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.

If you cast your mind back to September, I was rather bitter at the fact that I’d swapped a 300bhp fire-breathing hot hatch for another anonymous crossover. However, as the weeks have gone by, the Terramar’s excellent blend of comfort, refinement, technology and economy has made me have a rethink and I’ve come to the conclusion that this could be the perfect car for a small family.

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.

However, the infotainment gremlins have made a return this month, and this time, they’re targeting the car’s Apple CarPlay system. In the last two weeks, this issue has happened twice, where CarPlay completely freezes, with no way of changing the app on the screen or stopping the music from playing. The only solution is to turn the car off and on again, just like a home computer. That seems to sort everything out, yet this has happened twice in two weeks, and it’s very annoying.

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?

Either way, I’m halfway through my time with the Cupra Terramar, and what started off as a rather uninspiring car has grown on me to think that with its practical interior space, impressive refinement levels and comfortable driving experience, it’s proving to be a great choice for small families that want an SUV with a touch of style and quality.

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.