Cupra celebrates more than 1000 electrified vehicle sales

Cupra Australia is celebrating a new milestone this week: more than a third of the 3000-plus local orders received since the Spanish brand opened its order books Down Under in July 2022 have been for either plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or battery-electric (EV) models, meaning at least 30 per cent of all Cupra vehicles sold here have been electrified.

Of course, given the lag between order and delivery, fewer Cupras have actually hit the road in Australia, where a total of 2338 vehicles have been registered in the past 12 months (excluding this month), including 1443 Formentor SUVs, 459 Ateca SUVs, 345 Leon hatches and 61 Born electric hatches.

While 1000 or so electrified vehicle orders is nothing compared to Toyota’s hybrid sales or Tesla’s annual tally, Cupra is a performance brand that has offered only four models for less than a year in Australia.

One these models is of course the rear-wheel drive Cupra Born electric hatch, but plug-in hybrid versions of the Leon and Formentor are available, while the flagship Ateca is offered with only with combustion power.

In line with national sales trends, it’s the Born that has accounted for the bulk of Cupra Australia’s electrified vehicle sales, with around 700 orders having been taken to date, however, Cupra Australia director Ben Wilks says PHEV sales have been limited due to supply.

“A third of Cupra’s orders are for our BEV or its PHEVs,” he said.

“This tells us that Cupra’s customers are all on board with our blend of dynamic design and driving, whether it comes in BEV, PHEV or ICE form.”

Wilks added the fact the Leon and Formentor PHEVs are plug-in hybrids as opposed to plugless series-hybrids or mild-hybrids means drivers can combine the best of both EV and ICE worlds in terms of the driving experience.

Cupra broke new ground at the start of this year when it adjusted the pricing of its top-spec Leon VXz, VZe and Cupra Born to start from $59,990 plus on-road costs, offering local consumers the option of internal combustion, plug-in hybrid or battery-electric technology for the same price.

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