Calling Formentor VZ1 2.0TSi owners

[Depodon]

It seems that VZ1 2.0TSi owners are a pretty rare bread! Trying to find reviews of this spec is almost as elusive as the car itself!

I’ve recently placed an order for one and was hoping some of the owners on here would be able to answer a few questions…

How well does the car cope with 245hp going through the front wheels? Does it scramble for traction off the line/ in the wet?

How does it deal with uneaven road surfaces / potholes? The dealer only had a V1 available for my test drive and I was impressed with how it coped on broken roads even with the torsion beam rear. Does the VZ1 with its adaptive suspension / DCC and other electronic aids improve this further or is it firmer (thinking in comfort mode as expecting it to be harder in the sportier settings)

Are you happy with picking this spec? I was torn between the 190 V2 with 4Drive but the boy racer in me kicked in (and the VZ2 was out of budget)

How big a difference is there with the different settings? I’m thinking comfort mode on school run to be a serene drive and Cupra mode on way back to remind me I’m alive lol.

Thanks

 

[SamuelDonuts]

I don't have this exact spec, I have a Leon TSI 245 and daily access to a 310 Formentor VZ2. But I hope my experiences can help you, this engine combination is definitely still quite rare for the brand.

Traction in the 245 - It's pretty good. Obviously not 4WD material and it is winter, but it definitely copes well with the power and you can feel the VAQ diff working its magic. Once it's gripped and on song, she flies. Excellent combination of power, economy etc.

DCC in the Formentor - silky smooth. I've had it in that and my previous Ateca - Comfort is silky smooth, sport is a more engaging feeling, Cupra mode is just uncecessarily harsh.

 

[Depodon]

I don't have this exact spec, I have a Leon TSI 245 and daily access to a 310 Formentor VZ2. But I hope my experiences can help you, this engine combination is definitely still quite rare for the brand.

Traction in the 245 - It's pretty good. Obviously not 4WD material and it is winter, but it definitely copes well with the power and you can feel the VAQ diff working its magic. Once it's gripped and on song, she flies. Excellent combination of power, economy etc.

DCC in the Formentor - silky smooth. I've had it in that and my previous Ateca - Comfort is silky smooth, sport is a more engaging feeling, Cupra mode is just uncecessarily harsh.

Thanks mate! Just had a mild panic as to whether I’d picked the right spec for me!

 

[Splosho]

Thanks mate! Just had a mild panic as to whether I’d picked the right spec for me!

Hi mate, I've got a VZ1 245TSI on order It's confirmed to go to build next week and should hopefully be here in March if there are no delays during build! I'm hoping to post some experience with it after a few weeks of living with it. I ordered mine back at the start of June, so when wanting a test drive I only had access to a V1 1.5 manual. I was impressed how nippy the 1.5 was, so I guess the 245 will be great in the Formentor!

 

[Cuprakash]

I've got the vz1 hybrid which also has 245bhp and front wheel drive.
Traction is not an issue even if you boot it from standstill...unless of course the road is damp,which will always be a slight issue for any two wheel drive vehicle.

Can't believe that Splosho,you are still waiting for your 245!

 

[anewlime]

I've got a 245, it does struggle for traction on anything but smooth and dry roads but only if you're going for maximum acceleration. Then again, 245 is quite a lot to put through the front wheels alone. So long as you're not expecting 4WD levels of grip you won't be disappointed grip wise.

The engine isn't the most refined, and the DSG programming doesn't help with this in non sport mode, it fails to change down on uphill gradients leaving the engine sounding like it's struggling. Switching to sport fixes this though.

 

[Depodon]

I've got a 245, it does struggle for traction on anything but smooth and dry roads but only if you're going for maximum acceleration. Then again, 245 is quite a lot to put through the front wheels alone. So long as you're not expecting 4WD levels of grip you won't be disappointed grip wise.

The engine isn't the most refined, and the DSG programming doesn't help with this in non sport mode, it fails to change down on uphill gradients leaving the engine sounding like it's struggling. Switching to sport fixes this though.

Thanks!! I take it you’ve got the non-hybrid version… how are you finding ownership (apart from the dreaded software issues that I’ve been reading about on here)?

 

[anewlime]

Thanks!! I take it you’ve got the non-hybrid version… how are you finding ownership (apart from the dreaded software issues that I’ve been reading about on here)?

Yeah, I have the VZ1 245 2.0. Honestly, other than the software issues I find the car to be largely unremarkable. The build quality and materials are as you'd expect to find in a car of this class - just about passable without adding any unnecessary cost. It's a generic VAG hatchback - gets the job done in a broadly acceptable manner at a price the man on the street is willing to pay. Perhaps the 310 is more thrilling to drive but if hot hatches are your thing there's no shortage to choose from and the Formentor lacks anything to make it really stand out... Unless you also want to pretend you've sort of got an SUV without actually buying one.

 

[thor4fun]

Few photos of my VZ1 2.0 245; delivered in Nov;

• Overall traction on dry and wet-ish is ok, sometimes it does spin the wheels. but quickly finds its grip. It's a strong engine, with a lot of torque.
• As said here before - I switch DSG to sports mode whenever I'm planning to overtake, its a bit hopeless to do it in Drive, unless you floor it.
• I'll always complain about how harsh the suspension is - it's not necessary. You can change it via DCC, but dont expect a rolls royce. They give you 15 settings to choose from, but TBH, the difference is marginal. 19' probably do not help.
• Sound is great - natural inline 4
• Fuel consumption is ok: driving normally on M25 I get 8.5L/100, im averaging 9.4 (30mpg?) from all travels.
• Multimedia can be slow, especially to boot up or even to change the songs via carplay. I found one interesting bug: whenever the song starts sound is muted, despite it being not muted at all What helps is muting and unmuting it again, and restarting the song. After that its all ok, until the next drive.

 

[Depodon]

Few photos of my VZ1 2.0 245; delivered in Nov;

• Overall traction on dry and wet-ish is ok, sometimes it does spin the wheels. but quickly finds its grip. It's a strong engine, with a lot of torque.
• As said here before - I switch DSG to sports mode whenever I'm planning to overtake, its a bit hopeless to do it in Drive, unless you floor it.
• I'll always complain about how harsh the suspension is - it's not necessary. You can change it via DCC, but dont expect a rolls royce. They give you 15 settings to choose from, but TBH, the difference is marginal. 19' probably do not help.
• Sound is great - natural inline 4
• Fuel consumption is ok: driving normally on M25 I get 8.5L/100, im averaging 9.4 (30mpg?) from all travels.
• Multimedia can be slow, especially to boot up or even to change the songs via carplay. I found one interesting bug: whenever the song starts sound is muted, despite it being not muted at all What helps is muting and unmuting it again, and restarting the song. After that its all ok, until the next drive.

Nice motor!!!
Thanks for the insight… it seems that the software problem is the biggest issue… I’d read on another thread that the new version is imminent so let’s hope that it’s the be all revision to end all these problems people are facing!

 

[johanr77]

• Fuel consumption is ok: driving normally on M25 I get 8.5L/100, im averaging 9.4 (30mpg?) from all travels.

Is that 8.5l per 100 miles or kilometres? If it's miles you're getting over 50 to the gallon which is phenomenal. If it's kilometres you're still doing over 33mpg which is pretty much what I'd hope it could manage.

 

[anewlime]

I've covered just over 1k mls of mixed driving and averaged 27.7mpg (UK).

 

[hagul]

The exhaust pipes https://www.facebook.com/groups/160342282652942/permalink/349719443715224/

 

[Depodon]

Hi mate, I've got a VZ1 245TSI on order It's confirmed to go to build next week and should hopefully be here in March if there are no delays during build! I'm hoping to post some experience with it after a few weeks of living with it. I ordered mine back at the start of June, so when wanting a test drive I only had access to a V1 1.5 manual. I was impressed how nippy the 1.5 was, so I guess the 245 will be great in the Formentor!

So buddy, day 2 of ownership… how are you finding it?

 

[Splosho]

So buddy, day 2 of ownership… how are you finding it?

Hi mate, the car is brilliant have done 120 miles in 2 days Luckily up to now I'd no problems- I know it's still early days. Car arrived with 1890 software and the infotainment screen is pretty quick and responds really well.

I've not found the screen itself to be a massive issue and have got used to it pretty quickly. Have the usual changing settings pop up that has been mentioned on start up but I just press cancel. One issue I did have is when having a conversation with a passenger, the voice control would randomly activate even when not saying 'Hola Hola' but I soon turned the command off and will just use the button on the steering wheel instead to activate.

I really like the half cloth/pvc seats they are very comfortable and everyone who has sat in them has said the same.

The engine is brilliant, suits the car brilliantly, there is a lot of low down torque and the DSG just slips through the gears effortlessly and very smooth. I've not really gone out of comfort mode yet as I'm trying to bed the engine in for a bit. But in my brief moment I have the car in Cupra mode the car has more than enough power for the public road. The car handles really well and the suspension is compliant with a sporty edge to it.

MPG wise I'm averaging around 34 MPG that's a mix of motorway/town-stop start traffic. But round town I'm seeing late 20s/early 30s. On the motorway I've been getting around 37 so it's not too bad and I'm sure it'll improve with more miles. But not too far of what my Cooper S gets.

All I can say it's been worth the 10 month wait up to now at least It's probably the sweet spot in the range, but the one no one talks about or reviews

 

[Depodon]

Hi mate, the car is brilliant have done 120 miles in 2 days Luckily up to now I'd no problems- I know it's still early days. Car arrived with 1890 software and the infotainment screen is pretty quick and responds really well. I've not found the screen itself to be a massive issue and have got used to it pretty quickly. Have the usual changing settings pop up that has been mentioned on start up but I just press cancel. One issue I did have is when having a conversation with a passenger, the voice control would randomly activate even when not saying 'Hola Hola' but I soon turned the command off and will just use the button on the steering wheel instead to activate. I really like the half cloth/pvc seats they are very comfortable and everyone who has sat in them has said the same. The engine is brilliant, suits the car brilliantly, there is a lot of low down torque and the DSG just slips through the gears effortlessly and very smooth. I've not really gone out of comfort mode yet as I'm trying to bed the engine in for a bit. But in my brief moment I have the car in Cupra mode the car has more than enough power for the public road. The car handles really well and the suspension is compliant with a sporty edge to it. MPG wise I'm averaging around 34 MPG that's a mix of motorway/town-stop start traffic. But round town I'm seeing late 20s/early 30s. On the motorway I've been getting around 37 so it's not too bad and I'm sure it'll improve with more miles. But not too far of what my Cooper S was getting. All I can say it's been worth the 10 month wait up to now at least It's probably the sweet spot in the range, but the one no one talks about or reviews

Great write up after a couple of days motoring mate! Sounds like you’re really enjoying it!

Some decent mpg figures too you’re turning in which bodes well as it loosens up.

Did you get the full power boot with virtual pedal? Was reading another thread that they were pulling that from the options but that it should still be available for models that have it as a standards feature.

Glad to hear the positivity about the engine and ride quality… as I mentioned before , the test drive was in a V1 and was impressed so hoping that it’s comfort levels are at least on par with that.

Still Surprised that it’s not been reviewed by journos yet!

 

[virydium]

hi all, i am an italian guy who ordered a formentor vz 2.0 tsi 245 ps, i dont find much on the web and i would like to know if anyone has a video of the exhaust sound.
Thanks

 

[Depodon]

hi all, i am an italian guy who ordered a formentor vz 2.0 tsi 245 ps, i dont find much on the web and i would like to know if anyone has a video of the exhaust sound.
Thanks

Ciao!!

if you look a few posts up Hagul posted a link to a video that shows the exhaust noise

 

[Splosho]

Great write up after a couple of days motoring mate! Sounds like you’re really enjoying it!

Some decent mpg figures too you’re turning in which bodes well as it loosens up.

Did you get the full power boot with virtual pedal? Was reading another thread that they were pulling that from the options but that it should still be available for models that have it as a standards feature.

Glad to hear the positivity about the engine and ride quality… as I mentioned before , the test drive was in a V1 and was impressed so hoping that it’s comfort levels are at least on par with that.

Still Surprised that it’s not been reviewed by journos yet!

Sorry mate completely forgot to reply!

Yes I did get the full power boot with virtual pedal- at first I didn't think so as I couldn't get the virtual pedal to work.

I test drove a v1 as well and thought the ride comfort was good, the VZ1 comes with DCC so it changes depending what mode you're in and can configure it in Individual mode

 

[Depodon]

Sorry mate completely forgot to reply!

Yes I did get the full power boot with virtual pedal- at first I didn't think so as I couldn't get the virtual pedal to work.

I test drove a v1 as well and thought the ride comfort was good, the VZ1 comes with DCC so it changes depending what mode you're in and can configure it in Individual mode

No worries mate - glorious weekend weather so figured you were too busy having some fun in it!