The difference between a Cupra Ateca and a Seat Ateca Cupra might sound pedantic – but it’s all about brand positioning.
Cupra confirmed as standalone performance sub-brand of Seat
Seat has always been positioned as the Volkswagen Group’s ‘youth’ brand. In the past, that has involved a focus on sportiness, with its Cupra models serving as halo products. But with the ‘smartphone generation’ more interesting in technology and style, Seat’s growth in recent years has been fuelled by broadening its appeal through SUVs and a focus on cool, ‘urban’ design.
So creating a stand-alone Cupra brand enables Seat Sport to develop hot machines that don’t fit the main firm’s new focus, but will still appeal to a core and passionate audience, and allow the wider Seat brand to become more focused on its new direction – without losing the benefit of having a credible performance arm.
The interest is in the decision to present such cars as Cupra machines, without Seat branding – similar to what Fiat has done with Abarth, or Volvo has done with Polestar – and a step beyond performance arms such as Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport. That could help Cupra build a greater cult following – but only if the hard work is done to ensure it builds its own identity.
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An enigma wrapped in a puzzle
A pretend company that can have now have another pretend company when there are already a number of companies available to the main company....what exactly is cupra?
Badge again
It reminds me of Tesla's (surely not a coincidence??) I agree with everyone else's Comments. VW never had the cojones to make Seat the Spanish Alfa. The only thing that would give the 'sub-brand' credibility would be the sports car that Seat were never given.
Can he seriously only manage 3 short paragraphs on the subject?
Moronic bandwagon following. I have no idea why Attwood thinks this is a good idea. It is just stretching one VW chassis yet further and trying to fool people.
Attwood also says the young are more interested in 'technology and style'. By my observation, the young aren't intested in cars at all. I suspect this be because the technology is annoying and the style is patheticially homogenous.