Cupra Australia line-up revealed: Ateca, Formentor, and Leon here by July 2022
The Volkswagen-owned brand will launch in Australia next year with two SUVs, a hot hatch, and online business model.
Cupra – a performance-focused spin-off of Volkswagen's Spanish subsidiary Seat – will launch three cars in Australia between April and June next year: the Ateca mid-size SUV, Formentor mid-size crossover SUV, and Leon hot hatch.
A wagon variant of the Leon known as the Sportstourer already on sale in Europe, and the all-electric Cupra Born due to launch in Europe in late 2021, have not been ruled out for Australia, however neither will be initially available.
All vehicles will be sold online through an agency model (with likely fixed pricing), following in the tyre tracks of Honda and Mercedes-Benz which are also poised to introduce similar systems in the coming months.
The all-wheel drive Cupra Ateca (shown below) is set to be offered locally with a 221kW/400Nm turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. As with all engines in the range, this is mated to a dual-clutch automatic transmission (all petrol-only models use a seven-speed gearbox, while hybrid variants use a six-speed).
Meanwhile, the Cupra Formentor (shown at the top of this story) and Cupra Leon (below) will be offered with three variants of that same 2.0-litre petrol engine – offering 140kW, 180kW and 221kW respectively – alongside a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid, offering 180kW.
The 140kW and 221kW petrol variants of the Formentor are equipped with all-wheel drive, however all versions of the Leon send power exclusively to the front wheels.
The plug-in hybrid similarly delivers power to the front axle, and permits an all-electric driving range of 55km on Europe's stringent WLTP test cycle when drawing energy from its 12.8kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
As previously reported by CarAdvice, the brand’s limited-production flagship Cupra Formentor VZ5 – which is powered by a 287kW 2.5-litre turbo five-cylinder petrol engine, and accelerates from 0-100km/h in a claimed 4.2 seconds – will not be offered locally as it is built exclusively in left-hand drive.
Official specifications, safety features, and infotainment details are yet to be announced, however a statement from importer Volkswagen Group Australia says “all models will feature a high level of standard equipment.” It's understood Brembo brakes and sports bucket seats will come standard in the majority – if not all – model variants.
Pricing is also yet to be confirmed, however a spokesperson said the entry-level Leon will likely start in the "low $40,000 range" while the flagship Formentor plug-in hybrid will sit in the "low-to-mid $60,000 range."
While the Cupra range will be sold exclusively online through an online agency model (likely with fixed pricing), Cupra will have a limited number of physical showrooms and display centres in high profile retail locations.
Cupra vehicles will be offered with a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty, while servicing will be available through Volkswagen dealerships.
The Cupra brand will launch in Australia during the second quarter of 2022 (April to June).
See the table below to compare engine specifications, drivetrains, and performance figures between models. Click on any of the images above to view the wider gallery.
MORE: Everything Cupra
Model | Engine | Drivetrain | Performance (0-100km/h) |
Ateca | 221kW/400Nm 'TSI' 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | All-wheel drive | 4.9 seconds |
Formentor | 140kW/320Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | All-wheel drive | 7.1 seconds |
180kW/370Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | Front-wheel drive | 6.8 seconds | |
228kW/400Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | All-wheel drive | 4.9 seconds | |
180kW/250Nm E-Hybrid 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid | Front-wheel drive | 7.0 seconds | |
Leon | 140kW/320Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | Front-wheel drive | 7.4 seconds |
180kW/370Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | Front-wheel drive | 6.4 seconds | |
221kW/400Nm TSI 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol | Front-wheel drive | 5.7 seconds | |
180kW/250Nm E-Hybrid 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol plug-in hybrid | Front-wheel drive | 6.7 seconds |
Note: All powertrains mated with a dual-clutch automatic transmissions in Australia. 2.0-litre petrol models use a seven-speed transmission, while plug-in hybrid variants use six-speed gearboxes.