Source: Gasgoo Author: XingYun
Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Volkswagen Group’s Seat and Cupra brands, said on March 21 that the brand is moving forward with plans to enter the U.S. market by 2030 and will use the group’s North American factory for production.
Speaking at Seat’s annual media conference in Barcelona, Griffiths said Cupra, the Volkswagen Group’s brand focused on sporty electric vehicles, will first launch two models in the United States. An electric Formentor crossover and an unnamed “larger electric crossover SUV” aimed to make Cupra become a global brand.
Cupra, which has already expanded into markets such as Mexico and Australia, said it sold 230,739 vehicles in 2023, a 51 percent increase compared to 2022. Griffiths said Germany is Cupra’s biggest market by far. “However, when we talk about the global market, the most important thing is to enter the U.S. market” he added. Cupra has been studying the U.S. auto market and conducting consumer research in preparation for a possible expansion.
Image source: Cupra
In 2018, Cupra separated from the Volkswagen Group’s Seat brand and became an independent brand. Cupra has launched hatchbacks and crossovers so far, with the brand focusing on vehicle performance and targeting “young, avant-garde customers.”
Griffiths said: “We hope to leverage the Group’s core synergies by producing crossover SUVs at VW Group factory in North America, including Mexico. “Cupra will launch in some U.S. states, and we need to make sure we find customers in those states who are connected to and responsive to the Cupra brand, primarily on the East and West Coasts and in the Sun Belt states.”
Cupra will adopt a new distribution model in the United States, Griffiths said, without giving further details. Griffiths added, “We know that to enter the U.S. market, we have to be well prepared and do the right things. So after testing the brand, we are confident that our cars will reflect the needs of our American customers.”
