The CUPRA brand, born from SEAT’s award-winning motorsport division, is the ultimate expression of uniqueness, sophistication and performance, constructed through passion and designed to captivate car enthusiasts around the world, creating vehicles that aren’t founded in nostalgia but rooted in the present.
Some of the most experienced and engaged staff within the motorsport division have created a new dimension of the company – an alternative outlet for its competences and capabilities as an organisation.
CUPRA will create an even livelier range of products focusing on SEAT models. They will leverage the Volkswagen Group’s powerful technological toolkit and access the huge array of possibilities it gives them, but they will also be open to cooperating with people and companies which talk the same language and share the same experiences: merchandising, accessories, events and, of course, motorsport.
As the brand diversifies its business and develops new models that offer the perfect mix of performance, driveability and usability, CUPRA will leverage the existing infrastructure that SEAT benefits from, with dedicated floor space in 277 specially selected dealerships across Europe.
CUPRA has also re-entered the world of touring cars, competing in the TCR series in 2018 and working towards the first season of eTCR in 2020 with its eRacer concept.
CUPRA was launched as a standalone brand last February with the preview of its first model, a high-performance SUV that marks the beginning of a new era.
Led by Design Director Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos, the CUPRA Ateca’s exterior design offers a striking look that instantly distinguishes it as a high- performance vehicle. Its muscular proportions leave no doubt that the the CUPRA Ateca is an extremely dynamic SUV.
To the front, its upper grille features a honeycomb effect on the inside with the new CUPRA logo at its centre, reinforcing its new brand lineage. On the lower grille the CUPRA name sits subtley and is finished in matt aluminium, just above the bumper.
The CUPRA Ateca’s powerful front end continues with signature full-LED headlights, which not only offer tremendous brightness but also underscore the SUV’s broad, muscular stance and purposeful appearance. As soon as you unlock the doors, LEDs in the exterior mirrors illuminate the area close to the door sills, projecting a welcome puddle light of the CUPRA logo and lettering onto the ground.
The CUPRA Ateca’s glossy black trim details appear throughout the exterior design: the roof rails, wing mirrors, window frames, side mouldings, wheels, front grille and front and rear diffusers, as well as the spoilers that frame the rear window, all benefit from this design touch.
Black brake callipers, a sporty rear bumper, the copper CUPRA logo on the boot, its four exhaust pipes on the edge of the rear diffuser and exclusive 19-inch diamond cut alloy wheels with the CUPRA logo all underline the sportiness and dynamism of the SUV.
There are six exterior detail enhancing metallic paints available: Energy Blue, Velvet Red, Brilliant Silver, Rodium Grey, Magic Black or Nevada White.
Once inside, the CUPRA Ateca’s interior exudes a combination of driver focus, comfort and refinement, offering the perception of a vehicle designed to meet the highest performance targets, while still being able to carry its occupants in complete comfort.
Underlining the new brand, the CUPRA logo is embossed on the floor mats, the key and the multimedia system touchscreen when the engine is started.
The door panels are upholstered in Alcantara®, with the CUPRA lettering illuminated on an aluminium plaque standing proud on the door sills. The sports seats are also upholstered in Alcantara®, in black with copper stitching and carbon fibre-effect covering the sides.
When cocooned in the driver’s seat, the driver will also see the copper stitching continue on the sports leather steering wheel, which houses an embossed CUPRA logo at its centre, and on the gear knob. The pedals are finished in aluminium to complete the feeling of being in control of a premium vehicle.
Elsewhere in the cabin, the high-end feel continues with the climate control air vent frames finished in either silver or gloss black (with the Design option). The central console, which houses the drive select control system and gear shifter, also has the option to be finished in either silver or gloss black.
Directly in front of the driver is the digital cockpit that provides information in the clearest of forms thanks to its crisp, high-resolution display, supported by the 8-inch touchscreen navigation system plus in the centre of the dash. Both of these technologies aid the driver and help affirm the sense of refinement.
The essence of every CUPRA is its power, performance and driveability. To meet these demands, under the CUPRA Ateca’s bonnet is one of the most advanced four-cylinder petrol engines on the market today.
The 1,984cc direct-injection, turbocharged unit has a bore of 82.5mm and stroke of 92.8mm, with a compression ratio of 9.3:1. This helps it achieve its impressive power output of 300PS between 5,300rpm and 6,500rpm. Add to this a huge 400Nm of torque available at a wide range of 2,000- 5,200rpm and the CUPRA Ateca can reach a top speed of 153mph.
Thanks to the CUPRA Ateca’s mix of low weight (weighing just 1,540kg without driver) and high output engine, the SUV can reach 62mph from a standing start in just 5.2 seconds.
This rapid acceleration is helped by the integration of the newly developed seven-speed DSG transmission, engineered to offer a sportier feel with faster, smoother and more precise changes. The CUPRA Ateca also features launch control for even greater acceleration from a standing start.
Combined with the four exhausts at the rear, the CUPRA Ateca’s on-road performance is matched by its powerful sound, amplifying the sense of drama from every seat.
These developments aren’t solely about absolute performance: the CUPRA Ateca also incorporates technologies to improve efficiency so that it also delivers as an everyday car.
The seven-speed gearbox has been modified to combine excellent performance with low levels of fuel consumption, while the 2.0-litre TSI engine works with a newly designed Otto Particulate Filter System to fulfil the latest emissions legislation.
These developments mean that carbon emissions for the CUPRA Ateca sit at 168g/km with fuel efficiency figures of 38.2mpg (NEDC equivalent).
CUPRA Ateca comes with the price tag of £35,900 OTR
