Cupra (marque)

For the motorsports company and team, see Cupra Racing. For other uses, see Cupra (disambiguation).
SEAT Cupra S.A.U.
Company typeSociedad Anónima Unipersonal / subsidiary
IndustryAutomotive
Founded2018; 6 years ago (2018)[1]
FateCreated as a motorsport brand of SEAT in 1996, spun-off in 2018[1]
HeadquartersMartorell, Catalonia, Spain
Area served
Europe, Middle East, Africa, Latin America, Singapore and Australia
Key people
Wayne Griffiths (President)
ProductsAutomobiles
Production output
Increase 246,749 vehicles (2023)[2]
ParentSEAT
DivisionsCupra Racing
Websitecupraofficial.com

SEAT Cupra S.A.U., trading as Cupra (/ˈkuːprə/;[3] stylised in all caps) is a subsidiary of Spanish car manufacturer SEAT, which is part of Volkswagen Group. It is headquartered in Martorell near Barcelona, Spain.

Originating from SEAT's motorsport division Cupra Racing, the Cupra brand was introduced as a standalone brand in January 2018, after being used as a performance sub-brand of SEAT since 1996. While initial Cupra models are based on SEAT vehicles, in September 2020 Cupra introduced the first Cupra-only vehicle, the Cupra Formentor. In 2021, the brand introduced its first electric car called the Cupra Born.

History

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Cupra originated from Cupra Racing (previously SEAT Sport), the high-performance motorsport subsidiary of SEAT. The "Cupra" name, short for "Cup Racing"[1] was first used in 1996 by the SEAT Ibiza GTI 2.0 16V Cupra Sport. It is a street legal version of the Ibiza Mk2 kit car used in the competition, created as a special edition to celebrate SEAT's victory in the 1996 FIA 2-Litre World Rally Cup, a subdivision of the World Rally Championship at that time.[4][5] It was followed by the SEAT Ibiza Cupra 1.8 20V in 1999, and the more powerful Ibiza Cupra R in 2000.[6]

Over the following two decades, SEAT introduced a succession of hot hatchbacks marketed with the Cupra badge, such as the SEAT León Cupra 1.8 20V in 1999, and in the following year the SEAT Leon Cupra 4, which is the first AWD Cupra and the only six-cylinder Cupra.[7] Since then, every SEAT León generation has been supplemented with a Cupra-badged hot hatch version.[6]

In 2017, then SEAT CEO Luca de Meo hinted at the possibility of Cupra becoming a standalone brand. At that point, Cupra was only available as the performance version of the León.[8] On 31 January 2018, SEAT confirmed that it is launching Cupra as a standalone brand,[9] followed by an announcement event on 22 February 2018.[10] In the event, brand showcased prototypes of future Cupra models such as the Cupra Ateca.[11] SEAT's head of sales and marketing at that time, Wayne Griffiths targeted the brand to double the sales within the following four to five years, helping SEAT achieve sustainable profitability. Cupra cars would be sold in selected SEAT dealerships in Europe with dedicated floor space.[12]

The Cupra logo was designed by Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, which was conceived by intersecting two triangles. According to Mesonero-Romanos, the philosophy of the triangular logo is that a triangle is a dynamic shape, has a stable base and pointing in a clear direction.[13]

The first model from the standalone Cupra brand is the Cupra Ateca, which was introduced in October 2018.[14] The Cupra León joined the line-up in February 2020, following the introduction of the SEAT León Mk4.[15] In March 2020, Cupra introduced the Formentor after being previewed as a near-production concept vehicle at the Geneva International Motor Show in November 2019. It is the first Cupra product that is not shared with SEAT.[16]

In February 2021, the Cupra Born was introduced as Cupra's first electric car. Contrary to its concept version that was showcased as the SEAT el-Born, the Born became a Cupra-exclusive model while remaining closely related to the Volkswagen ID.3.[17] The second electric car from Cupra is the Tavascan, which was launched in April 2023. The Tavascan was preceded by the concept car with the same name shown at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show. It is also the first Cupra model produced outside Europe, as it is produced by Volkswagen Anhui in China.[18]

In March 2024, Cupra announced its intention to enter the U.S. market "by the end of the decade". The planned models to be sold are the next-generation electric Formentor, and an unnamed larger electric vehicle to be produced in Mexico.[19]

Products

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Current vehicles

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Body style Model Current generation Vehicle description
Image Name(s) Introduction
(cal. year) 		Update (facelift)
Hatchback Born 2021 2024 Battery electric C-segment hatchback based on the Volkswagen ID.3. Built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform, MEB.
León 2020 2024 Performance version of the SEAT León.
Station wagon León Sportstourer 2020 2024 Performance version of the SEAT León Sportstourer/Estate.
Crossover SUV Ateca 2018 2020 Performance version of the SEAT Ateca.
Formentor 2020 2024 C-segment SUV based on the León. First standalone model for Cupra.
Tavascan 2023 - Battery electric C-segment coupe SUV built on a dedicated electric vehicle platform, MEB.
Terramar 2024 — C-segment SUV.

Planned vehicles

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Concept cars

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  • Cupra Tavascan (2019)
    Cupra Tavascan (2019)
  • Cupra Urban Rebel (2021)
    Cupra Urban Rebel (2021)
  • Cupra Raval (2022)
    Cupra Raval (2022)
  • Cupra Dark Rebel Concept (2023)
    Cupra Dark Rebel Concept (2023)

Racing cars

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  • Cupra E-TCR (2018)
  • Cupra E-Racer (2020)
  • Cupra Tavascan Extreme E Concept (2021)
  • Cupra E-TCR (2018)
    Cupra E-TCR (2018)
  • Cupra E-Racer (2020)
    Cupra E-Racer (2020)
  • Cupra Tavascan Extreme E (2021)
    Cupra Tavascan Extreme E (2021)

Yacht

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De Antonio Yachts D28 Formentor

De Antonio Yachts D28 Formentor is a yacht introduced in July 2021 as a collaborative project between Barcelona-based shipbuilder De Antonio Yachts and Cupra's Color & Trim division. Its design was said to be inspired by the Cupra Formentor VZ5.[20][21]

Production figures

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Year Models Total
Ateca León Formentor Born
2020[22] N/A N/A 11,041 - N/A
2021[23] 4,505 13,670 58,863 4,801 81,839
2022[23] 8,841 20,070 105,568 36,153 170,632
2023[2] 14,228 62,103 124,670 45,748 246,749

References

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  1. ^ a b c De dónde viene y qué quiere decir Cupra by Juan Soto on Motor El País, 3 Jul 2022
  2. ^ a b "Annual Report 2023 Downloads". VW Annual Report 2023. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
  3. ^
  4. ^ "Cupra - The story behind Seat's performance brand". Cupra - The story behind Seat's performance brand. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  5. ^ Misoyannis, Alex (2021-06-24). "Cupra: Everything you need to know about Volkswagen's sportier cousin – UPDATE". Drive. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  6. ^ a b Linklater, David (2019-07-11). "A short history of Cupra road cars". Stuff. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  7. ^ "The Good Oil: The confusing history of Seat Cupra". Driven Car Guide. 2020-10-11. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  8. ^ Beckwith, Jimi (2017-09-12). "Seat to spin off Cupra as hot sub-brand in 2018". Autocar. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  9. ^ "Meet Cupra: the new standalone sporting brand by Seat". CAR Magazine. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  10. ^ "Seat launches Cupra as standalone performance brand". Fleet News. 2018-02-22. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  11. ^ "Cupra Ibiza prototype shown at launch of new performance brand". evo. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  12. ^ Ciferri, Luca (2018-02-22). "VW's Seat makes Cupra a stand-alone brand". Automotive News Europe. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  13. ^ "Alejandro Mesonero's Design Process – Garage | CUPRA". www.cupraofficial.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  14. ^ McIlroy, John (2018-10-12). "New 2018 Cupra Ateca unveiled with 296bhp". Auto Express. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
  15. ^ "Cupra unveils the sporty 2020 Leon hatch and wagon models". Driven Car Guide. 2020-02-24. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  16. ^ "Cupra Formentor SUV Makes up to 306 HP, Offers Plug-in Hybrid Version". MotorTrend. 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-09-06.
  17. ^ "Cupra Confirms New Born (Formerly el-Born) Electric Hatchback". InsideEVs. 23 February 2021. Retrieved 25 February 2021.
  18. ^ Bob Harper (10 September 2019). "New Cupra Tavascan all-electric SUV debuts in Frankfurt". evo.co.uk. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  19. ^ "Volkswagen's Cupra Brand Is Coming to the United States". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  20. ^ Niculescu, Aurel (2021-07-06). "Sadly, the De Antonio Yachts D28 Formentor Won't Be Ready for Cupra Summer Trips". autoevolution. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  21. ^ "Seat Cupra-styled De Antonio D28 revealed". Boatsales. 2021-07-16. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
  22. ^ "Volkswagen Konzern - AR 20 - Moving progress". annualreport2020.volkswagenag.com. Retrieved 2024-03-06.
  23. ^ a b "Volkswagen Passenger Cars". Volkswagen Group Annual Report 2022. Retrieved 2023-03-30.
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