Even though Ford’s partnership with Volkswagen continues to spawn new models – and will continue to evolve in the coming years – the truth is, both companies remain rivals in the marketplace. In fact, VW is in the midst of reviving the Scout brand, which will eventually lead to the launch of multiple off-road-focused EV pickups and SUVs. Now, Volkswagen is set to bring yet another one of its brands to the U.S., this time, an existing one – Cupra – according to Automotive News.
This bit of news comes directly from Seat and Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths, who confirmed that the latter brand plans to expand its reach into the U.S. market by the end of the decade while speaking at a media conference in Barcelona, Spain. However, while Cupra currently offers some ICE models in Europe, it will enter the American market exclusively with a pair of EVs at first – one, an all-electric version of the existing Formentor crossover, which will be accompanied by an as-yet-unnamed “bigger, electric crossover SUV,” according to Griffiths.
Cupra has vastly expanded its global footprint in recent years, having just entered Mexico and Australia, though Germany continues to be its biggest market. Fresh off recording a robust 51 percent sales increase in Mexico last year, Cupra is now setting its sights on the larger U.S. market, which it has been studying for some time now. Griffiths also noted that the brand aims to utilize VW’s existing facilities to support its entry into the U.S., along with a new distribution model, to boot.
“We want to leverage synergies within the brand group core by producing this crossover SUV in Volkswagen factories in the North American region including Mexico,” Griffiths said. “Cupra will be launched in selected states where we assure we can find customers that are linked to the Cupra brand and respond to the Cupra brand, mainly in the East and West coast and Sun Belt states. We know it’s always been a matter of being well prepared and doing it right if you go to the U.S. So, after testing the brand, we know our cars will reflect what customers are looking for in the United States.”
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