Cupra will put its radical Tindaya sports activities SUV idea into manufacturing within the coming years as a brand new flagship EV which is able to go toe to toe with the BMW iX3 and Volvo EX60.
The Tindaya was revealed on the Munich motor present final yr as a futuristic, rakish SUV that previewed the subsequent evolution of Cupra’s design language and emphasised the model’s concentrate on driver engagement, whereas hinting at a possible new range-topping mannequin to sit down above the Tavascan and Terramar.
Cupra had beforehand not confirmed plans to place the 4.72m-long Tindaya into showrooms, as a substitute touting the present automotive as primarily a expertise and design showcase, however now Seat-Cupra CEO Markus Haupt has revealed to Autocar that designers and engineers are engaged on the ultimate automotive forward of a launch within the coming years.
“It seems improbable – why ought to we not construct the Tindaya?” he mentioned. “We’re certainly taking a look at our plans for once we might construct the Tindaya, however it’s one thing I can promise: this automotive will see the streets in some years.”
The brand new mannequin, sitting above the Tavascan and Formentor crossovers, will give Cupra an entrant into Europe’s essential premium SUV phase, which is at the moment dominated by the likes of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC – and quickly electrifying as these automobiles and plenty of of their important rivals obtain new electrical sibling fashions primarily based on superior EV architectures.
Primarily based on the costs of Cupra’s present fashions, the Tindaya is anticipated to be priced at across the £60,000 mark, which is able to line it up neatly towards the German stalwarts’ new EVs, in addition to the likes of the Genesis GV70 and Lexus RZ.
Nevertheless, whereas the Tindaya will nonetheless use the VW Group’s new SSP platform for EVs – due for use first by Audi – it might go with out the unconventional 489bhp range-extender powertrain that was mentioned to propel the idea.
Requested concerning the viability of providing REx energy, Haupt mentioned: “All this dialogue is altering by the day, very quick. It will likely be, after all, on a brand new platform of the group – that is determined already.
“However which powertrains will we now have ultimately? It’s a call we now have not taken now, and we need to keep versatile so long as potential, as a result of when the automotive hits the streets, we have to make sure that it has the proper powertrains for our markets, for our clients.”
