In March 2024, news broke that a new car brand was planning to enter the US market. Cupra, a high-performance marque originating in Spain and rapidly spreading across Europe and Mexico, now has its sights set on North America with hopes of being ready for launch by 2030.
It’s now been nearly a year since the big announcement. Plenty of questions have been raised since then—and some rumors, including talk that Cupra could be ready for the US far sooner than originally thought. Although there is still plenty to learn, a lot more information is available. Here’s a look at what we know about Cupra coming to the US and answers to some of those pressing questions.
What Is Cupra?
I’ll start with the obvious by identifying this carmaker—and there are a few layers to the story. Cupra was officially established as an independent entity in 2018. Before then, it was a special edition vehicle badge that debuted on the 1996 SEAT Ibiza. The vehicle was released as part of SEAT Sport, then the motorsports division of SEAT, which has been one of Spain’s leading automakers since 1950. In turn, SEAT Sport was the successor to the SEAT Special Vehicles Department, which won numerous rally racing titles in the late 1970s and early 1980s (are you with me so far?).
Basically, the original Cupra was kind of like the GR version of the Toyota Corolla or the GTI version of the Volkswagen Golf. Over the next two decades, though, Cupra emerged as the name people associated with SEAT on the motorsports and street scenes. In 2018, SEAT recognized this by renaming its motorsports division Cupra Racing and creating an independent Cupra brand to design high-performance street cars. If you were wondering, the name Cupra came from combining “cup” and “racing.”
Also, it’s not a coincidence that I mentioned VW—the Volkswagen Group has owned 100% of SEAT, and by extension Cupra, since 1990. Cupra will become the seventh VW automobile brand available in the US, joining Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, and the soon-to-debut Scout.
What Do They Offer?
Based on Cupra’s history, it’s no surprise that the company is known for high-performance vehicles. However, Cupra has also catered to the massive global interest in SUVs, which account for over half of new vehicle sales in the US and Europe. The existing lineup consists of two hot hatches, a station wagon, and four crossovers. Two of the vehicles—the Born hot hatch and the Tavascan crossover—are exclusively BEVs, as is the Raval, which will start production sometime in 2025.
Currently, the biggest Cupra sellers are the Formentor and Born. The Formentor compact crossover was Cupra’s first standalone model—earlier vehicles were juiced-up versions of SEAT cars—and sold 111,300 units in 2024. That’s more than double the 41,800 units of the Cupra Born hot hatch. Each is designed to give daily driving plenty of pep. For example, the most powerful edition of the Formentor (which Cupra calls an SUV coupe) puts out 385 hp and uses race track-inspired suspension geometry and brakes. Furthermore, Cupra is committed to next-gen fuel technology. Every non-BEV model is available as a PHEV or mild hybrid, and some vehicles have a diesel engine option.
What Models Could the US Lineup Include?
The answer to this question is evolving. As part of the coming-to-America announcement, Cupra CEO Wayne Griffins said the company would start with two vehicles: a Formentor BEV and a larger crossover EV. However, they seem to have softened their stance on going EV-only in the US. In a November 2024 press release, Cupra said the initial lineup would include a mix of internal combustion engine (ICE), PHEV, and BEV options. Meanwhile, Car and Driver predicted the lineup would consist of four vehicles: two crossovers, a hot hatch, and a sports car.
Based on this and other information (which I’ll discuss shortly), it seems reasonable the León will be in the US catalog, thus filling the hot hatch and ICE slots. For the second crossover, it’s likely to be a new model since every current Cupra option is a compact vehicle. The most believable speculation I’ve heard is that it will be a cousin of the Audi Q6 e-tron. Word is that whatever vehicle it is, this crossover will be built in Mexico, which could be relevant based on how the US tariff situation plays out. As for a Cupra sports car, the DarkRebel concept two-seater unveiled in 2023 seems to be a good candidate. Whether it’s the full 450-plus hp version or a more low-key edition remains to be seen.
Where Will Cupra Be Available?
One near-certainty is that when Cupra arrives in the US, it won’t be in all 50 states. The March 2024 announcement stated the debut will happen in select states along the East Coast, West Coast, and Sun Belt. Griffiths added they would use a new distribution model but didn’t go into details.
A little light was recently shed, though. The recent tidbit regarding vehicle options came from a larger announcement that Cupra was talking with Penske Automotive Group about partnering for distribution. Penske has over 200 locations across the US, and 28 of them are dealerships affiliated with various VW Group brands, making them a logical ally whether to add Cupra to existing franchises or open new ones. Not only that, but the CEO is Roger Penske, who owns the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as NASCAR, IndyCar, and IMSA teams. As you’re about to see, this may be relevant.
IMSA: Cupra Gets an Early Start
I noted earlier that Cupra says it’s looking to make the nameplate available by 2030 for US buyers. So why are rumors persisting that they’ll be ready a lot earlier? I’m guessing the news of October 10, 2024 played a big role. That day, the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) announced the Cupra León VZ TCR was approved for the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge series. The Cupra Racing factory team made its debut at Florida’s Daytona International Speedway on January 24 but was unfortunately unable to complete the race after being involved in a three-car collision on the 44th lap.
This is a huge deal for the Cupra brand as they try to get on more people’s radars. The Michelin Pilot Challenge is a support division for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the biggest such series in North America. The 2025 schedule will also include stops in California, Georgia, Virginia, New York, and other markets within Cupra’s stated target regions. It makes sense that if Cupra makes a quick splash in IMSA, they may want to capitalize on the positive publicity by moving up their US plans. This is also why I think the Cupra León will be one of the street car offerings so fans can buy something like what they see on the track.
Preparing for Cupra’s Arrival
There are still a lot of moving parts and puzzle pieces before the US picture of Cupra becomes clear. The potential is there for something big, though. Cupra has a decades-long pedigree of racing success and is growing fast—more than 750,000 Cupra vehicles have been sold since it became a brand in 2018. Not only that, but it has the backing of one of the world’s biggest automotive conglomerates. I was already tracking the Cupra story before this article, and I’ll continue to keep an eye on how it plays out.
