Xavi, Iniesta, Messi… CUPRA? Has Barcelona produced another legend?
3 models are available with the promise of more to come.
Earlier this year the famed FC Barcelona touched down in Sydney to play the A-League All Stars. While the scoreboard was (much) closer than I expected, the team from Barcelona were successful.
Messi or no Messi, in my mind and I'm sure many others, that result was never in doubt.
Now we have another competitor hailing from Catalonia.
One that also develops and produces smart, fast and agile products, just like its footballing counterparts – CUPRA.
And CUPRA will be hoping for more of the same success as it embarks on its Australian journey, with its flagship Sydney store to open in a few weeks.
Also arriving are 3 aggressively styled vehicles in key segments.
At the launch event at its new CUPRA City Garage in Sydney, the brand announced a new partnership with both the Matildas and Socceroos – and just like current Australian hero, Andrew Redmayne, sales will need to get a wiggle on – with ambitious goals to become one of the leading electric and sports performance brands in Australia.
As ambitious as it may be though, the electric CUPRA Born that will join the line-up in 2023 already has 11,000 expressions of interest.
Until then, though, Australians will see the Ateca, Formentor and Leon on the roads. The launch editions of which are already sold out.
Wayne Griffith, CEO of CUPRA said these 3 vehicles are the first offensive. "Our strategy here is to start with the development of the brand and launch the first product offensive, with the Ateca, Leon and Formentor. The Born will arrive in 2025, followed by our new Heroes, the Terramar, Tavascan and UrbanRebel from 2025."
He also stated that the brand intends to be completely electrified by 2030.
As we run through the current range, we have taken pricing from its online platform with Sydney's postcode of 2000.
The Ateca SUV comes to Australia in 1 variant, the VZx and is powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine producing 221kW and 400Nm of torque. It gets a comprehensive safety system and a 9-speaker Beats sound system, among other features.
You can currently pick one up via the CUPRA website from $65,990 driveaway with deliveries starting in early August.
Every brand needs a crossover SUV these days and CUPRA has addressed this market with the Formentor. You have 4 choices of powertrain here:
- 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 140kW and 320Nm.
- 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine producing 180kW and 370Nm.
- A hybrid variant that consists of a 1.4L turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 110kW and 250Nm on its own and is coupled with an electric motor that adds an additional 85kW and 300Nm for a combined output of 180kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
- 2.0L turbo 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 228kW of power and 400Nm of torque.
Driveaway pricing for the Formentor starts from $54,990 and tops out at $75,040 according to the CUPRA website.
CUPRA Leon represents its hot hatch offering. It is available with all of the above powertrains in a smaller package than the Leon. According to the CUPRA website driveaway pricing starts from $56,990 and tops out at $72,690.
Order the CUPRA Leon VZx and you'll be beating those Hyundai i30N and Focus ST owners off the mark with a 0–100 time of 5.7 seconds.
All are available for order online now and CUPRA offers direct financing too, with the current comparison rate being 3.99%, which is a fair and honest deal. But as always, you should compare car financing options before making a decision.
CUPRA Garage Sydney
CUPRA Australia is employing the brand's first agency model, meaning that the customer journey is completely digital via an end-to-end platform. The CUPRA City Garage joins those in Mexico City, Hamburg, Munich, Milan, Lisbon and Rotterdam, acting as an immersive display for customers to experience the brand.
The centre itself certainly looks the part, with gigantic ceilings and some very CUPRA-inspired finishes – I will let the pictures do the talking here.
Cupra Garage Sydney image
