Fast Lane: Cupra’s three models, customised Bentley SUV, OneMotoring stops accepting PayPal

Petrol-powered Cupra ready

Spanish car brand Cupra will be launching three petrol-powered models in Singapore: the Leon hatchback and two sport utility vehicles (SUVs) – the Formentor and Terramar – on July 31.

These are the first non-electric models to be introduced since Volkswagen Group Singapore announced that it was taking over the distributorship of the brand here in 2023.

The Leon is the most familiar nameplate among the three, having been available here before Cupra was spun off as an independent brand from Volkswagen-owned Spanish brand Seat in 2018. The latest model is powered by a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid engine.

At 4,451mm long, the facelifted Cupra Formentor VZ is broadly a rival to the BMW X2. It has a 2-litre turbocharged engine rated at 328hp and 440Nm of torque, giving the SUV a 0-100kmh timing of 4.8 seconds.

The Formentor is the first model to be developed as a Cupra-only model without a Seat-branded equivalent. It was offered in pre-facelift form between 2021 and 2023 by the brand’s previous representative in Singapore. The updated version features the brand’s more aggressive design, similar to the flamboyant Tavascan electric vehicle.

The Terramar is slightly lower and longer overall than the Volkswagen Tiguan. The version to be offered in Singapore is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine with mild-hybrid technology.

New car owners frustrated by large touchscreens: Survey

Enormous touchscreen infotainment systems are the leading source of complaints among US car owners in the first 90 days of ownership. This was among the findings in the 2025 Initial Quality Study released by American consumer intelligence company JD Power.

According to Mr Frank Hanley, its senior director of auto benchmarking, owners are drawn to large touchscreens because of their visual appeal, but become increasingly frustrated by how accessing key vehicle functions like the climate control settings involve multiple taps and swipes at the screen.

“By retaining dedicated physical controls for some of these interactions, automakers can alleviate pain points and simplify the overall customer experience,” he added.

Premium vehicles were also found to have more quality issues than mass-market models, especially with the exterior. Among the variety of propulsion solutions, plug-in hybrids were more problematic than pure electric vehicles.

The study also found that carmakers are struggling to provide cupholders that are able to accommodate the increasing variety of shapes and sizes of reusable containers that consumers are using.

Into its 39th year, the latest study is based on responses from 92,694 car buyers and those who are leasing new model year 2025 cars. Besides surveying them after 90 days of ownership, it also factors in repair visit data based on real-world events reported to new car dealers.

Black and pink customised Bentley took 132 hours to build

Bentley has unveiled a customised candy pink-coloured Bentayga EWB Azure, complete with painted 22-inch wheels and an interior that is a mix of black and pink. The car was commissioned by a customer of Bentley Palmyra, a dealer in New Jersey, United States.

The special SUV took 132 hours to build, of which 24 hours were spent on the exterior paint and 18 hours went towards producing the trim panels and wood set for the cabin.

Being the extended wheelbase version of the SUV, the car features the Bentley Airline Seat option, which has 22-way adjustment, an auto climate sensing system and a massage function. Between the rear seats is an integrated cooler that can carry a 750ml bottle, along with two handcrafted Cumbria Crystal flutes, housed behind a frosted glass door.

No more PayPal at OneMotoring from July 6

From July 6, OneMotoring, a website by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), will no longer accept payment by PayPal for its digital services, such as renewing road tax. Instead, payment can be done using credit cards, Google Pay or Apple Pay.

From June 30, a limited access code generated with the owner’s Singpass will be used for some services, such as getting a vehicle’s scrap value. This replaces the use of the last four characters of the owner’s identification number. In its memo sent to motor dealers, LTA said the move was to enhance the access security for such services.

Ex-Ferrari boss joins McLaren Group

Former Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo has joined the board of McLaren in a move that the Italian supercar company may not take kindly to.

Reuters reported that the 77-year-old Italian was registered as a director of Abu Dhabi-owned McLaren Group, which controls McLaren Automotive – based in Woking, Britain – on June 27.

Mr Montezemolo joined Ferrari in 1973 as founder Enzo Ferrari’s assistant. He became team manager in 1974, a year before the late Austrian triple Formula One (F1) champion Niki Lauda secured his first title. He also headed the race team when racing ace Michael Schumacher won five of his career wins between 2000 and 2004. He stepped down as Ferrari’s chairman in 2014.

While British company McLaren is a relative newcomer in making road-going sports cars – the first model, the MP4-12C, was launched in 2010 – its rivalry with Italian team Ferrari in F1 goes back decades.

Italian sports newspaper Tuttosport called the latest move “a slap in the face of Ferrari”.

In an interview with Italian news agency Ansa, Mr Montezemolo said his heart “is and always will be red” and that his new role was on the automotive side and did not involve F1.