Cupra Tindaya set to challenge Alpine and Porsche

Cupra has revealed the radical Tindaya concept car that it promises will become a reality and move the brand further upmarket.

Intended to showcase the Spanish brand’s “vision and future design language”, The Tindaya hints at a future flagship model that could pack almost 500bhp and challenge the Alpine A390, Porsche Macan and BMW iX3.

While the Tindaya is a concept car, Seat’s interim boss Markus Haupt insisted “[This] is not a dream, not even an ambition. This is our Cupra statement and it’s going to be a reality”. He also said that it would characterise Cupra’s focus on the driving experience.

At 4.72m long, the Tindaya is similar in size to the Macan, A390 and iX3, and the largest model Cupra has ever built, sitting above the current Tavascan SUV.

Named after a volcano on Fuerteventura, the Tindaya adopts a more extreme version of Cupra’s angular, triangle-heavy design language. Sitting on 23-inch wheels, the show car features a pronounced shark-nose front end with huge angular air scoops above which sit three triangular headlights. Sharp creases run along the doors and flow up into the pronounced shoulders above cut-out rear wheel arches. At the rear, low-set “keels” echo the intakes at the front and a split high-level spoiler emphasises the fastback styling of this coupe-SUV.

Elements of the body work are made from Bcomp flax-based material, as part of efforts to make the car more sustainable. That’s echoed inside where vegan leather and recycled plastics are used, along with 3D-printed aluminium structural elements.

Cupra says the four-seat interior reflects its “no drivers, no Cupra” philosophy, with a driver-centric cockpit that blends modern technology with easy-to-use controls.

A large central “spine” runs front to rear and houses the “Jewel” – a glass prism that’s used to control most of the car’s functions, from drive modes to ambient lighting. There’s no central touchscreen but ahead of the driver is a 24-inch Cupra Monitor+ display which acts as instrument and infotainment read out, adapting to the drive mode selected via the Jewel.

That screen sits ahead of a yoke-style steering wheel intended to enhance the driver’s connection with the car and emphasise Cupra’s desire to build EVs that offer true driver engagement.

Any production version of the Tindaya is expected to be built on the Volkswagen Group’s SSP platform which will also underpin the new Skoda Octavia and VW Golf EVs.

At the Munich motor show, Cupra told media that it has the capability to support fully electric or range-extender EV powertrains. Both versions would use two electric motors to offer 489bhp and a 0-62mph time of just 4.1 seconds. There’s no word on batteries but Cupra did indicate that the range-extender would be capable of 190 all-electric miles before having to rely on its 1.5-litre petrol generator to top them up.

Before any production version of the Tindaya arrives, Cupra will launch the Raval compact hatchback. Due to arrive in mid-2026, the Raval is the sporty sibling in a VW Group family that also includes the Skoda Epiq and Volkswagen ID Cross crossovers and the VW ID Polo hatchback.