Cupra weighs up Leon Estate for Oz

CUPRA has marked the occasion of its first anniversary in Australia by announcing that it is considering a move to off the upper-small Leon Sportstourer here in the very near future.

With the Golf and Passat wagon range facing the axe locally, the decision to introduce the Cupra-sourced Leon Sportstourer seems like a no-brainer, with Cupra Australia director, Ben Wilks, saying the Spanish marque will continue to evolve its range to meet local demand.

“Hard thought is being given to the Leon Sportstourer family performance car, an estate-take on the Leon hot hatchback range,’ he said.

“The obvious Sportstourer variant, given Cupra customers’ preference for the quickest and the best-equipped, is the 228kW all-wheel drive range-topper. There are other versions that suggest themselves (but), we’ll see…”

If the Sportstourer’s business case stacks up, it would precede a range of new models including the all-electric Tavascan and Terramar.

Celebrating the brand’s first birthday in Hobart this week – at the tenth Cupra dealership to open Down Under – Mr Wilks said he was proud of the 3000 deliveries and more than 3600 orders, predicting solid growth performance for the marque in the years to come.

“At our launch 12 months ago, we targeted an eventual 7000 annual deliveries,” he said.

“With these desirable models to come, Cupra is firmly on track to achieve that target.”

To celebrate its one-year anniversary, Cupra will offer three years’ free servicing on the MY23 Ateca, Formentor and Leon, while also offering one per cent finance on the trio.

“Our offer is constantly evolving. One per cent finance with three years’ free servicing – in addition to guaranteed future value – is a pretty compelling proposition, and a sure sign that Cupra isn’t about to become complacent,” said Mr Wilks.

“Australia is responding to our design and performance focused range, the seamless way we sell it online, and the equitable transparency of fixed pricing provided by the agency model.

“Customers tell us that they like the way in which Cupra has made the buying experience easier (and) it’s fair to say that we’ll be doubling our deliveries by birthday number two.”

Sales of Cupra models locally show the range-topping Formentor VZx leading the pack ahead of the rear-wheel drive Born EV. Mr Wilks said one-third of all orders are now for the Born, with plug-in hybrid versions of the Leon and Formentor a close second.

Year-to-date figures indicate the brand has sold 1586 units (to the end of June), including 174 examples of the Born EV, 224 Leons, 949 Formentors and 239 Atecas.