Since its launch six years ago, Cupra has sold more than 750,000 cars. The striking styling sets the brand's existing models apart from the rest of the VW Group, but Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths has confirmed that the company is working on "even more radical cars".
Autocar reports that Cupra has confirmed that it is working on a series of revolutionary next-generation cars. They are expected to be quite different from those currently produced, and if current plans go ahead, the first of these new models will be revealed to the world as early as next year.
The Seat boss also said that the brand aims to create cars that will be "emotional" and "highly differentiated" "If you want to make Cupra cool and iconic, then you have to start creating iconic cars that maybe don't fit into any segment. We're working on other cars that break the classic segments between sedans, estates and SUVs. We're also working on some very provocative body styles. Hopefully next year we'll be able to show you one of those," he tells Autocar. "Griffiths also hinted that a production version of the Dark Rebel concept is still possible, but "it's not a priority at the moment." He explained that the company wants to expand the Cupra range with larger cars. According to Griffiths, Cupra needs to “make sure that every investment we make pays off“.
The Cupra boss added: “There are so many different emotional cars that I would like to create, starting with the Dark Rebel as a sports car. But we can also challenge you with a kind of off-road buggy. It will be electric and I think it will be fun. I think that will really change the game, it will be very emotional and it will work in the city. I'm not talking about beach cars. We have a lot of ideas, a lot of crazy ideas, but we have to stay focused.”
By the end of this decade, new Cupra models will be based on the Volkswagen Group's next-generation SSP platform, which could underpin anything from superminis to sports cars. Griffiths confirmed that there will be a high-performance top-of-the-range version of the Terramar crossover with more than 300 hp.
The model will likely have a hybrid powertrain, but could potentially use the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine used in various Audi RS models if that engine is upgraded to meet Euro 7 emissions standards in 2027.