Cupra has unveiled heavily updated versions of its Leon small hatch and Formentor compact SUV.
The new Formentor debuts a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) system that can travel on electricity alone for up to 100km.
The company has also confirmed a new wagon version of the performance-focused Leon as a spiritual successor to the once-loved Golf R wagon from parent company Volkswagen.
However, the new models won’t arrive in time to take advantage of the government’s fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption for people who lease PHEVs through company salary sacrifice programs.
The generous FBT exemptions for PHEVs are currently planned to end on April 1, 2025. EVs have until at least 2027 for the same benefits.
Cupra says interest in its Formentor VZe has surged, prompting it to order more stock and a limited edition model of the outgoing version.
However, Cupra concedes its most compelling PHEV yet – the new Formentor that will be able to DC fast charge at up to 50kW for a full charge in about half an hour — will just miss out on the FBT benefits.
“We’re taking the very highest specification performance engines … they come on stream a little bit later,” says Cupra Australia brand director Ben Wilks.
Cupra Australia product and marketing chief Jeff Shafer says the company still expects keen interest in the car.
“Not everyone is in a position where a BEV is right for them today and I think plug-in hybrids are a solution for some people.”
The company also showed off the new Leon range, which includes a Sportstourer wagon that is on the wish list for Australia.
While the wagon isn’t expected to do big sales volumes, Cupra believes it will satisfy enthusiasts who previously gravitated to the Volkswagen Golf R wagon.
“It’s a niche … but it’s a niche that’s interesting to us,” says Shafer.
The Sportstourer will be available with the new plug-in hybrid system in the Formentor, as well as a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine making 245kW, the most ever for the fledgling brand.
Speaking at the global reveal of the two fresh models in the brand’s home country of Spain, chief executive Wayne Griffiths said the company was still focused on design and performance, reinforcing that it was “not a premium or prestige brand” but “an alternative for the next generation of car lovers looking for something different”.
The new Formentor will have a fresh nose, lights and bumpers as well as an LED light strip across the rear that incorporates an illuminated Cupra logo.
Its raised bonnet and slim upper grille give it a more distinctive face.
The Leon takes a different approach with a lower bonnet designed to reinforce its sporty intentions.
It also gets new lights and bumpers, including 3D-look rear lights that incorporate Cupra’s trademark triangular look.
And the logo is also illuminated in red across the rear.