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Five years ago, many had doubts: In 2018, Seat sports brand Cupra was launched by then-CEO Luca de Meo (56). Without tradition, image and history, the new brand had to be more noble than Seat. He wanted to open new price zones with higher-positioned cars based on well-known Seat models and bring new customers to the young, affordable parent Seat.
And today? Cupra has already sold more than 300,000 cars, making the parent brand look more like a little sibling. All-electric cars and true new models are currently only available from Cupra; Therefore, you should be afraid and worried about Seat, even if Cupra and Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths (57) constantly emphasizes the opposite and Seat’s future viability.
Cupra’s next innovation will be the Tavascan electric crossover based on the VW modular electrical system, which also includes the Audi Q4 E-Tron, Skoda Enyaq and VW ID.4 and ID.5. So everything is already known? Will the Tavascan be a copy of the other electric vehicles in the group? No, says Alba Rollano, assistant to Cupra development boss Werner Tietz. So what makes Cupra different?
one
growth
There is only one direction now: steeply upwards. No brand in the Volkswagen Group is currently achieving such growth. Cupra sold 150,000 cars worldwide last year, doubling its sales. Things also went uphill in Switzerland. In the first full year, 1,757 units of just one model were delivered to us. Last year there was almost three times this figure (4598), and by the end of October this year 6220 cars from four series had been sold. 40 percent of all new Cupra cars can be charged from a socket; This means that these are electric or rechargeable hybrid vehicles. Therefore, it is above average compared to the 32.2 percent share of plug-in vehicles across all brands.
2
Customers
In advertising, new car buyers are mostly young people and families; But in reality, many people cannot afford or do not want to buy a high-priced new car. It’s no surprise that the average customer age for many brands in Switzerland is around 55. That’s not the case at Cupra: Here, 23 percent of customers are over 30, and 53 percent are not over 40. Approximately 60 percent of buyers are also new customers.
3
design
If the new Tavascan is technically based on the VW ID.5, the flatter coupé version of the ID.4, then it hides it well. The electric crossover looks much slimmer and lower than the VW. “But the seat height or wheelbase at the front matches exactly the ID.5,” says Alba Rollano. The ceiling is actually just under two centimeters lower. However, when it comes to headroom, no one notices this because the interior is cleverly designed. Also, for the first time on a car belonging to the VW Group: the logo is illuminated. And it looks exactly like the concept car unveiled in 2019; this doesn’t happen very often because runs often appear to be faster than production versions, where costs and compliance with the rules need to be taken into account.
4
interior
VW’s ID.4 and ID.5 were particularly criticized upon launch: too much hard plastic, materials that looked too cheap, an atmosphere that didn’t feel good enough. If Cupra follows the Tavascan’s lead, the brand could do better: Instead of a massive center console, a narrow silver bridge with hazard warning button arches in the middle; There’s also storage space underneath for odds and ends. Half of the textiles in the panels are reused and consist of 90 percent recycled polyester or microfiber. All surfaces have a fine, three-dimensional structure that looks higher quality. Also different are the twelve-speaker sound system and new operating system from hi-fi specialist Sennheiser.
5
to spread
Rather than adopting ID.5 drives with 204 (rear wheel) or 299 hp (all-wheel drive), Cupra adds more power and mounts engines from the all-new ID.7; which produces 286 hp (210 kW). 340 hp (250 kW) with rear wheel and all-wheel drive. With a top speed of 180 km/h, it doesn’t get any faster, and when it comes to charging power, the VW doesn’t exceed 175 kW. Very cool: instead of a single level of recovery speed as in the VW ID.5, in the Tavascan the strength of energy recovery during braking can be regulated in four stages.
But there’s something else that makes the Cupra Tavascan very special: the time gap between the concept car and its launch. The study was carried out in Frankfurt. Main (D), but the production version will only be released in the second half of 2024. Cupra gave us a hard time for five years. What about prices? Of course, no decision has been made yet.
Source: Blick
I’m Ella Sammie, author specializing in the Technology sector. I have been writing for 24 Instatnt News since 2020, and am passionate about staying up to date with the latest developments in this ever-changing industry.
