The Volkswagen Group’s sporty Cupra brand won’t get caught up in a performance numbers game.
Cupra entered the Australian market in 2022 as a sharper-edged, sexier alternative to the Volkswagen and Skoda siblings, launching with the Leon hatchback, Formentor crossover, and Ateca SUV.
But while many of these had outputs to rival Volkswagen products wearing GTI or R badges, the model lineup has since expanded to include less powerful models like the Ateca V, a 140kW and 320Nm variant of the mid-sized SUV which is set to hit showrooms imminently.
Cupra Australia head of product and marketing Jeff Shafer says the Spanish carmaker isn’t wedded to class-leading power outputs and 0-100km/h times, and that it’s instead focused on producing well-rounded driver’s cars.
100s of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
Ateca V
“It’s not about the numbers, it’s really about the feeling,” Mr Shafer told CarExpert.
“I think that Cupra can appeal to slightly different people who sit between wanting the most performance, but also a sexy car with a fun drive.
“There’s probably a [lower performance] limit, but I don’t think we’ve reached it yet.”
In its home European market, Cupra also offers 110kW versions of the Leon, Formentor and Ateca with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine.
While that powertrain hasn’t found its way into Australian examples, it speaks to the carmaker separating outright performance from its identity.
Leon V Tribe Edition
Instead, Cupra is leaning on handling and striking design as its key selling points.
Mr Shafer believes the brand will benefit from that strategy as electrification continues to take hold of the automotive industry, bringing with it new standards for straight-line speed.
“We really want our cars to turn heads and I think that as cars move into the electric age there’s probably more work that you have to do on the ride and handling front to separate cars and make them perform in a way that’s distinct,” Mr Shafer explained.
“It’s very hard to do that, but we’ve got great engineers and I think it comes through in the cars. Ride and handling will be part of our secret sauce that makes us different.
“I think that there’s an integrity to the car, when you can find a great road the car will reward you because you’ll see the depth of the engineering.”
Formentor V
The compact Born hatch is the only electric vehicle (EV) within Cupra’s current stable, although the even smaller Raval will launch in 2025.
Similarly specced to its older sibling, the Raval will feature a single, front-mounted electric motor producing 166kW. Cupra claims a 0-100km/h sprint of 6.9 seconds, and a range of 440km.
A hotter VZ version of the Born will also join the lineup in the new year, but don’t expect Cupra to pursue lap records or supercar-slaying power figures with its future models.
“People can get caught up in numbers, headlines about kilowatts or 0-100km/h times and things like that. But we don’t really want to be about a number on a piece of paper,” Mr Shafer concluded.
MORE: Everything Cupra Ateca
