Cupra is stepping upmarket, with a new mid-size electric SUV set to join its lineup in the coming years, inspired by the racy Tindaya concept.
“It looks fantastic – why should we not build the Tindaya?” Cupra CEO Markus Haupt told Autocar.
“We are indeed looking at our plans for when we could build the Tindaya, but it’s something I can promise: this car will see the streets in some years.”
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The Tindaya will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming SSP architecture, but what’s less clear is whether it’ll offer an extended-range electric (EREV) powertrain like the concept, which was revealed at last year’s Munich motor show.
“All this discussion is changing by the day, very fast. It will be, of course, on a new platform of the group – this is decided already,” said Mr Haupt.
“But which powertrains will we have in the end? It’s a decision we have not taken now, and we want to stay flexible as long as possible, because when the car hits the streets, we need to ensure that it has the right powertrains for our markets, for our customers.”
“But we are lucky: as part of the Volkswagen Group, we have the technology and so we can decide quite late which technology we bet on for this car.”
While Cupra never revealed powertrain details for the Tindaya concept, it’s understood to have featured a 365kW EREV powertrain incorporating a small combustion engine used as a generator to charge the battery.
It did confirm the Tindaya concept measures 4.72m long, making it only slightly longer than the mid-size Cupra Tavascan electric SUV.
However, Autocar reports that while it’s similar in size to the Tavascan, it may be differentiated with a price tag lining it up against more premium mid-size SUVs such as the Genesis GV70 and Lexus RZ.
Cupra has progressed with developing a flagship SUV despite last year pausing its plans to enter the US market in 2030, where a SSP-based flagship was set to spearhead the brand’s introduction.
Unlike the MEB architecture used by the Tavascan, SSP is reportedly being engineered to accommodate EREV powertrains, though the CEO of Volkswagen’s ‘core’ brand division has suggested such powertrains may be exclusive to larger vehicles.
“The questionable area is in the smaller space. While you have PHEVs, do you really need range-extenders?” Thomas Schäfer told Autocar last year.
Audi is set to use SSP first, now that Volkswagen has delayed the Mk9 Golf that was previously expected to be launched in 2028, with Porsche and Skoda to follow.
The Tindaya concept previews an even more aggressive evolution of Cupra’s design language with a menacing maw featuring a gaping grille, angular headlight clusters, and a creased bonnet.
It rides on enormous 23-inch wheels and there’s no B-pillar, with the rear doors being rear-hinged – a design element we would expect to change with the production vehicle.
Inside, there’s a similarly edgy dashboard with a prominent, textured centre stack angled towards the driver. Ahead of the driver is a steering yoke and a 24-inch digital display.
The Volkswagen Group already has a pair of premium mid-size electric SUVs with the Audi Q6 e-tron and Porsche Macan, which entered production in 2023 and 2024, respectively.