Cupra Garage retail stores to open in Australia in August 2022, most models available to order online now

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The Volkswagen Group’s incoming Cupra brand will land in Australia in August, with orders for most of the company’s models now possible through the brand’s local website.

The official launch of online orders comes after a limited number of ‘Launch Edition’-branded Cupras went up for grabs in July via Cupra’s website. The first fifty Cupra Formentor midsize SUVs sold within days via this process.

Also launching next month will be Cupra’s suite of nine ‘Garage’ retail stores, staffed by ‘masters’ acting as sales agents rather than traditional commissioned salespeople, located throughout Australia.

Cupra to launch nine ‘Garage’ retail stores across Australia

The brand will very soon launch nine ‘Cupra Garage’ locations which will be spread out across Australia as places to see, experience and purchase the three new Cupra models.

There will be two Cupra garages in NSW, two in Victoria, two in Queensland, and one each in the ACT, South Australia and Western Australia.

Cupra Australia says that it has chosen a mix of CBD-based locations along with building brand recognition and awareness in large shopping centres across the country.

At each garage, there will be a Cupra ‘Master’ that will dedicate themselves to “every aspect of the buying process”, creating a “seamless purchasing and ownership experience, from test driving, to highlighting transparent driveaway pricing, finance options, and explaining three-year scheduled servicing”.

This is a similar sales and marketing model to the one used by Tesla and Polestar in the past when they, too, were new to the Australia automotive marketplace. 

Chasing Cars understands that it won’t be possible to actually purchase a car directly in-store, but that the Cupra Master will be available to guide customers through the online ordering process, in person.

What is the Cupra brand, and where did it come from?

You’re definitely not alone in thinking that you probably haven’t heard of the Cupra brand before, but it has been around for some time now – just not here in Australia. 

The brand name literally stands for Cup Racing and was originally the performance arm of the brand SEAT which was not sold here in Australia, but globally falls under the Volkswagen Group of products along with other brands you might be more familiar with such as Skoda, Porsche, Audi and Lamborghini. 

The name Cupra came about in the 1970s and 80s as the racing department of the Spanish brand SEAT (pronounced See-at).

The first time the Cupra name was designated to a production car was the Volkswagen Polo-based SEAT Ibiza Cupra from 1999 that featured a high performance 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produced 115kW/210Nm, making it one of the first of the more modern hot hatches. 

In that same time frame, SEAT released a Cupra R version of the Ibiza which pushed outputs to 132kW/235Nm which would have been pretty rapid for the time. 

The Cupra name returned to the World Rally Championship in 1995 after a 18-year hiatus with a rally-prepped Ibiza, and was actually very successful, winning the 1996 FIA 2.0-litre World Rally Cup title in its debut year. 

In 2018, Cupra split from SEAT to form its own performance company (the firm we know now) and the rest is history!

Quick Cupra model starter guide

The Cupra Leon is the smallest of the new Cupra models to come to Australia and will be available in V, VZ and VZx form. It’ll also be available in plug-in hybrid guise from next month and will be called the VZe. 

The Cupra Formentor is a compact SUV and will be available in V, VZ and VZx variants. Like the Leon, the Formentor will also be available in VZe plug-in hybrid guise for those wanting to spend less time at the bowser. 

The Cupra Ateca is a larger SUV than the Formentor and will be available in a single, high-spec VZx grade and is priced accordingly at $65,990 driveaway. 

Cupra Leon specification 

The Cupra Leon is available in V, VZ, and VZx form for now.

Standard equipment for the Leon includes a 12-inch infotainment touchscreen, a 10.25-inch digital cockpit, a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 140kW/320Nm, a seven-speed wet-clutch automatic transmission, 18-inch alloy wheels and full LED headlights and daytime running lights. 

Also standard in the interior is wireless phone charging, wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, four USB-C ports, a leather heated multifunction steering wheel, keyless entry and start and three-zone climate control. 

Optional extras on the Leon include a panoramic sunroof, Brembo brake package (for VZx only) and a leather and sound package that includes leather appointed seats with heating for the front occupants and a Beats 11-speaker sound system including subwoofer. 

Cupra Formentor specification 

The Cupra Formentor is available in V, VZ, VZx and VZe guise (plug-in hybrid will come later).

Standard equipment for the Formentor includes a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 140kW/320Nm, 18-inch alloy wheels, all-wheel drive, tyre-pressure monitoring, 10.25-inch driver’s display, a 12-inch central touchscreen, cloth sports bucket seats, wireless phone charging and a full safety suite. 

Options include a power sunroof, premium metallic paint and a leather and power package which includes leather and heated bucket seats, power adjustment for the driver and a hands-free tailgate.  

Cupra Ateca specification 

The Cupra Ateca is available in just one flagship variant, the VZx. 

Standard equipment for the Ateca VZx includes a 221kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, a seven-speed dual clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, a quad exhaust system, 19-inch alloy wheels, gloss black highlights, leather bucket seats, ambient lighting, a 10.25-inch digital driver’s display, a 9.2-inch infotainment screen and a Beats 11-speaker sound system. 

Options for the Cupra Ateca VZx include an Akrapovic exhaust system, a Brembo brake package, a panoramic sunroof and premium metallic paint. 

Cupra 2022: prices in Australia

All prices listed are before on-road costs.

Leon

• Leon V: $43,990 (driveaway pricing to be announced later)
• Leon VZ: $52,590 ($56,990 driveaway)
• Leon VZe plug-in hybrid: $65,490 (driveaway pricing varies by location)
• Leon VZx: $65,490 ($64,990 driveaway)

Formentor

• Formentor V: $50,690 ($54,990 driveaway)
• Formentor VZ: $53,790 ($58,490 driveaway)
• Formentor VZe: $60,990 ($65,990 driveaway in NSW)
• Formentor VZx: $61,490 ($66,990 driveaway)

Ateca

• Ateca VZx: $60,990 ($65,990 driveaway)