Cupra: The Electric-Car Brand You've (Probably) Never Heard Of

Spanish cars will come to the United States for the first time in decades.

Ronan Glon | 

Nov 7, 2024 | 2 min read

Cupra

Cupra's History

Cupra occupies a strategic spot in the automotive landscape. It's one of Europe's newer car brands and remains relatively obscure outside enthusiast circles, yet it's part of the Volkswagen Group. In a way, it blends the spirit of a start-up with the sound financial footing of a multinational corporation.

Spain-based SEAT introduced the Cupra name in 1996 on a sporty variant of the second-generation Ibiza hatchback. The range-topping model borrowed its 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine from Volkswagen's third-generation Golf GTI, and received suspension updates and a more muscular design.

While the Ibiza Cupra wasn't a hit, SEAT kept the Cupra name for its quickest and most powerful cars. It became a performance label similar to Mercedes-Benz's AMG and BMW's M, among other sub-brands peddling horsepower.

The nameplate reappeared on the enthusiast-focused evolution of the first-generation León hatchback sold from 1999 to 2006, and the Ibiza Cupra returned in 2000 with a turbocharged engine. Later versions of these cars spawned Cupra-developed models as well. The León Cupra 280 notably became the fastest front-wheel-drive car around Germany's grueling Nürburgring track by logging a time of 7:58.44 in 2014.

Cupra Today

After SEAT spun off Cupra in 2018, becoming a standalone brand allowed Cupra to distance itself from its parent marque gradually. While its first two cars, the Ateca and the León, were closely related to SEAT models, the Formentor and the Born debuted as in-house designs. Many of the components under those models come from the Volkswagen parts bin.

Cupra in the U.S.

Cupra this year confirmed plans to establish itself in the U.S. CEO Wayne Griffiths told investors in February that Cupra would enter the U.S. market within 10 years. Gaining a foothold in the United States would help Cupra reach its goal of selling 500,000 cars annually.

In terms of models Cupra will sell in the U.S., Griffiths said that the company plans to start with a battery-electric Formentor model and a larger electric crossover SUV.

The Formentor is similar to the Audi Q3 and Volkswagen Tiguan, but with a bolder look. The bigger SUV Griffiths mentioned may be produced in a North American factory, which could help buyers qualify for the electric vehicle tax credit.

Ronan Glon

Ronan Glon is an American journalist and automotive historian based in France. He enjoys working on old cars and spending time outdoors seeking out his next project car.