Cupra’s U.S. debut felt imminent a few months ago, but questions around President Trump’s escalating trade war cast doubt on its arrival. The Volkswagen Group brand’s CEO recently confirmed that it was still on track for a U.S. debut by 2030, saying the decision to expand here “remains unchanged.”
CEO Wayne Griffiths told reporters that, “This is a long-term decision that cannot be determined on the basis of short-term fluctuations.” Cupra’s U.S. expansion would bring new electric vehicles to market and could help the brand expand beyond its extremely Europe-heavy sales practices.
Griffiths didn’t comment on which Cupra models would come to the States but confirmed that the automaker would make a decision on its vehicle catalog by June of this year. While the company is expected to focus on EVs with its U.S. expansion, Griffiths said its arrival here could include internal combustion vehicles as well. “When we first floated the plan of launching Cupra in the U.S., I said we would go all electric, but I certainly wouldn’t do it today,” he noted.
He also said that VW Group and its brands have to be flexible with market strategies, offering EVs and ICE vehicles where they’re most in demand, saying, “We have to be flexible, we need to go with both battery electric and combustion vehicles, and we need to use vehicles that we can also sell in Europe.”
[Images: Cupra/Volkswagen Auto Group]
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