CUPRA Formentor VZ5, an “invisible unicorn” in France?

Assassinated by unprecedented ecological taxation, this unbridled variant of the Spanish SUV Cupra Formentor VZ5 will be rare in France.

The new CUPRA Formentor VZ5 could have become one of the most sought-after sports SUVs on the European market. With its iconic 5-cylinder 2.5 TSI engine (borrowed from Audi) boosted to 390 horsepower, its maximum speed finally unrestricted, its sharpened chassis, and a worldwide production limited to 4,000 units, everything seemed to come together to make it a future collector’s item.

However, in France, it will never become anything more than an inaccessible curiosity, a car that enthusiasts will comment on without ever encountering. The reason: an ecological taxation that has become so extreme that it makes any commercialization purely impossible. The Cupra Formentor VZ5, sold for around 70,000 euros in eligible markets, would indeed be subject to an ecological penalty of 80,000 euros in France. In other words, the French buyer would have to pay a tax premium that exceeds the total price of the car itself. A paradox that perfectly illustrates the current situation: a sporty model, legally sellable elsewhere in Europe, finds itself mechanically banned in our territory.

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• 21/11/2025 7:17

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The most ironic part of this affair is that this VZ5, according to CUPRA, is not just a beefed-up version but a genuine technical manifesto. Its recalibrated five-cylinder engine, its uniquely toned exhaust, its 0 to 100 km/h sprint in 3.6 seconds, its Akebono braking system, and its exclusive 20-inch wheels make it one of the last exceptional thermal sports SUVs.

The interior is also impressive with new CUPBucket seats that lower the driving position, a performance-oriented digital cockpit, and a decidedly sporty atmosphere. A car designed for enthusiasts, those who see the automobile as an object of pleasure and character, rather than a mere standardized means of transportation.

But in France, these considerations no longer have their place. Since the ongoing tightening of the CO₂ scale, all thermal sports models are systematically discouraged from commercialization.

The new Formentor VZ5 thus becomes a true “French unicorn,” a car about which we will write, we will see it parade on social networks or at foreign gatherings, but which will remain absent from our roads. While CUPRA claims to want to “unlock the full potential” of its iconic 5-cylinder engine, France sends a clear message: the era of passionate thermal engines is coming to an end.

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