Cupra celebrates its fourth birthday with two new model announcements and metahype

Seat's performance offshoot Cupra launches the next level. On its fourth birthday, the sporty brand from the VW Group unveiled its vision for the current year: Cupra². During a globally streamed online event, the brand also announced two more new models. In addition, Cupra wants to open up a new dimension for emotional experiences with a collaborative platform called Metahype.

"Our fourth birthday has a special meaning for us. Our plan for 2022 is to double our sales, our distribution network and our turnover. That's why we've christened our vision Cupra²," explains Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra. "Four years ago, many were sceptical about our plans, but we never doubted ourselves. This year, we will prove once again that nothing can stop our ambitious vision."

Cupra also intends to double its global distribution network of Cupra Master and Cupra City garages to bring these offerings to fans of the brand around the world.

Wayne Griffiths also revealed that Cupra plans to announce two more new models in the next two years, doubling its existing portfolio of currently four models (Cupra Ateca, Cupra Leon, Cupra Formentor and Cupra Born). This follows last year's announcement that the Cupra Tavascan, the brand's second all-electric vehicle, will be launched in 2024, followed by the Cupra UrbanRebel, the electric city car, in 2025.

Emotion is what Cupra calls its core, and later this year, emotional experiences are set to exist in a new space as the brand enters the metaverse. "Metahype is our interpretation of this new universe. It's a collaborative space where brands, start-ups and creators provide many different events and experiences for people to come together and create and share culture," says Cupra CEO Griffiths. "By entering the metaverse, Cupra is proving once again that we are a brand that is more than just a vehicle manufacturer."

Metahype was developed in collaboration with VISION, a creative-immersive Mediapro Group company that is all about collaboration. Starting with brands from the music and entertainment world such as Primavera Sound and UBEAT, Cupra aims to work with partners from different sectors to inspire the new generation.

Speaking to futurist and Chief Metaverse Officer Cathy Hackl, Griffiths explained that brands and individuals in Metahype will, for example, be able to showcase artistic content such as NFTs, display digital and physical products, and stream content.

Cupra will have its own space within the platform - a place where it can create new experiences for the Cupra Tribe at different stages of the customer journey, he said. "With virtual worlds, brands have the opportunity to create completely new immersive experiences for their existing and future customers. This is a great opportunity for Cupra to connect with its communities via Metahype in an innovative and highly authentic way," shared Cathy Hackl.

Cupra also announced the launch of one of the first racing experiences to bring together the real and virtual worlds: the Cupra² Experience (Cupra Squared Experience). "With our all-electric UrbanRebel, we are bringing the Cupra² Experience to the world; a unique racing experience where what you drive is real, but what you see is virtual," said Antonino Labate, Director of Strategy, Business Development and Operations at Cupra. "With the Cupra² Experience, we are ready to challenge the traditional racing formats."

Ahead of the launch of the Cupra² Experience, Cupra will auction its first NFT of the UrbanRebel. The winning person will get the opportunity to be the first driver of the Cupra² Experience.