Cupra to reveal coupe-crossover as first standalone model

Cupra will reveal its first standalone model, a coupé-SUV with bespoke styling, on 22 February ahead of the Geneva motor show.

Seat's new sister brand has released a single darkened teaser image of the rear of the concept car, showing a sculpted body that suggests the high-riding stance of a crossover with a sloping roofline. The machine also sports a distinctive LED light strip across the boot lid, which also features both the Cupra logo and the brand name spelt out.

Cupra says the new machine, which will be unveiled in an online event exactly one year since the brand was launched, will take “the high-performance vehicle to the next level” and offer “a unique driving experience.”

Brand boss Wayne Griffiths added that the concept “is a synthesis of what Cupra stands for”. It has been hinted that the car will showcase the future direction of the brand in terms of both design and technology.

The model, rumoured to be called Terramar, will be the first Cupra whose exterior design is a unique departure from Seat’s range, with the aim to help the brand distinguish itself from its parent company.

It adapts the bodystyle of the 20V20 concept seen at Geneva in 2015, but with a radically different look distinguishing the model from other, similar-sized Volkswagen Group SUVs.

It will be wider and lower than Cupra’s first model, the Ateca, with a sloping roofline, pronounced rear haunches and a front end design that takes inspiration from the Seat Tarraco large SUV.

Autocar understands that the new SUV won’t be totally new under the skin, instead being likely to adopt the engine and running gear of the Ateca. That means the familiar EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, possibly with more than today’s 296bhp, mated to a variable four-wheel-drive system and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Cupra might also look to alter the car’s chassis and suspension components beyond simple tuning revisions. The car appeared to sport a wider track in previous leaked shots, which would in theory improve body control.

Cupra plans to reach 30,000 sales per year in the next three to five years and will hire brand-specific staff.

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