously the 48V mild-hybrid tech is more about low-speed considerations, and what it will do is cut the engine off to try and save fuel and use electrics to keep things operating. 

The electric motor isn’t going to push the car along on its own, though. It can add boost when accelerating, but mainly works to ensure smoother start/stop functionality and it stays powered up by way of regenerative braking.

It is very smooth, and you can’t feel the engine shake the car back to life when it kicks back on. 

The transmission is excellent too. I had no issues with the way it behaved, thanks to smooth and snappy shifts at speed, and it’s not too laggy at low speeds either. It’s smooth and likeable enough to be easy-going in daily driving situations.

And when it comes to the other considerations in the car, well there are some things you need to be mindful of.

The safety systems can be a little bit frustrating, because the car will default back on for lane-keeping assistance and also speed sign ‘bing bong’ nonsense, which could get on your nerves. But like I said, there is a quick drop-down menu that you can use to quickly switch off those things if you don’t like them – you just need to do it each time you drive.

There’s also a driver fatigue and distraction monitoring system, which might actually be a pretty effective tool to stop you from fiddling on the screen. But you might also want to turn it off each time you drive, if it bugs you.

And when it comes to visibility around the car, you do have pretty decent sized mirrors that give you a great quick-glance view, and over-shoulder vision is not too bad either. And when it comes to the camera system you do have a decent one in this car with surround view – but the resolution isn’t as crisp as in many rivals.

Like a lot of Volkswagen Group products, on coarse-chip road surfaces at higher speeds there is a bit of tyre roar intrusion, but it’s not deafening.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

What do you get?

The S represents the entry point to the local Terramar lineup.

2025 Cupra Terramar S equipment highlights:

• 18-inch ‘Atomic’ alloys – Black and Silver
• LED headlights
• LED ‘diamond’ daytime running lights
• LED ‘coast to coast’ tail-lights incl. Cupra logo
• Power tailgate incl. kick sensor
• Smart entry, push-button start
• Drive profile selection – Comfort, Performance, Individual
• Sports bucket front seats – Soul Black Dinamica upholstery
• Powered, heated front seats incl. driver memory function
• Head-up display
• Supersport heated steering wheel incl. satellite buttons
• 9-speaker Cupra sound system
• 3-zone climate control
• 10.25-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.9-inch touchscreen navigation system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay
• Wireless Android Auto
• Configurable ambient interior lighting
• Auto-dimming interior mirror
• Wireless phone charging
• 360-degree camera incl. dynamic guidelines

Terramar V adds:

• 19-inch ‘Cosmic’ alloys – Black and Copper
• Upgraded front brake package
• Hill descent control

Terramar VZ adds:

• 20-inch ‘Hadron’ alloys – Black and Copper
• DCC Pro adaptive suspension
• Deep Burgundy leather-appointed upholstery
• 12-speaker Sennheiser premium audio
• Customisable engine sound modelling
• Matrix Ultra LED headlights
• Upgraded rear brake package
• ‘CUPRA’ drive profile

Really, like most Cupra models, you’re stepping up from a powertrain and equipment perspective if you can afford to (or want to!) spend more on your Terramar.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

Is the Cupra Terramar safe?

This SUV has a 2025 five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on Euro NCAP testing.

Standard safety features include:

• 7 airbags
• Adaptive cruise control with ‘follow to stop’
• Travel Assist
  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Lane centring assist
  • Traffic jam assist
• Front Assist – AEB
  • Forward collision warning
  • Pedestrian detection
  • Cyclist detection
  • Turn assist, swerve support
• Speed sign recognition
• Lane Assist
  • Lane departure warning
  • Lane-keep assist
• Light Assist – auto high-beam
• Side Assist – blind-spot monitor
• Exit Assist – rear cross-traffic alert
• Exit warning
• Top View – 360-degree cameras
• Parking sensors – front, rear
• Park assist
• Driver attention monitor
• Tyre pressure monitor

There are seven airbags fitted to the Terramar – dual front, front side, front centre, and full-length curtain.

The Terramar VZ adds Matrix Ultra LED headlights with adaptive high-beam.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

How much does the Cupra Terramar cost to run?

Cupra offers class-competitive levels of aftersales ownership benefits. The standard offering is strong, with five years of warranty and roadside assistance, and if you want you can match that with a five-year servicing package, which isn’t too expensive for this type of car.

To see how the Cupra Terramar lines up against the competition, check out our comparison tool

CarExpert’s Take on the Cupra Terramar

If you want a premium and sporty feeling mid-size SUV with plenty of panache and practicality, you’d be foolish not to consider the Cupra Terramar.

It looks spectacular outside, feels special inside, and drives great too.

The price might be the only sticking point, but honestly, it feels like it would be money well spent.

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MORE: Explore the Cupra Terramar showroom