Here’s a detailed look at the paint palette available on the Cupra Formentor 5-seater crossover-coupe-SUV, which we hope will help you choose your perfect new car colour. You can also check out our in-depth Cupra Formentor review for more details about Cupra's very first standalone high-performance crossover SUV.
There are 9 main paint options for the Cupra Formentor, comprising 1 solid paint, 4 metallic paints, 2 premium metallic paints and then 2 matte-effect paints. Besides the exterior hues, we also outline the various interior upholsteries that go with these paint finishes.
Paint Types
Solid = a simple body colour with no additives in the paint. Usually comprises 3 coats, these being a primer, then the paint, then a clear, protective lacquer. Solid paints aren’t particularly shiny and are normally the only standard/no-cost colours offered by manufacturers.
Metallic = same application process as above but the paint now has powdered metal mixed into it, which reflects more light to give the car a shinier appearance. Metallic finishes usually cost more than solid paints.
Pearlescent/Mica = as above, only instead of metal, ceramic crystals (known as ‘mica’) are added to the paint. These not only reflect light but refract it too, giving one colour different appearances in different levels of light. They’re normally as expensive as or pricier than metallic paints.
Matte = uses special ‘flattening’ agents in the paint/layering make-up to give the car a non-reflective appearance, and sometimes an unusual texture too. These are normally the most expensive and rarest of paint options, and are not offered on many new car models.
Exterior
White
Type: Solid
Cost: No cost (default colour on all models)
Available On: All models
A typical standard colour in the automotive industry is used as the basic no-cost finish for the brilliant Cupra Formentor, which is a solid white that is called, well… er… White (capital W) in this instance. As 1 of 2 versions of the shade in the palette, White is obviously flatter and less glossy than the other choice (£590 Nevada White metallic, see below), but some would say it is also a slightly warmer tone to look at as well. Never mind; either way, White is going to take regular washing to look its best all year round.
Midnight Black
Type: Metallic
Cost: £590
Available On: All models
Stepping straight up to the metallic paints at £590 apiece, Midnight Black is the next choice. Cupra’s paints are quite interesting, as they always look very classy and subtly different to the mainstream norm, and Midnight is no different – but, like any black, it will actually show up winter road grime worse than the other colours in the palette.
Nevada White
Type: Metallic
Cost: £590
Available On: All models
So if you like the basic White paint of the Formentor but you want it to look a bit more ritzy, Nevada White will be the paint for you. It’s a crisper, sharper, cleaner white than the no-cost colour, but it’ll need exactly the same amount of care and attention with the washing kit, so choose it carefully if you’re the sort of person who loathes regular Sunday car-care routines.
Asphalt Blue
Type: Metallic
Cost: £590
Available On: All models
What was that we said about Cupra’s unusual but appealing paints? Nothing sums that up better than Asphalt Blue. This is a really dark tonal blue, which means it won’t wear encrusted on road salts very well, and nor will it particularly ‘pop’ in bright sunshine like a lighter blue would. That said, it really suits the Formentor’s sporty yet elegant lines, so it’s a smashing choice for the Cupra performance SUV.
Magnetic Tech Grey
Type: Metallic
Cost: £590
Available On: All models
On a price-to-maintenance ratio, Magnetic Tech Grey is arguably the most low-maintenance finish in the entire Cupra Formentor colour palette. This is because it is a safe yet attractive midtone grey, of the gunmetal ilk, that’ll still look decent when it’s covered with several layers of accumulated road filth. That it’s also one of the cheaper paint options in the range only heightens its appeal… oh, and mark it in your memory, because you’re going to see it again in this rundown, only in a slightly different (and much more expensive) format…
Desire Red
Type: Premium metallic
Cost: £850
Available On: All models
The only truly bold and bright colour in the Formentor’s palette, apart from the 2 whites, Desire Red is a corking finish. It’s a spicy-looking red, appropriate for a car from Spain, and while it will look quite tremendous when it’s spotlessly clean and shining in the sunlight, it should also carry off a patina of winter road grime just as well too. For that reason, Desire is the first of the ‘premium’ metallics and so incurs an extra premium over the 4 ‘regular’ metallics, resulting in a total extra cost of £850. Chunky.
Graphene Grey
Type: Premium metallic
Cost: £850
Available On: All models
Graphene Grey is a premium metallic but it has a flat-look to its finish, which makes it a type of grey that was highly fashionable a few years back – sister company Audi used to have a similar paint called ‘Nardo Grey’ which was very popular on high-performance RS models in the late 2010s. Luckily, Graphene still looks sharp and cutting edge on the Formentor, while it will also be relatively low maintenance in terms of washing it to keep it at its best.
Magnetic Tech Grey
Type: Matte
Cost: £1915
Available On: All models
Here’s Magnetic Tech Grey again, but the difference now is that this is a matte finish – and thus it’ll cost you an additional £1325 over the metallic version if you want it, resulting in a sizeable all-in price of £1915. Matte paint is highly desirable and looks incredible when it’s clean, but be warned this is a type of paint that needs rigorous upkeep all throughout the year, and we don’t just mean half-heartedly washing it every Sunday. Matte paints have no glossy top-coat, so you cannot polish or wax their paintwork for starters, nor can you use an automatic car wash because that will irreversibly scratch this distinctive paint finish. It is also advised that you remove any tree sap, road tar or bird poo deposits which get on the car IMMEDIATELY, because they will bake into the paint if you leave them on there and you’ll never be able to repair it properly. Therefore, matte paints are a lot of hassle… but if you think they’re worth it, then Magnetic Tech Grey matte is well worth checking out.
Petrol Blue
Type: Matte
Cost: £1915
Available On: All models
The other near-2-grand matte paint choice is this stunning Petrol Blue finish. Unlike Magnetic Tech Grey, which is available both in metallic and matte choices, Petrol is only available as a matte. It’s a lighter blue than the other option of this colour in the range, Asphalt, but it works so, so well on the Formentor and it can be complemented by a leather interior in the same shade on the plusher V2, VZ2 and VZ3 models. Petrol Blue is a very strong choice for the Formentor, which perhaps mitigates the £1915 asking price for it at ordering time.
Interior
Black Part-PVC And Part-Cloth Sports Seats
Type: Part-PVC and part-cloth
Cost: No cost
Available On: Standard on V1 grade cars
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
As all Cupra Formentors are designed to be sporty coupe-SUVs, all the interiors feature sports seats – but some are sportier than others. Cupra’s trim hierarchy runs V1, V2, VZ1, VZ2 and then VZ3, with these specifications relating to the power of the engines used in them (V1 and V2 cars are the lower-powered units available, VZ1-VZ3 is reserved for the more potent drivetrains), but V2 is a more luxurious specification than VZ1, for instance. However, the basic interior sees part-PVC and part-cloth sports seats trimmed with contrasting copper stitching, for a pleasing ambience in the Formentor’s cabin.
Black Part-PVC And Part-Cloth Bucket Seats
Type: Part-PVC and part-cloth
Cost: No cost
Available On: Standard on VZ1 grade cars
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The VZ1 cars have the same upholstery as the basic V1 models, but the difference here is that the front seats are deeper, more sculpted bucket chairs.
Black Nappa Leather Bucket Seats
Type: Leather
Cost: No cost
Available On: Standard on V2, VZ2 and VZ3 grade cars
Available With All Body Colours?: Yes
The more upmarket V2, VZ2 and VZ3 grades all get black, high-quality Nappa leather as standard, again wrapped around the deeper bucket seat frames as seen in the VZ1. It is proper cow hide in here, though, so not the choice for you if you’re a vegan.
Petrol Blue Nappa Leather Bucket Seats
Type: Leather
Cost: No cost (option)
Available On: V2, VZ2 and VZ3 grade cars
Available With All Body Colours?: No – not available with Desire Red premium metallic
As a no-cost alternative on all the specifications of Cupra Formentor which come with black Nappa leather as standard, Petrol Blue Nappa leather can be specified instead. This is a lovely interior and brings some colour to the Formentor’s largely dark cabin, but it cannot be teamed to the Desire Red premium metallic bodywork – making it the only interior option available which can’t be specified with all exterior colours.
Check out our latest Cupra Formentor lease deals here.
