Long-term report: Can the Cupra Terramar convince me to get excited about SUVs?

When it comes to modern cars, the uptake in jacked-up family wagons we call SUVs has made the roads a drab and grey-looking spectacle.

I’ve been living with the Cupra Terramar for the last four months, and although it might not have proved to be the most scintillating car-owning experience, it certainly doesn’t give a bad impression.

Many modern SUVs often fail to deliver any sort of driver engagement, and feel like one-trick ponies.

Thankfully, the Cupra does have credit where it’s due, as it feels like a premium-product that has a lot of useful features – from the sliding rear bench-seat to the large interior storage compartments.

It’s just clicked over 2,000 miles and the car has settled in nicely, still providing a decent amount of comfort and refinement on a long journey.

Unlike a lot of its rivals, the Terramar’s driving position isn’t too high – which might deflect the main point of an SUV, but if you enjoy driving, it does add a bit of a sporty appeal. Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t a car you’re going to be chucking into corners with vigor, and the rather lethargic 2.0-litre engine isn’t going to be breaking any land speed records, but certainly better than the average SUV.

Fuel efficiency hasn’t been too bad either. On a recent 290-mile round trip to Stansted Airport, the car averaged just under 45mpg – pretty good for a petrol-powered SUV.

However, over the past four weeks, the Terramar’s dashboard light mishap has returned. This time, it’s for the traffic sign recognition… not recognising traffic signs.

Driving along the picturesque A35 one evening, the car decided that the road’s national speed limit would become 40mph, and that applied to every other road it encountered. This then led to an error sign appearing on the dashboard. Yet, in typical Cupra fashion, the system had sorted itself out the next day and was behaving as normal, and as usual, I’ve been monitoring it and it hasn’t appeared since.

I’ve also complained about this issue before, and I’ll say it again; the automatic gearbox holds onto gears for too long under acceleration. It’s particularly noticeable when joining a motorway, with the engine screaming up the rev range. I’ll be honest, I think the car may need a software update, as I highly doubt the car’s ‘box has been programmed to rev out to that frequency when driven sedately.

So, four months in and Terramar is living up to be an impressive all-rounder. Yes, it does have its moments with its electrical gremlins, although as a capable family car, the Cupra really is a smart choice for those who want an SUV with a premium-feeling interior, lots of cabin space and something that will be easy to live with.

The question is, does the Terramar get me excited about SUVs? The simple answer is, no. The Cupra is far from a bad car, it just doesn’t excite me in any shape or form. I know that’s not what this type of car is designed to do, but when you buy a car, it needs to give you some sort of gratification, and that is what a typical SUV doesn’t deliver.

I’ve got two months left with the Cupra, before it heads back home, and at this stage, I’m indecisive with whether I will be sad or jumping with joy to see the back of it.