Once again, CUPRA and SEAT are back at Automobile Barcelona, showcasing their latest innovations and the company’s strong commitment to the development of electric vehicles.
During the first day of the motor show, Wayne Griffiths, CEO of SEAT and CUPRA, confirmed the name of the brand’s future urban electric car, the CUPRA Raval. The name serves as a tribute to the Raval neighbourhood, a district in the heart of Barcelona, and is one that ROSALÍA’s alphabet campaign hinted at.
“The Raval is one of the most surprising parts of Barcelona. And today, we are proud that the brand’s future urban electric car will have its name and represent its spirit. Just as we did with the CUPRA Born, we now want to express the essence of the Raval and continue to inspire the world from Barcelona,” explained Wayne Griffiths.
CUPRA also announced today that, together with brand ambassador and actor Daniel Brühl, it will bring the spirit of his “Bar Raval” in Berlin to the future CUPRA City Garage, which will open later this year in the German capital.
The best first quarter in history
SEAT S.A. announced the name of its future CUPRA model coinciding with the best first quarter results in its history. Between January and March, the company registered a record operating profit of 144 million euros, an improvement of 139 million euros compared to the first quarter of the previous year, and a turnover of 3.6 billion euros, which represents a 48% increase in comparison to the first three months of 2022. These historic figures are thanks to CUPRA, which is pushing the growth of the company’s financial results.
Since its launch in 2018, CUPRA has sold more than 300,000 cars, exceeding all expectations. In 2022, the brand reached 4.4 billion Euros in turnover, 40% of the company’s total, becoming one of the fastest growing brands in Europe and Spain. This year’s figures are also positive, with 46,600 units sold during the first quarter of 2023, 83% more than in the same period in 2022.
The car for the new generation
“The CUPRA Raval is not just another car. It is an invitation to a new generation, which expects something better. An urban, rebellious and 100% electric car, with its own character and linked to ‘Gen Z’. Something that’s more emotional,” said Wayne Griffiths.
The brand has created the most radical interpretation of CUPRA in an urban electric car inspired by the world of racing.
The CUPRA Raval will be produced at SEAT S.A.’s headquarters in Martorell. The company will invest 3 billion euros into the plant’s transformation from combustion to electrification and produce electric cars from 2025 based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB Small platform. SEAT S.A. is leading the Small BEV cluster for different brands of the Volkswagen Group.
More than a name
CUPRA’s link to Barcelona, and specifically to the Raval, goes beyond naming some of its models after the city’s neighbourhoods.
“CUPRA wants to be a driving force for change in the neighbourhood. For this reason, we are already talking with institutions and organizations in the Raval to promote actions that will help young people”, Griffiths added.
Dreams come true
CUPRA also presented the CUPRA Tavascan, the brand’s first 100% electric SUV, to the public for the first time at Automobile Barcelona. The model premiered on 21st April in Berlin.
“It’s a dream come true that started four years ago at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show and was finally unveiled a few days ago at our Exponential Impulse event. The CUPRA Tavascan is a new hero for a new era, dreamed, designed and developed in Barcelona.” stated Griffiths.
The CUPRA DarkRebel, the brand’s digital show car was also presented to those attending Automobile Barcelona. “The Dark Rebel is the ultimate interpretation of CUPRA’s design for the future. With the DarkRebel, we want to show that the electric cars of the future can be sexy and provocative,” said Jorge Diez, Head of Design at CUPRA.
So far, more than 100,000 users have already configured their DarkRebel through an immersive experience in the Hyper Configurator. Their designs will influence the future physical version of the show car that could arrive very soon.
