Bad news, everyone: The Volkswagen Group's Spanish performance brand Cupra was planning on hitting the United Stated market in 2030, but as of Tuesday, that’s no longer the case.
An explanation from Cupra was posted in an announcement about the company’s Q2 sales results. “However, given the ongoing challenges within the automotive industry and in light of evolving market dynamics, Cupra has strategically decided to postpone its planned entry into the U.S. market, originally scheduled for 2030.”
What are those specific challenges? Cupra doesn’t elaborate, but it’s no secret the back-and-forth Trump tariff situation has caused all sorts of uncertainty at automakers around the globe. It’s also key to note that Cupra uses the word “postpone,” not “cancel,” when referring to its future in the U.S. Sven Schuwirth, the executive VP for sales, marketing and aftersales at Seat, provided comment on the situation, too.
“We’re not stopping, just postponing our U.S. launch and will continue to monitor market developments in the coming years to determine the best timing and approach, aligned with the brand’s long-term vision,” Schuwirth said. “In the meantime, Cupra will build on the strong momentum it has achieved in existing key territories and will soon expand into new high-potential markets to broaden its global footprint.”
Cupra went so far as to invite U.S. media to drive its Formentor SUV (pictured above) in Miami earlier this year. The Formentor is a small performance crossover that was likely going to be offered here with the Cupra launch. (Given the long lead time, it would’ve certainly been the next-generation Formentor, but all bets are off at this point.) If Cupra changes its stance from a postponement to a cancellation, we’ll be missing out on a new performance brand here in the states. Every Cupra is built with performance in mind, and they share platforms/powertrains with other vehicles in the VW Group portfolio.
One last tie-in Cupra has in the immediate future here in the U.S. is a racing entry in the 2025 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. Cupra is racing its Leon VZ TCR car in a number of races this year, surely with hopes of putting its name in front of potential enthusiast buyers of its cars. There’s no indication the racing entry is disappearing, though — so if you want to see a Cupra on American soil, the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge is the place to be.
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