Cupra Australia is confident that it can win electric vehicle (EV) buyers over with unique vehicle design and superior driving dynamics, despite the challenge of cut-price alternatives from China.
The Spanish brand is about to launch its second EV in Australia – the Tavascan SUV – at a starting price of $60,990 before no-road costs, while the range-topping VZ retails for $74,990 plus on-roads.
That represents a premium over mid-sized electric SUV rivals including the BYD Sealion 7, Leapmotor C10, Deepal S07, and Xpeng G6, all of which are priced under $55,000 before on-roads.
However, local Cupra executives aren’t fazed by the disparity, as they’re confident the Tavascan is a unique offering in the market.
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“There’s a lot of new entrants, but I feel like a lot of them are taking a very similar page out of the playbook,” Cupra Australia head of product and market, Jeff Shafer told CarExpert.
“They have a very similar design, a very similar ride, and a similar package and price.
“I think the Tavascan can offer something very distinct in terms of really head-turning design – very much based around the dynamics and enjoyment of the drive.
“We’ve got a very clear understanding of the people we’re targeting. They’re people who really want to stir those emotions, and they want something that stands out and says something about their personality.”
The Cupra Tavascan arrives two years after the smaller Born hatchback, and rides on the same MEB electric vehicle architecture as other VW Group products like the Skoda Enyaq and Volkswagen ID.4/ID.5.
While Cupra is a Barcelona-based brand, the Tavascan will actually be sourced out of Anhui, China, where it’s built alongside the near-identical Volkswagen ID.UNYX which is sold exclusively in the Chinese market.
Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks says that as the Australian EV market continues to mature and expand, buyers are set to become more picky about what they want in an EV.
‘There’s a real opportunity with Tavascan because it does have that design element and the ride and handling characteristics,” said Mr Wilks.
“I think we can bring people over from their ICE car, or even into their second EV. They might be in an EV, but maybe they’re missing some of those ride and handling characteristics they used to have.
“And I think we’ve got an answer for both of those groups of people with the Tavascan.”
While Cupra has experience offering small-to-medium SUVs with the Formentor and Ateca, the Tavascan is its largest offering to date.
That gives the manufacturer a better chance at holding onto customers who were looking elsewhere in the market for a more family-friendly vehicle.
“The other thing is – together with Terramar – it takes us up a size in terms of what we’ve had to offer,” explained Mr Shafer.
“I’ve talked to other people at different events where they’ve loved the Formentor in terms of what it looks like and how it drives, but they’ve said, “I just need something a little bit bigger for five,” and that’s what Tavascan does.
“It has that slightly bigger feel, bigger boot space – the larger medium SUV segment is where it’s at right now.”
