√Next-generation Cupra Ateca ruled out, Terramar may be indirect successor

The Cupra Ateca performance SUV – now six years old in Europe – will not enter a new generation after the current model is axed mid-decade, with the larger Terramar to indirectly take its place alongside the current Formentor.

The Cupra Ateca performance SUV will not replaced once the current model reaches the end of the road – in the years after the new, similarly-sized Terramar SUV arrives in Australia in 2025.

The Ateca arrived in Australia with the rest of the Cupra range last year, but it dates back to 2018 in Europe – or 2016 for the standard Seat Ateca it is based on – priming it for replacement.

Cupra CEO Wayne Griffiths confirmed to Australian media there will not be a second generation of the 4.38 metre-long Cupra Ateca – as well as its donor car, the standard Seat Ateca sold in Europe.

The executive said the Ateca would initially be sold alongside the larger 4.5m-long Terramar SUV, which is due next year on newer underpinnings, with a broader spread of petrol and plug-in hybrid power options.

“The Terramar is going to be higher positioned than where the Cupra Ateca is today, but the Ateca today is quite a limited volume potential with one engine – we’re extending the engine range [with Terramar],” Mr Griffiths told Australian media.

“The Cupra Terramar is going to be strongly focusing on the plug-in hybrid engines, with higher range, better performance. I think it will be in a different ballpark than where the Cupra Ateca is,” he said.

“We won’t be doing a successor of the Seat Ateca and Cupra Ateca, on the base of that platform – it’s a smaller [and older] platform.

“It will be in the market overlapping for a few years. I think we’re bringing the Terramar at the end of next year [and Australia in 2025], and the Cupra Ateca is still going to be in the market by then,” Mr Griffiths said.

The executive told media the remaining lifespan of the Ateca is dependent on the severity of Euro 7 emission regulations, which are due to be introduced in 2025 or 2026.

“A lot of how long Cupra Ateca goes will be dependent on the Euro 7 discussions, and how we can [manage] those. But there will be a period of overlap – I don’t think it will be a long period,” Mr Griffiths said.

The Terramar – which will be Cupra’s last new petrol-powered model – will be sold alongside the 4.45m-long Formentor SUV, which is positioned as a lower, sportier car targeted at design rather than practicality.

Mr Griffiths told media the Terramar is expected to become one of the company’s top sellers.

“In terms of customers, the Terramar will give us a bigger audience to talk to, because of the size of the car, the fact that the car is based on a platform with Audi … the Terramar has huge potential, I think it’s going to be one of our most important cars.”

Cupra Australia reported 234 Atecas as sold last year, compared to 186 Leon hatchbacks, and 690 Formentors.

The new Terramar is set to be built alongside the Audi Q3 in Hungary, and offer plug-in hybrid power with up to 100km of electric driving range.

Traditional petrol engines are expected to remain, which could include the latest-generation 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder in sister brand Volkswagen’s latest performance cars, the Golf R and Tiguan R.

Cupra has said the Terramar will be the brand’s last all-new model with petrol power, before it plans to switch to electric propulsion only by the end of this decade.

The executive confirmed successors to the Formentor and Leon are planned, and will be electric.

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