CUPRA has unveiled revised and revamped variations of its Formentor SUV and Leon hatchback and Sportstourer wagon, however Australian consumers should wait nearly a yr to see the up to date fashions on sale right here.
The brand new design for the Formentor and Leon fashions brings them into line with the upcoming range-topping Terramar SUV which would be the largest mannequin on provide from the Spanish model.
Key to the modifications are redesigned triangulated lighting results entrance and rear, in addition to a brand new look grille and bumper adopting a “shark nostril” look. Inside, every model sees updates to the usability of the media techniques and new backlit controls – a bugbear for house owners of the earlier mannequin – and upgraded, extra eco-conscious supplies.
Additional, up to date engines are on the playing cards, with a brand new mild-hybrid entry powertrain in addition to a revised plug-in hybrid with considerably extra EV vary and a powered up Golf R-spec choice with a reconfigured AWD system and Drift mode.
Jeff Shafer, Cupra head of product and advertising for Australia, stated the model will launch these new fashions as quickly because it’s doable to take action, however confirmed that the entry-level variants will arrive firstly of the second quarter subsequent yr, whereas the high-spec efficiency and plug-in hybrid fashions won’t arrive till mid-2025.
“The automobiles will go into manufacturing shortly for Europe, and we’re about two to 3 months later when it comes to our manufacturing. Clearly there’s a number of time within the transport from Europe to our market. So it takes two to 3 months, principally, between manufacturing and when we’ve got the merchandise to launch, however we’re not that far behind whenever you really look firstly of manufacturing (SOP),” stated Mr Shafer.
“The delay when it comes to SOP usually comes right down to homologation necessities for Australia. So we’ve got variations within the ADRs that we’ve got, to get the check outcomes and submit for our native approvals, earlier than we are able to push ‘go’ on manufacturing.
Ben Wilks, Cupra Australia model director, identified that the skew for our market is in direction of essentially the most performance-oriented fashions and in addition these with plug-in hybrid powertrains that are additionally seeing large demand from different markets.
“It’s price noting that in Australia, we’re taking the very highest specification efficiency engines within the vary and they also come on stream slightly bit later as nicely. So there’s some delays as a part of that,” he stated.
The brand new base mannequin engine might be a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol with 48-volt mild-hybrid know-how designed to assist out in stop-start conditions. The TSIe powertrain is nice for 110kW of energy and 250Nm of torque and nonetheless makes use of a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. It’s anticipated the brand new powertrain will exchange the entry-level V (110kW 2.0L turbo FWD) fashions.
There can even be a brand new plug-in hybrid provided with an influence bump to 200kW (presently 180kW) whereas additionally providing a bigger 19.7kWh battery pack that sees a rise to its EV driving vary declare to 100 kilometres, up from 58km from the present 12.9kWh pack.
Cupra has confirmed a plug-in hybrid choice with 200kW of energy and 100km of electrical vary will hit Australia in the course of 2025, whereas the vary might be topped by a brand new 245kW all-wheel drive mannequin with Drift Mode.
Additional particulars and specs, together with pricing, might be confirmed nearer to the launch of the 2025 Formentor and Leon fashions.
Cupra has began off 2024 slowly, with a drop in gross sales in comparison with final yr. For the primary three months of 2024, 579 Cupra fashions have been registered in Australia, or a 28.3 per cent drop on the primary quarter of 2023.
Regardless of that, the model says it’s on observe to match or barely higher its general annual gross sales quantity from 2023, the place it offered 3765 items.
The model has simply celebrated the 5000th Cupra sale in its two-year existence right here.
