Cupra previews Aussie-bound urban electric SUV with racing concept
It looks like a crazy racing car but underneath the exaggerated styling of the Cupra UrbanRebel Concept unveiled at the 2021 Munich motor show is a future battery electric small SUV from the Volkswagen Group’s Spanish performance brand.
In other words, don’t expect the wings and things to still be part of the package when the production car rolls out in 2025, with Australia a likely export market.
But Cupra insists the fundamental design language will be retained for the production car.
“This racing concept gives an idea of the design language of the future street-car and will inspire its creation” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra.
“The urban electric car is a key strategic project not only for our company, but also for the Volkswagen Group, as our aim is to produce more than 500,000 urban electric cars per year in Martorell for different Group brands.
“The urban electric car will democratise and make accessible electromobility to the masses.”
Cupra will launch in Australia by mid-2022 with a line-up of plug-in hybrid models.
Models in the launch range include the Leon hatchback, Ateca small SUV and Formentor coupe-crossover.
But with the brand intending to go all-electric by 2030 the EV roll-out has begun with the Cupra Born electric vehicle, which could arrive in Australia as early as late 2022.
The Tavascan electric SUV – currently previewed as a concept – will have its global reveal in 2024, followed by the Urban EV based on the UrbanRebel concept.
The Cupra UrbanRebel Concept delivers 250kW of continuous power and up to 320kW at its peak. It can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in only 3.2 secs.
Key styling features include a shark nose, triangular signature headlights, wraparound window graphic meant to evoke a racing helmet, pronounced wedge side-profiles and a large rear spoiler.
With a total length of 4080mm, a width of 1795mm and a height of 1444mm, the UrbanRebel also teases the proportions of the future urban electric car. It will be based on he VW Group’s MEB architetcure.
Cupra also unveiled in Munich an Extreme E racer that hinted at the design of Tavascan SUV. A significant evolution of the first generation racer that launched for this year’s debut season, the Tavascan Extreme E Concept features bespoke bodywork made predominantly from flax fibres.
