Articles by Tom White

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Cupra has revealed its largest model yet, the Terramar mid-size SUV at the America’s Cup regatta in the brand’s home town of Barcelona.Expected to be the last Cupra model to be fitted with a combustion engine, the Terramar will share its MQB underpinnings with the Volkswagen Tiguan.It will also be available with a variety of powertrains including standard turbocharged petrol, mild-hybrid and the new-generation longer-range plug-in hybrid from the Volkswagen Group. Of those, the brand has confirmed at least one turbo petrol and a plug-in hybrid will be sold in Australia, with the possibility of additional variants.The Terramar will sit above the Tavascan electric SUV and the Formentor crossover in Cupra's Australian line-up. It sets itself apart from its Volkswagen Group relations with aggressive styling both inside and out, as well as standard sport suspension, a progressive steering tune, adaptive chassis control and sportier brake packages.The car leans into the current elements of the Cupra brand, including the new nose and three-triangle light LED clusters, the front design includes a functional lower ‘mouth’ in place of a traditional grille, as well as a bumper design which accentuates its width. Around the rear it adopts the same boot-length light cluster and illuminated logo as other recently updated Cupra products. The diffuser piece is deliberately contrasting to the bodywork to make it stand out.Inside, the Terramar is equipped with a large 12.9-inch multimedia screen and a digital dash cluster, and can also be equipped with a holographic head-up display. Like other Cupra models, it will also make use of extensive recycled materials on the inside. ‘Central areas’ are said to be made from 100 per cent recycled Seaqual yarn, and seats with synthetic suede with ‘at least 73 per cent recycled textile’. Leather materials use a plant-based tanning process.The Terramar was designed and developed in Barcelona, but it will be built in an Audi facility in Hungary. Further details as well as timing and specs for the Australian market are yet to be confirmed.The Terramar may not be the largest Cupra for long as global boss Wayne Griffiths confirmed the Spanish marque will debut in America by the end of the decade and introduce a large SUV model built in Mexico.The current range includes Leon hatchback and wagon, Ateca and Formentor small SUVs, as well as the Born electric hatchback and incoming Tavascan electric mid-size SUV.Its American debut will no doubt elevate the brand even further than its current rapid expansion, which has seen it move 700,000 units globally since its launch in 2018. Cupra has also had a comparatively meteoric rise in Australia, selling several thousand units by the end of 2023 after only launching in 2022. Its fortunes have faltered over the course of 2024, now down 27.5 per cent year-on-year thanks to thinning stock and a slew of upgraded products yet to launch.By 2025 Cupra showrooms will look very fresh thanks to heavily updated versions of the Leon and Formentor, as well as new faster trim levels of the Born hatchback and the introduction of the Tavascan and Terramar mid-sizers.

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