Spanish brand says its US market entry could spawn a large SUV; Cupra sports car also on the cards
Cupra is considering a large SUV and sports car as part of its plan to establish itself as a new performance brand in the lucrative North American market – and both new electric models would be sold in Australia.
The revelations were made in an Australian media briefing this week with Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths, who said that preliminary legwork to enter the US was proving positive and the Spanish brand would need to offer vehicles oriented towards that market.
“We’ve just been doing some research with customers in the US to see how they react to our brand and design and we haven’t finished the report yet, but the first results are positive,” said Griffiths.
‘If we go there, we’re going to be niche – a very focused brand, very focused on certain cities and regions.
“[And] You can imagine that if we’re looking to go to the US then we need cars that can work in the US.
“I think it would be a mistake – and a lot of manufacturers have made that mistake – going with European designed cars and trying to make them work in the US, because the US has specific requirements.
“So you’re right that we’d need a bigger car and the bigger car would also have to be an SUV I think, because that’s what the US customers want.”
Griffiths quickly ruled out the chances of a full-size pick-up truck in order to avoid any cannibalisation with the Volkswagen Group’s developing Scout brand, but said there was plenty of room in the US market for Cupra to co-exist with other VW Group brands.
“We wouldn’t be looking at a pick-up… because the Volkswagen Group has just made announcements on huge investments in a new electric brand in the US for pick-ups – Scout,” he said.
The hypothetical large SUV would be underpinned by the Volkswagen Group’s next-generation ‘SSP’ electric vehicle architecture and, provided it gets the greenlight, will be a shoo-in for the Australian market.
“If we do a [large car], an additional model in that direction, then it would be a car that we would want to sell globally and not just in the US market,” said Griffiths.
“The car that we would do for the US would also be a great car for you guys in Australia.
“It would be a global product… it would be very provocative in its design.”
Griffiths reiterated there was little to no chance of Cupra developing and releasing a ute, despite the popularity of them in markets such as Australia, instead declaring that any new models established alongside the core range would have to grant the brand access to new markets or “do something very, very special”.
“If we were to do different cars, it would be cars that are in line with our brand and our brand DNA,” he said.
“And therefore [if] we’re talking additional cars or new models, I would bet on a sports car, for instance.
“Which you like in Australia as well, by the way. I know you like sports cars as well. So, sorry I can’t do a ute, but there may be at some point in the future a chance of a nice sports car from Cupra.”
The eventual Cupra sports could be a spin-off of the next-generation Porsche 718 Boxster or Cayman, which is expected to make its public debut sometime in 2024.
Details are thin on the ground for now, but the all-electric 718 is the only dedicated electric sports car known to be in development within the VW Group at the moment, given the Audi TT is now expected to morph into some sort of electric SUV going forwards.
Odds are that Cupra’s electric sports car will be down on power and poise on its Porsche sister model, given the Zuffenhausen brand is the shining light of VW Group performance, but it should also come with a much lower price.
That could make it a rival for affordable sports cars like the Mazda MX-5, Subaru BRZ, Toyota GR86 or the upcoming MG Cyberster electric roadster.
Griffiths refused to comment any further on the subject of a sports car and declined to provide a timeline, but the new 718 isn’t due for release until 2025.
“No [more] sports car questions. You’ll get me in a lot of trouble!” he joked.
Cupra’s larger electric SUV, meantime, is also unlikely to appear before about 2028, given the Spanish brand will release three other new models over the next two years, on its way to becoming an EV-only brand by 2030.
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Keyword: Cupra planning large SUV and sports car