We’re still years away from Volkswagen’s initial plans to bring Spain’s Cupra to the U.S. by the end of the 2020s, but it’s already being delayed. In a statement, the automaker said it has “strategically decided to postpone” its U.S. entrance until well after 2030. Cupra pointed the finger at “ongoing challengers within the automotive industry and in light of evolving market dynamics.” It sounds like Cupra is admitting that it knows sales were never going to be huge in the U.S., and President Trump’s tariffs on imported vehicles have made selling Europe-built cars in the States even more of a precarious plan.
Originally, we reported that Curpa’s plan was to bring the electric Formentor crossover to the U.S., along with a larger electric SUV. We had hoped that it would bring over some of its very neat electric hatchbacks, but there was very little chance of that actually happening. Eventually, Cupra would theoretically sell a mixture of EVs, hybrids, PHEVs and gas-powered vehicles in the U.S.
It’s important to note that the plan to bring Cupra here isn’t completely off the table. An executive at the company said in a statement that it wasn’t stopping its plans — just “postponing” them. He added that the Spanish automaker will “continue to monitor market developments in the coming years to determine the best timing and approach, aligned with the brand’s long-term vision.”
Not so supa Cupra
To sell its cars in the States, Cupra teamed up with Penske Automotive. Cupra and Seat CEO Wayne Griffiths said Penske’s “leadership in the industry and experience with the Volkswagen Group make this a very promising potential partnership.” The cars would be sold through something called a “Cupra City Garage” that would service the coasts and Sun Belt states.
Seat and Cupra have had a mixed start to 2025. Cupra’s sales were up 33.4% to 167,000 units between January and June of this year, but at the same time, Seat’s sales were down 21.4% to 135,000 vehicles. That means its sales revenue fell by 2%, which isn’t great. However, it’s a welcome number when you consider the group’s operating profit cratered by 90.6% to 38 million euros.
I’m not totally sure what the future holds for Cupra in the U.S. Sure, its cars are neat, but I’m not sure they’ll be good enough or interesting enough to win over American buyers who have never heard of the brand in their entire lives. I suppose time will tell, but we’re going to have to be patient.
h/t: Motor1.
