Sydney, 26-06-2023 – CUPRA, Australia's still new challenger brand, is becoming this country's leading European carmaker for zero and low emission vehicles.
As of Friday, CUPRA had taken orders for some 700 of its new Born battery electric vehicle and 350 for the Formentor and Leon Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles.
Within 12 months of going on sale, CUPRA has more than 3000 orders for all its vehicles.
"A third of CUPRA's orders are for our BEV or its PHEVs," CUPRA Australia Director Ben Wilks said. "Seven hundred of these are the fully electric Born, which was released only in April.
"This tells us that CUPRA's customers are all on board with our blend of dynamic design and driving, whether it comes in BEV, PHEV or ICE form."
The Born, which has a possible range of more than 500km, has rapidly become CUPRA's second best-selling vehicle, behind only the Formentor crossover car, with which the brand launched in Australia in July 2022 alongside the Ateca SUV and Leon hatchback range.
Mr Wilks said that while the reaction to the Born has exceeded expectations, only previously short supply of CUPRA's PHEVs had constrained sales to date.
"With 50km battery range, a Formentor or Leon VZe can be in full EV mode in daily commuting. They re-charge from a conventional socket overnight.
"Over greater distances, or where EV chargers are still seldom seen, the Leon and Formentor VZe have a proven Euro 6 turbo petrol engine for easy open road cruising. Even when the battery is run down, the VZe behaves likes a more conventional hybrid, using regenerative braking to replenish battery range.
"These are genuine – not 'mild' - hybrids."
CUPRA is the unconventional challenger brand that brings together emotion, electrification, and performance to inspire the world from Barcelona. Launched in 2018, CUPRA has its corporate headquarters and a racing car workshop in Martorell (Barcelona), in addition to a global network of specialised points of sale.
In 2021, CUPRA maintained its upward trend, tripling sales with 80,000 vehicles delivered, driven by success of the CUPRA Formentor. CUPRA proves that electrification and sportiness are a perfect match, and in 2022 will expand the range of the CUPRA Born, the brand's first 100% electric vehicle, with models with different battery capacities, as well as a more powerful e-Boost version. An exclusive, limited edition version of the CUPRA Formentor VZ5 will also be introduced. The CUPRA Tavascan, the brand's second all-electric model will reach the market in 2024, followed by the brand's first urban electric car, inspired by the CUPRA UrbanRebel concept, in 2025.
CUPRA is FC Barcelona's official automotive and mobility partner, the World Padel Tour's premium sponsor and the official sponsor of the eSports Club Finetwork KOI. Collaborating with brands such as Primavera Sound and De Antonio Yachts, it has created the CUPRA lifestyle universe. The CUPRA Tribe is made up of a team of ambassadors who want to be the driving force of change. Among its members are Olympic gold medallists Adam Peaty, Melvin Richardson and Saúl Craviotto, the German goalkeeper Marc ter Stegen, and Ballon d'Or and Best FIFA Award-winning footballer Alexia Putellas.