CUPRA launched their new Formentor model to the Irish media on Wednesday morning in a special Virtual Press Conference. With the launch of the Formentor, the CUPRA brand, launched in the Irish market in 2018, now consists of four models, the CUPRA Leon, CUPRA Leon Sportstourer, CUPRA Ateca and CUPRA Formentor.
The Formentor, named after Mallorca’s Cap de Formentor is a car which comes to the Irish market with no direct competitors, offering a unique proposition to customers alongside a unique sales experience from CUPRA’s four retailers.
CUPRA Brand Director Niall Phillips, speaking at Wednesday’s conference said that the brand has now successfully distinguished itself from sister brand SEAT.
“CUPRA has a bright future ahead. With the addition of the new CUPRA brand, we are now a company with two distinct brands, both brands have completely different target groups, and both take on very separate roles in the Volkswagen Group. The Formentor will be a door opener to new customers that look for exclusivity, contemporary design and innovation.”
Phillips outlined the positioning of the CUPRA brand as sitting between the mass and premium brands, with a range that will expand beyond the current line-up, especially in terms of electrification.
“CUPRA will gain significant volume growth and market share relevance in the Irish market over the coming years as the Product, Electrification, Awareness and Retailer Network become more established,” added Phillips.
There are currently four CUPRA retailers in Ireland (two in Dublin, one in Cork and one in Limerick), but Phillips outlined plans to double this retailer network by the end of the year.
“Each CUPRA retailer will offer the customer a unique customer experience through the appointment of a dedicated CUPRA specialist who will be the only point of contact throughout the Sales and Aftersales process for the customer.”
The CUPRA Formentor range starts from €37,135 for the 1.5-litre 150hp TSI model with a 6-speed manual transmission, rising to €40,885 with a DSG transmission. At the top of the petrol range is the flagship 310hp 4Drive VZ model for €64,425. There are two, 2.0-litre TDI diesel models with 150hp.
The version with a 6-speed manual gearbox costs €39,135, while the DSG 4Drive version costs €45,975. Pricing for the 204hp e-Hybrid starts from €39,895*, with the more potent 245hp version starting from €50,130*.
The Formentor e-Hybrid integrates a system that combines a 150hp 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine, a 115hp electric motor and a 13 kWh capacity lithium-ion battery to offer the best of both worlds in terms of performance and emissions, and in the case of the 245hp version, a 0-100km/h time of just 7 seconds, yet CO2 emissions of just 32g/km. This model can also drive up to 54 kilometres in full electric mode.
The brand also outlined pricing for the new Leon CUPRA PHEV models, with the 1.4-litre TSI 245hp version starting from €41,210* and the Sportstourer models starting from €42,060*. This model is expected to be the top-selling Leon CUPRA and will offer a full-electric range of 52km, with CO2 emissions of just 28.9-32.4 g/km.
There have been a range of new additions to the CUPRA Ateca model, too, with the new 2.0-litre TSI 300 4Drive DSG costing from €66,065.
PCP Finance is available across the CUPRA range from €359 p/m, with a rate of just 2.9% from Volkswagen Financial Services.
There will be a total of seven new Electric and Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) models across the SEAT and CUPRA range, with the fully electric CUPRA Born model coming to Ireland in early 2022. The CUPRA Tavascan fully electric SUV is also set to join the CUPRA range in 2024.
For more information log on to: https://www.cupraofficial.ie/offers.html
*After SEAI grant of €5,000 for private customers
