Volkswagen Group's Cupra brand will enter the U.S. by the end of the decade, starting with a pair of electric SUVs.
The information was revealed on Thursday by Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths during a presentation for the company's 2023 financial results.
Cupra started out life as a performance sub-brand of VW Group's Spanish brand SEAT, but in 2018 was repostioned as a standalone brand offering a range of sporty, emotional vehicles with striking design.
More recently, it has been adding electric vehicles to its lineup, and even established its own team in the Extreme E electric off-road racing series.
2021 Cupra Formentor
Cupra primarily operates in Europe but has already expanded to some international markets, including Mexico and other Latin American countries. For the U.S. launch, Cupra will initially operate in select states on the East and West Coasts, and along the Sun Belt.
Griffiths confirmed at least two models, both of them EVs. One will be an electric version of the Formentor, a compact crossover that's related to the Volkswagen Tiguan. The electric Formentor will likely be based on a next-generation design as the current Formentor, which was Cupra's first standalone model, is already four years old. The other model confirmed by Griffiths was a larger SUV that will be built in North America.
He said Cupra vehicles will be offered in the U.S. via a "new distribution model." This could refer to a subscription model or possibly direct sales that skip franchised dealerships.
Cupra last year delivered 230,739 vehicles. That was a new record for the fledgling brand and up 50.9% on the previous year's result.
