What is it?
Yesterday’s news, if we're being a bit flippant. Cupra has a brand-new debutant being promoted from the rafters: the Cupra Formentor. It’s a significant milestone for the Spanish performance marque as its first bespoke product designed separately from its Seat close relation.
The Formentor is also significant in this context because it’s an SUV, and one of broadly (but not exactly) similar size to the first model launched with only Cupra badges: the Ateca. So why, you might ask, does a sub-brand turned brand in its own right dedicate two-thirds of its model range to effectively the same class of car?
There are two trains of thought. The first is that whatever Cupra sells - and it must sell, because few brands have the cash for vanity projects nowadays - has to be a desired product not just for most of Europe, but now new markets such as Mexico, and likely others. Given Cupra's positioning, that means sporty SUVs, and two spun off the same platform is better than one.
The second is that the Ateca itself has kind of done its job of establishing Cupra in its two years on sale. Along with the Leon, which for some reason kept its Seat badging until the new model recently arrived, Cupra clocked up nearly 25,000 sales last year. But for the brand to really succeed on its own, like DS has for Citroën, it must gradually move away from rebadged, steroid-injected Seats.
So with the Formentor around, is there any real reason to buy the Ateca? Clearly, Cupra thinks so, having facelifted the latter, which we’re driving for the first time.
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Another pointless fast SUV clogging up the roads. Who buys SEATS? I can understand who buys Skodas - VWs with added value. But Seats? A VW with less build quality.
I agree what is the point of this car.Do Seat have such a loyal following of buyers? I think not a total waste of resources to develop this I know of no one who has expressed a desire to go and buy a Seat.V E have tried to make it brand that is wantable well they have not.They should have keep it a low cost high value brand chasing Dacia instead why compete with your core brand of V W pointless to me
I agree what is the point of this car.Do Seat have such a loyal following of buyers? I think not a total waste of resources to develop this I know of no one who has expressed a desire to go and buy a Seat.V E have tried to make it brand that is wantable well they have not.They should have keep it a low cost high value brand chasing Dacia instead why compete with your core brand of V W pointless to me
Jebus christ! What a beautiful ring bind folder!
As for two cars instead of one being a good thing, not sure that it is if everyone only buys the formentor. I guess sales will show and when appropriate they will pull this.
"But for the brand to really succeed on its own, like DS has for Citroën, it must gradually move away from rebadged, steroid-injected Seats. "
But we read on these pages that there will be a Seat version of the Formentor, so its never going to escape that connection. Still, as long as the 'brand' is as successful as DS ...