It’ll be electrified in more ways than one as the yet-to-be-named Cupra crossover is going to be offered with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. The PHEV will be based on the next generation of the VW Group’s plug-in hybrid system and promises to cover approximately 62 miles (100 kilometers) without needing any gasoline.

We also know the model in question is going to be around 4.5 meters (177.1 inches) long and is seen as the driving force behind Cupra’s expansion. The newcomer in the automotive industry is also plotting a city-oriented sporty EV due in 2025, arriving about a year after the purely electric Tavascan crossover. In addition, another model is in the making and could take the shape of a hatchback positioned above the Born but below the new SUV teased here.

Meanwhile, the German automotive conglomerate – which includes Cupra – is about to restart the production of MEB-based electric vehicles. The assembly of EVs was paused last month in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and will be resumed next week. The Cupra Born will once again be built in Zwickau where the ID.3, ID.4, ID.5 are also built, alongside the Audi Q4 E-Tron.

It’s safe to say Cupra is doing better than ever, having tripled its deliveries to customers in 2021 to 80,000 units. Parent company VW has already announced plans to turn Cupra into a purely electric brand. The disclosure was made a year ago by VW Group CEO Herbert Diess, although he didn’t provide a timeframe regarding when it’ll happen. Chances are the switch to an EV-only portfolio won’t take place before 2030 seeing as how the new model teased here will go on sale in 2024 and a car typically has a 6-7 year life cycle nowadays.

Source: Cupra

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The Cupra Born is the firm’s first purely electric model and serves as a sportier alternative to the Volkswagen ID.3. Come 2024, the production variant of the EV-only Tavascan crossover concept will hit the market and will be followed in 2025 by the road-going UrbanRebel. The latter will serve as the automaker’s entry-level EV, mechanically twinned with the VW ID Life by riding on the same front-wheel-drive MEB Small platform.

As it turns out, Cupra will be further bolstering its portfolio by adding two new models by the middle of the decade. The announcement was made today by CEO Wayne Griffiths during an official video, posted below. He didn’t go into any specifics, but we do know both will arrive within the next two years. One of them won’t be a purely electric vehicle as it will employ a hybrid powertrain.

The ghostly silhouettes that appear in the video seemingly suggest we’re not dealing with SUVs. Instead, the car on the left gives us the impression of a wagon judging by the roof rails and elongated rear. As for the vehicle on the right, it appears to be a sedan or a sleeker five-door liftback, but we can’t be 100% sure since the teaser is vague.

We do know the two mysterious models will distance themselves from the other Cupra models. Speaking with British media, Wayne Griffiths suggested there are other segments the company might enter, specifying “shooting brakes” or “sportbacks.” The former is just a fancy term used for swoopy wagons while the latter is a coupe-styled sedan with a tailgate, akin to Audi’s Sportback models or the VW Arteon.

Source: Cupra

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Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths explained the reasoning behind this decision at the IAA show, saying the road-going UrbanRebel “will be priced higher because we want it to be positioned between the mass and the premium segments.” He went on to mention the production version arriving in roughly four years’ time will largely retain the look of the showcar from Munich.

As a refresher, the UrbanRebel is 4,080 mm long, 1,795 mm wide, and 1,444 mm tall. Much like the VW ID. Life, it rides on a shortened version of the MEB platform that is also expected to underpin an affordable Skoda EV, potentially called Elroq. Logic tells us the Czech model will be the cheapest of VW Group’s entry-level EVs, meaning it could cost below 20,000 euros.

It is widely believed there won’t be a SEAT-badged version, just a Cupra model, which is rumored to go by the name of Acandra for the production model. The concept featured an electric motor with a continuous output of 335 horsepower and a peak output of nearly 430 hp, giving it a 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint time of just 3.2 seconds.

It goes without saying the production car won’t be this exciting in terms of performance, but it should be among the sportiest small EVs to date when it launches in 2025. The new model will slot below the recently launched Cupra Born, a more athletic version of the VW ID.3 compact electric hatch.

Source: Automotive News Europe

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Billed as being the brand’s “most radical interpretation of an urban electric performance car,” the concept has a massive rear wing we’re unlikely going to see on the production-ready model. It appears to take the shape of a two-door hatchback, but an educated guess tells us the road-going model will have a more practical four-door body style.

Since the production car is still four years away, details about the pint-sized EV are scarce at the moment. However, an educated guess tells us the road car will essentially be a performance-oriented version of an entry-level electric car SEAT has already teased for a 2025 launch. Both will ride on a shortened version of the MEB platform, which in its standard configuration has underpinned the bigger Cupra Born electric hatchback.

Tentatively called the MEB Lite architecture, the underpinnings will enable the VW Group to launch cheaper EVs. SEAT has been tasked to develop the project for the German automotive conglomerate and will build more than 500,000 units at home in Martorell, Spain. The new models will serve as indirect replacements of the SEAT Mii Electric, VW e-up!, and the Skoda Citigo-e iV.

As far as how these cars are going to be called, we’re hearing the SEAT will bear the “Acandra” name while the equivalent Skoda will be called “Elroq.” Presumably, the VW will be either ID.1 or ID.2, and the correspondent Cupra will go by a completely different moniker.

Source: Cupra

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The beefier front design has a much wider air intake and a pair of sharp headlights along with Cupra’s massive logo finished in copper. The same contrasting hue been applied throughout the exterior as well as inside since it represents the brand’s signature color. The rear adopts an extended LED light strip on the tailgate to create a visual connection with the taillights and to echo the other Cupra and SEAT models.

Cupra made the effort to spruce up the interior of the Born to further separate its first EV from the ID.3. For example, the 12-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system is slightly bigger than what you get on the equivalent VW model. The sporty seats with great lateral support and built-in headrests are also exclusive to the Born, much like the two dedicated buttons on the steering wheel.

At the heart of the compact EV is a rear-mounted motor good for 148 or 201 horsepower to echo the VW ID.3. It develops 310 Nm (229 lb-ft) in both instances and draws its necessary energy from a 45-kWh battery in the case of the lowered-powered model and a bigger 58-kWh pack if you step up to the more powerful configuration.

The key difference between the Cupra Born and the VW ID.3 is the availability of an upgraded powertrain for the Spanish model. Go for the E-Boost package and the horsepower count increases to a meaty 228 hp to enable a sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in as little as 6.6 seconds. It’s more powerful and quicker than the range-topping ID.3 to help earn its performance-focused Cupra badge.

The 45-kWh model has enough juice for approximately 340 kilometers (211 miles) in the WLTP cycle, according to Cupra’s estimations. The aforementioned 58-kWh battery will last for around 420 kilometers (261 miles) in both the 201-hp and 228-hp versions of the Spanish EV. For the best range available, a larger 77-kWh provides a driving range between cycles of 540 kilometers (336 miles).

Even though Cupra is unveiling the Born today, production won’t be starting until September at the same plant in Zwickau, Germany where the ID.3 is made.

Source: Cupra

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Technical specifications have yet to be revealed, but with Cupra being positioned as a sporty brand underneath the VW Group’s umbrella, it should be a tad more exciting than the ID.3. Whether that means SEAT’s go-faster division is cooking up a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive version remains to be seen, but the hardware is already available in the ID.4 GTX electric SUV.

From the few technical specifications known already, the 0 to 31 mph sprint will be done in 2.9 seconds while the 0-62 mph performance is not known. For what it’s worth, the El Born concept completed the task in seven and a half seconds thanks to a rear-mounted electric motor good for 201 horsepower. The final version will have a 77-kWh battery pack with enough energy for 310 miles based on the WLTP cycle. Juice up the battery through fast-charging and you will get 161 miles of range in only half an hour.

These teaser images show design details hinting the road-going model won’t stray away too far from last year’s concept car. You’ll immediately be able to tell the Cupra Born is mechanically related to the ID.3, but SEAT’s newly established brand has tried to make changes here and there to give it a distinct visual identity.

It remains to be seen whether Audi and Skoda will get their own versions of the MEB-based compact hatchback formula. That seems a logical move to make to spread out the development costs, much like the VW Group has done with its MQB platform engineered for vehicles powered by internal combustion engines.

Source: Cupra

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The Cupra Born has been subjected to more than 1,000 tests, including for durability by racking up almost 19,000 test miles during both day and night evaluations. It will be the first Cupra-badged model to do away with the combustion engine and will likely be more fun to drive than the equivalent ID.3 given Cupra’s youth-oriented positioning in the vast VW Group.

Technical specifications remain shrouded in mystery at this point, but Cupra does talk about how it developed the air conditioning system back at home in Martorell, Spain at its Technical Center. Located some 2,500 miles away from where the prototypes are conducting winter testing, the R&D center has access to 3D printers that were used to develop the air conditioning system that would be able to cope with such extreme temperatures.

The MEB-based electric hatch is expected to offer as much as 310 miles of range between charges and feature a rear-mounted electric motor similar to the 201-horsepower unit installed in the VW ID.3. Whether an all-wheel-drive, dual-motor performance version is planned remains to be seen, but it would make sense since the Cupra Born will be marketed as a more exciting ID.3.

If last year’s el-Born concept is any indication, expect a relatively large battery pack and a 0 to 31 mph sprint in 2.9 seconds. Equipped with fast-charging support, the production model should offer 161 miles of range after only 30 minutes of charge, which should be more than adequate for most people.

The world premiere is scheduled for early next month and production will take place at the same Zwickau plant in Germany where its VW twin is assembled. Come 2024, the all-electric Travascan crossover will hit the market.

Source: Cupra

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The Formentor crossover is Cupra’s first bespoke vehicle that’s not based on an existing SEAT product and is offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Later this year, the Born compact electric hatchback will be launched as a production model after being previewed in July 2020 by the el-Born concept. As it turns out, the 2022 Born will be the start of an EV revolution as Cupra will be transformed into a purely electric brand.

The announcement was made by Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess on his personal account on LinkedIn: “Cupra will become the youthful and fully electric car brand.” To get the ball rolling, VW’s head honcho confirmed the Born is coming later in 2021 and he says it has “made a good first impression – highly emotional and more Cupra than anything before.”

To get there, SEAT/Cupra will gradually turn the Martorell plant into a production facility dedicated exclusively to EVs. In addition, Diess says plans are in order to manufacturer the necessary battery packs in Spain to keep the logistics costs down and utilize green energy to protect the environment. VW’s CEO needs support from the authorities, mentioning Cupra can become a fully electric car brand if the European Commission backs up the project.

Meanwhile, the Born will be built at VW Group’s Zwickau plant in Germany from the second half of the year. It’s the same production facility where the ID.3 is assembled, so it makes sense to build Cupra’s first EV there as well since the Born is largely based on the ID.3. Further down the line, SEAT’s performance sub-brand will turn the Tavascan electric concept into a production model as a zero-emissions sporty crossover.

Source: Herbert Diess / LinkedIn

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