Photo: SEAT
Cupra is technically not yet a brand since you can't buy the Cupra Ateca and the Leon is still a SEAT. But we like what they're cooking over in Spain, especially if it's a bite-sizes crossover with a 2-liter engine.
The fact that VW can spread development costs for similar cars across different brands is an awesome advantage for them. A report from Spanish magazine Motor claims the Cupra Arona will arrive with 200 horsepower towards the end of 2020. And if that turns out to be true, it could be quite a unique little car.
Well, not 100% unique, since we can think of a few other small crossovers with similar power, such as the Juke Nismo and the old Countryman JCW before it grew. But the Cupra Arona could have a genuine impact, selling in the thousands, since it comes from the right kind of brand and should be affordable enough.
We must admit that the report is difficult to believe. The Arona has a tall body, which at first glance doesn't seem designed like a hot hatch. Also, the Cupra Ibiza concept presented earlier hasn't been approved for production.
But since both of them share the MQB A0 platform with the 2018 Polo GTI, it would make sense to perform a heart transplant. We feel like the Cupra Ibiza is an especially sound idea since the VW model was well received and is in high demand in Germany right.
As a separate brand from SEAT, Cupra has already established a few guidelines. It now features a distinctive badge and seems to focus a lot on carbon fiber. The Leon Cupra R has both real carbon trim on the outside and fake one inside.
Of course, 200 HP doesn't sound like a lot, but it's the exact same output as the Golf 5 GTI, and it's backed by 320 Nm of torque. Let's not forget that a 2-liter turbo can easily be tuned as well, unlike the 1.6 in the Juke Nismo, which is near its peak output.
Well, not 100% unique, since we can think of a few other small crossovers with similar power, such as the Juke Nismo and the old Countryman JCW before it grew. But the Cupra Arona could have a genuine impact, selling in the thousands, since it comes from the right kind of brand and should be affordable enough.
We must admit that the report is difficult to believe. The Arona has a tall body, which at first glance doesn't seem designed like a hot hatch. Also, the Cupra Ibiza concept presented earlier hasn't been approved for production.
But since both of them share the MQB A0 platform with the 2018 Polo GTI, it would make sense to perform a heart transplant. We feel like the Cupra Ibiza is an especially sound idea since the VW model was well received and is in high demand in Germany right.
As a separate brand from SEAT, Cupra has already established a few guidelines. It now features a distinctive badge and seems to focus a lot on carbon fiber. The Leon Cupra R has both real carbon trim on the outside and fake one inside.
Of course, 200 HP doesn't sound like a lot, but it's the exact same output as the Golf 5 GTI, and it's backed by 320 Nm of torque. Let's not forget that a 2-liter turbo can easily be tuned as well, unlike the 1.6 in the Juke Nismo, which is near its peak output.
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