Americans are getting used to a lot of new badges on the cars around them in traffic. Many are from all-electric models from startup automakers like like Rivian and Lucid. Coming soon, a brand known in Europe but unheard of in the U.S. will join them.
Volkswagen’s Cupra brand has announced plans to come to the U.S. It’s the second all-new VW badge for Americans to get used to, coming shortly after VW announced plans to revive the classic Scout brand.
What Is Cupra?
Cupra is a performance brand owned by the Volkswagen Group. It’s headquartered in Spain, led by a Brit, and headed for America. CEO Wayne Griffiths told investors last week, “By the end of the decade, Cupra will be entering the U.S. market.”
Cupra began as a division of Seat, another Volkswagen brand unknown in the U.S. It built performance parts for Seat cars at first. But it has quickly developed its own identity. In Europe, it’s known for sporty SUVs, wagons, and hatchbacks.
What Cars Will It Sell in the U.S.?
Cupra will start small in the U.S., Griffiths said. “We plan to launch with the battery electric version of the Formentor and a bigger electric crossover SUV.”
The Formentor is a compact SUV sharing a platform with the Audi Q3 and VW Tiguan. It looks more aggressive than either of them. In Europe, it’s sold in gas-powered and hybrid forms. Cupra has revealed little about plans for an electric version, so we don’t know what specifications it will have when it comes stateside.
The larger model, Griffiths said, “will be produced at Volkswagen Group factories in the North America region, including Mexico.” That could enable the cars to qualify for the $7,500 tax credit the U.S. government allows on some electric cars.
Will I See Cupra Dealerships?
Griffiths was a little cryptic about how Cupra would sell cars to Americans.
He said, “Initially, Cupra will launch in selected states in the East and West coasts and the Sun Belt states. This will be done through a new distribution model.”
Griffiths didn’t elaborate, so we don’t know whether to expect a small Cupra breakout area in VW dealerships, online-only sales, or another new way of selling cars.
We’ll bring more information as we have it.
