Spanish manufacturer SEAT has been making cars since 1950. The brand has a rich motorsport heritage and the cars it builds have been designed to reflect that. While the company is now part of the Volkswagen group and many parts are shared between the brands, the Spanish alternative has always catered more towards the younger generations by making its cars more fun and exciting. On the other hand, Skoda, another Volkswagen brand has typically catered towards a more conservative audience. Volkswagen themselves have tended to have greater mass-market appeal while of course Audi and Porsche cater to a more premium market.
Deviating from the established brand structure and hierarchy within the Volkswagen group, SEAT announced the CUPRA sub-brand in 2018. The sole purpose of the new brand was to increase demand for sales among performance-focused buyers. The rebranding offered something new, fresh and exciting. The division has been successful so far, and the CUPRA's model lineup has continued to diversify. Here are some things you need to know about CUPRA and its cars.
10 The Name Has An Interesting Meaning
Being the most exclusive models to be produced from within the SEAT group, it is only fitting they have a name to match. The name "CUPRA," can be broken down into two parts that stand for Cup Racing, relating back to the brand's fruitful motorsport background.
Conveniently, the name is easy to remember and pronounce making it an excellent choice for a brand name.
9 The Brand Has A Motorsport Heritage
Referring back to the motorsport involvement mentioned above, SEAT enjoyed a lot of success with the SEAT Ibiza CUPRA. Competing in the FIA 2.0 liter class World Cup, they took victory in 1996, 1997, and 1998.
Originally branded as SEAT Sport, the brand competed in Rally and touring car championships. Currently, CUPRA is competing in Extreme E, the all-electric rally racing series.
8 Originally SEAT’s Performance Division
Prior to diverging into two brands, SEAT had long used the CUPRA name to signify its sport and performance-focused models. In many ways, you can think of CUPRA as SEAT's equivalent of Mercedes AMG and Audi RS ranges. Before the CUPRA name, SEAT's performance models were simply made by SEAT Sport and the name has been applied most commonly to Ibiza and Leon models.
The first road going model to gain CUPRA branding was the 1996 SEAT Ibiza GTI CUPRA Sport 16V. The addition of this branding helped the CUPRA name gain a following and popularity that has grown to this day, to the point of forming a new brand. The 2018 Leon CUPRA R ST was the last SEAT car to display CUPRA branding. SEAT's high performance models are now branded FR instead.
7 The Ateca Was The Brand's First Car Launched
The CUPRA Ateca was the first standalone CUPRA model to be released. Heavily based on the SEAT Ateca, the CUPRA Ateca focussed on enhanced design, style, technology, and performance. Following its 2018 release, 10,000 units were sold in 2019 enabling CUPRA to achieve a year-on-year growth rate of 72%.
Since then, the Ateca has been joined by the CUPRA Leon and the CUPRA Formentor, both of which are included down below.
6 They Have Developed An Electric Racing Car
In order to compete in the FIA Pure ETCR championship, an electric touring car world cup series, CUPRA developed the e-Racer. The car is heavily based on the Leon hatchback. Powered by four electric motors, the car produces 670 hp which is transferred to the rear wheels.
0-60 mph takes 3 seconds and the car has a 167 mph top speed. 125 mph can even be hit in just 8.2 seconds.
5 Their Headquarters Are In Spain
Being a Spanish manufacturer, it would make sense that CUPRA'S headquarters are located in Spain. As a sub brand of Spanish SEAT, which itself is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, the brands share a headquarters in Martorell Spain, located near to Barcelona. SEAT has occupied the site since 1993 and in 2020, almost 500,000 vehicles were produced. The site is also home to the headquarters of CUPRA Racing, CUPRA's high-performance motorsport subsidiary.
SEAT was originally a fully Spanish brand, having been founded in 1950. The Spanish government decided to sell in 1986, and it was at this point they were acquired by the Volkswagen Group.
4 The Born Is The Brands First 100% Electric Car
The El Born is the sister car to Volkswagen's ID.3, combining sporty looks with an electric powertrain. The Born is named after the El Born district of Barcelona. Buyers are given the choice of three different battery sizes, a smaller 45 kWh, a mid-range 58 kWh, and a top-end 77 kWh. Of course, the lifestyle of the buyer should be taken into account before selecting the most appropriate motor. The smallest battery offers a claimed range of 211 miles, whilst the largest offers a very reasonable 335 miles.
As standard, the entry-level Born V1 comes with a good range of equipment: LED headlights, navigation, and smartphone integration as well as 18-inch alloy wheels and a backup camera. The mid-range car can complete 0-62 mph in 7.3 seconds.
3 The Formentor Is A High-Rise Hot Hatch
The CUPRA Formentor is officially marketed as a "coupe SUV", and is the first car that has been designed specifically for CUPRA. Named after a peninsula on the Spanish island of Majorca, the Formentor aims to be a crossover alternative to the hot hatch.
Gearheads will be most interested in Formentor VZ5, the highest performance variant. The VZ5 sports a turbocharged 2.5 liter, 5-cylinder that develops 390 hp. Equipped with a 7-speed DSG automatic gearbox, 0-62 mph takes 4.2 seconds. Visually, copper accents such as the 20" copper alloy wheels create a desirable and sporty appearance.
2 The CUPRA Leon ST Is A Rapid Load Lugger
The current fastest version of the CUPRA Leon ST is the VZ3. There are two versions, the first is a hybrid, powered by a turbocharged 1.4 liter, 4-cylinder engine producing 242 hp. This enables the VZ3 to go from 0-62 mph in 7 seconds. The powertrain utilizes an 85 kW Li-ion battery. In electric-only mode, the car can travel 60 km. Charging typically takes between 3 and 5 hours depending on the AC rating of the charging point. In order to get the power down, the car is fitted with a 4-wheel drive system, enabling a top speed of 140 mph.
The other option is a turbocharged, 2.0 liter producing 310 hp. The top speed is higher at 155 mph and the engine is mated to a 7-speed DSG automatic. The car sports a large capacity cargo area with 620 liters of load-lugging space available.
1 The Tavascan Concept Shows The Brands Future Ambitions
Like most brands, increasingly stringent emission regulations dictate electric vehicles are to form the backbone of personal transport in the future. The Tavascan concept car aims to combine an all-electric powertrain as was developed in the e-Racer, into a performance SUV body.
The concept car has a very visually striking design. CUPRA claims the body shape is very aero efficient, helping to reduce drag and maximize battery range. Equipped with a 77 kWh lithium-ion battery, the concept was able to travel up to 450 kilometers or 280 miles.