Automakers: Seat also wants to bring the Cupra brand to the US

The Spanish subsidiary of Volkswagen is planning to make a big step into the world with the Cupra brand. United States. “Cupra will enter the US market at the end of this decade,” announced Seat and Cupra boss Wayne Griffiths on Thursday. “A strong brand must be global.” They also want to open up a growth market for the Seat branch established in 2018, which currently only operates in Europe. Germany will remain the most important market for the young brand, added Griffiths. In 2023, almost a third of Cupra sales were in the Federal Republic.

Initially, they want to compete in the USA with two electric cars, said Griffiths: the electric successor of the old Formentor, which is planned for the end of the decade, and a large SUV that they want to develop especially for the American market. . “We will bring in both cars as well Europe to provide, “said Griffiths. American cars also want to be produced in North America. “If you want to be profitable there, you need local production.” However, there are no plans to have our own factory. Instead, the capacity from the VW brand could be used , which already operates plants in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Puebla, Mexico.

In Europe, Cupra continues to be one of the fastest growing car brands, said Griffiths. Last year, the Seat subsidiary managed to increase sales by more than 50 percent to 230,700 vehicles. Therefore, he is confident that the target of three percent market share in Europe will be reached in the future. “And with a three percent market share, growth will end. That’s why we’re now looking to the United States.”

Sister brand Seat, which is very successful in Spain, grew by 24 percent to 288,400 vehicles in 2023. The Seat Group, which both brands own, posted the best results in terms of sales and profits: sales rose by 31 percent to a billion euros 14.3. Operating profit increased to 625 million euros – in 2022 it was 33 million euros.

Although Griffiths wants to make Cupra an electric-only brand, Seat has so far only built combustion engines. The Brit has once again denied rumors that he may ditch the Seat brand in favor of the Cupra. « Cupra is the future of Kiti. But the Chair also has a future.” Given the weak demand for electric cars, he is even happy to have a strong combustion engine brand in Seat. In the long run, the Chair will also have to be electrified. However, the time has not yet come for this.

© dpa-infocom, dpa:240321-99-419312/2