Cupra Formentor vs Lexus IS
What's the difference?

Cupra Formentor

$49,990 - $94,990

2026 price

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Lexus IS

$39,990 - $62,990

2021 price

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Summary

2026 Cupra Formentor

2021 Lexus IS

By Jack Quick

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Engine Type

—

Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Premium Unleaded/Electric

Fuel Efficiency

—

4.9L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Well-equipped
Massive range boost for PHEV
Fun and engaging to drive

Sleek and efficient hybrid drive
Graceful ride
Spec improvements

Dislikes

Small boot in PHEV
Formentor S runs out of puff
Lots of tyre roar

Slow
Busy interior design
Fiddly and over-complicated software

2026 Cupra Formentor Summary

We’ve waited more than two years and it’s finally here.

Cupra has introduced the updated version of its most popular car in Australia, the Formentor.

A spicy small SUV rival to the likes of the Mini Countryman, BMW X2 and Audi Q3, among others, this design-led small SUV is now offered in more flavours than ever before.

It’s our first time testing out this updated Formentor on local soil, so read on to see how it stacks up.

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2021 Lexus IS Summary

One question frequently discussed in the skunkworks of the CarsGuide office is: What exactly does Lexus stand for?

When the brand debuted its original export-market IS sedan in 1999 the messaging was more or less clear: Toyota’s premium sub-brand was here to be a Japanese BMW.

The brand even employed Nobuaki Katayama – chief engineer on the iconic Corolla AE86 program – to again take the reins of its small rear-wheel drive sedan program.

As the years went on though, Lexus changed. Fundamentally geared toward the US market, the second-generation (wild IS F aside) became a bit more sedate and softer around the edges, while the third generation strayed even further from the sedan’s performance-inspired roots, leaning into a plush interior, hybrid drive, and even CVT transmissions.

This brings us to today’s Lexus IS. Essentially a heavy facelift of the third generation (which arrived back in 2013), the brand has “reimagined” its core sedan with a tweaked design and updated technology for 2021.

Is it enough to keep it relevant against its ever-present European rivals and the newly arrived threat from Hyundai’s Genesis G70? I took a signature IS300h hybrid for a week to find out.

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Deep dive comparison

2026 Cupra Formentor 2021 Lexus IS

Verdict

It’s clear that Cupra has listened to feedback as this updated Formentor addresses many key criticisms of the pre-update car. Overall it makes it easier to live with and to recommend than before.

Although the VZe's updated PHEV powertrain offers double the amount of electric range, the V forms as a sweet spot of the line-up as it offers all the power and equipment you'd ever need. It's hard to look past the top-spec VZx though as power is a drug.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

Smooth, cosy, quiet, the IS looks and feels better than ever, but without a doubt this hybrid version is a car best suited to cruising the dense metropolis of Chiba at midnight more than it is carving up a bunch of S-bends in the Australian countryside on the weekend.

While that might still limit its appeal for fans of German sports luxury sedans and place it further from the original IS’s ambitions, it does offer an intriguing efficiency and luxury focused alternative, without the compromises brought by rivals with more sporting intent. In a way then, the IS 300h perhaps inadvertently best embodies what Lexus is as a brand.

Cupra Formentor vs Lexus IS What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Cupra Formentor vs Lexus IS
What's the difference?